What is the Standard of Righteousness?

The Pharisees condemning Jesus of wrongdoing.

During my daily devotions of Bible reading with my wife, I often see combinations of words that inspire me to do a Bible study about them. I usually learn new things from it.

The word “righteousness” appears in the KJV 302 times in 285 verses. What does it mean to be righteous? Should we let right and wrong be determined only by our culture? The government? What Woke people tell us? Absolutely not! We must go by what the Word of God, the Bible tells us!

Righteousness is connected to faith in God’s Word

The very first time the word righteousness occurs, it’s linked to belief in the Lord and the Word of God!

Genesis 15:6 And he (Abraham) believed in the LORD; and he (the LORD) counted it to him for righteousness.

The Apostle Paul confirms that belief in God’s Word is connected to righteousness.

Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Jesus told the chief priests and the elders of the people:

Matthew 21:32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

Jesus implied that the hated publicans and the harlots were more righteous than the chief priests and elders because they believed what John the Baptist had to say!

True righteousness in God’s eyes is having faith in Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

Who wouldn’t want to believe that Jesus Christ came to save sinners? Only people who are righteous in their own eyes and think they have no sin!

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 ¶If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

People may think they are righteous because they either don’t know or they don’t believe what the Bible teaches.

Romans 3:10 As it is written (in the Bible), There is none righteous, no, not one:

1 John 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

This is the trouble with Buddhism. There is no concept of sin or breaking God’s moral law because there is no Creator God in Buddhist doctrine.

Righteousness is connected to peace.

Psalms 72:3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.

Psalms 85:10 Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

Isaiah 48:18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:

Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Hebrews 7:2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

James 3:18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

Unrighteousness tends to bring a lack of peace.

Isaiah 48:22 There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.

Is there strife in your marriage? Your relationships with others? Your family? Your nation? The world? We know the world has never had lasting peace, but we can have peace in our part of the world through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and listening to His Word!

If others, especially unbelievers say you are self-righteous for exposing their sins with the Bible, take heart that you are truly on the side of righteousness. People who judge you by their standard of righteousness rather than what the Bible has to say are the self-righteous ones, not you.

And some may even condemn you with the Bible based on their own false interpretation of Scripture! If you stick with what you know the Bible says and you stand together with other men and women of God who believe as you do, you shouldn’t feel condemned. Some Christians who assert that the Earth is flat get mad at me when I tell them it’s not. They claim the Bible teaches it and I call it a false interpretation. And if you argue with them about it, the effect is something other than peace, quietness and joy! It only results in unrighteousness, anger and bitterness. It’s best to drop the subject and cut fellowship completely with the person who insists to push their doctrines down your throat.

If this offends you, please remember you read this article of your own volition. You can leave this page anytime.

There is probably more I could add to this Bible study. If anybody has anything to add, please write it in the comments section and I will add it to this Bible class.