Righteousness, it is achievable. But only through the ONE who is Righteous: Jesus Christ.

Romans 5

Would you die for a "righteous" person or a "good" person? vs7 Well, "righteous" sounds pretty awesome, actually it sounds better than good. But is it? How do we define it? Can we attain it?

Righteous defined as "acting in accord with divine or moral law; free from guilt and sin." Meriam-Webster.

Only JESUS is righteous. This is because He fulfilled the LAW:

• He was fully obedient to the LAW

• He submitted to be condemned by the Law for its transgressors. He took our place.

• Christ was EQUAL to the Law through HIS Messianic Authority.

• Christ proved the errors of the scribes in their interpretations of the Law.

• He lived up to the True Righteous Standard of the Law. 

• Christ fulfilled Old Testament predictions of the Messiah.

• Christ moved our response to the Law from ritualism to an ethical and moral obligation.

• Christ fulfill His Messianic Mission by being righteous (without Sin) and being obedient. Through His obedient submission to die on the cross and then rise from death. Thereby, creating a Righteous Kingdom composed of His followers whom He has bestowed onto His Righteousness.

We take on the Righteousness of Christ. We ourselves don't become righteous. We cannot live up to the Law or meet that challenge. Failure in one aspect of the Law imposes guilt for the entire Law code. Jesus took the Law from simply visible actions to the HEART. (Matthew 5:22, 28) We may have enough self-control not to act on our thoughts. But the real point is that we are born sinners under our Father Adam.

Reading Galatians 5:22-26, this section of the Holy Scriptures tells us how the Holy Spirit helps us live daily. How when we rely on Him we can demonstrate His Fruit:

• Love

• Joy

• Peace

• Longsuffering (Forbearance, Patience)

• Gentleness (Kindness)

• Goodness (Generosity)

• Faith, -fulness, (Fidelity)

• Meekness (Humility)

• Temperance (Self-control)

As you look over The Fruit, it does not include The Holy Spirit helping us to be "righteous". As Paul quotes Psalm 14:3, in Romans 3:10, "There is none righteous, no not one." We are all humans and born under the Curse of Sin. The Law demonstrates our inability to be without sin = Righteous. The righteousness we obtain at salvation is that of Christ's. (I John 2:1)

I would love to hear you thoughts, comments, questions.

God Bless you!

Did you know that the Edelweiss Flower represents Righteousness?