Many religions claim a level of righteousness in their faith which much of it is done through self-exertion!! In the next couple of devotionals, I will be focusing on the “righteousness of faith” described in the Bible and find out what that really means. In order for us to be followers of Christ, we must see His heart for righteousness, so we can pursue the right thing!!
For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.Romans 4:13-15
What is”rightousness of faith”? It is a righteousness that belongs to faith. It is a righteousness that is tied to faith. The basis of our faith is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. He accepts us and makes us righteous. That’s the starting point of our journey of faith. Then we must continue to walk in faith and walk righteously!! Abraham believed God and it was credited to Him as righteousness!!
You may ask the question, is there another type of righteousness than the one that is not tied to faith? Yes, there is. As Christians, we can walk in a so-called “righteousness” as if it is a means to an end. Meaning, if I am righteous enough, there will be a blessing or a reward associated with it. We can even find scriptures especially in Proverbs that declare great blessings for the righteous. However, there is a difference in a righteousness that is tied to faith versus a righteousness that is a means to an end!!
The righteousness that is tied to faith as its source is initiated by God and for God! It means without faith in Him, the fruit of righteousness will not be in existence because it is impossible to please Him. This type of righteousness is a fruit of faith. It is a by-product of a life surrendered to Him. One rests in God’s promises without continually asking questions such as, “Am I doing enough?”, “ Do I need to pray harder?”, “What’s next?”, “Is this really going to happen?”, “Who should I connect to?”, “Is the sacrifice worth my time?”, “What is the reward if I do this right?”.
The faith that produces God’s righteousness is child-like, and it is not goal-oriented. It does not have a timetable, and it genuinely trusts the one who gave the promise to be faithful and true. In this condition, the enemy cannot tempt one like he did Eve by “Did God really say..?” One’s faith is unwavering and intact because every thought has been brought to the obedience of Christ and the atmosphere of faith is not contaminated with the smog of unbelief or carnality.
The righteousness that is not tied to faith is one that wants to have the supremacy and be a standalone unit. It is self-righteous. As if the person wants to negotiate and make a deal with God on how much it will give for how much blessing it expects to receive. This kind of righteousness is demanding, legalistic, contractual, impersonal, and very prideful. When the blessings and rewards do come, there is smugness about the righteous person because they feel they have earned and attained the reward by their level of righteousness!!
The Lord is so gracious that He will put us in situations to test our hearts and our righteousness. Have you been walking in the righteousness of faith? Let Him show you!