Righteousness

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 

2 Corinthians 5:21

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 

1 Peter 2:24

Does the new life offered in and through Christ Jesus replace God’s call to righteousness with a call to pursue hospitality?  In a recent conversation with a brilliant friend, he observed that in the Old Testament God called His people to righteousness, but in the New Testament Jesus calls people to pursue hospitality, suggesting that hospitality is the new standard for living a life pleasing to God.  How do you respond to that observation?  Does it seem consistent with your understanding of Scripture?

I love interacting with people, particularly people who are a lot smarter and better educated than I am, and hearing their conclusions after they have processed some of the same information I have considered.  I do not always agree with them, but I love the interactions.

My friend pointed to Jesus’ description of final judgment recorded in Matthew 25 as evidence for his observation.  While describing the final judgment, Jesus says He will judge on the basis of who served others during their time on earth.  After separating the goat from the sheep, placing sheep on His right and goats on His left, Jesus says,

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’  Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?  And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?  And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’  And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:34-40

After describing people who feed hungry people, give water to thirsty people, welcome strangers, provide clothing to naked people, and visit prisoners, He refers to the ones who demonstrate compassion as “the righteous.”  My friend concluded that by linking hospitable actions to righteousness, Jesus renders hospitability as the new standard for righteousness.  It is a very interesting thought.  And I possibly misunderstood what he said or was attempting to communicate, because he is way, way, way smarter than I am, but if I heard him correctly, I think the analysis of cause and effect is backwards based on a variety of other passages.

Please let me know what you think.  Let’s briefly consider some of the other passages that lead me to see the process as follows:  when we believe we relinquish our old life and receive new life in and through Christ Jesus, and the Holy Spirit takes up residence within our spirits starting the process of spiritual transformation leading to gradually increasing holiness, righteousness and Godliness.  Our new life reveals itself through our actions, which include hospitability and compassion.  Hospitality does not replace righteousness as the standard; rather, hospitality is one aspect of the totality of physical evidence revealing our new life in Christ Jesus.

In Matthew 25, Jesus says the people with His holy indwelling and new life will behave in a way revealing their association with Him.  He describes a few characteristics of what new life in Christ Jesus looks like to the outside world and describes people who are associated with Him as “the righteous.”  Here are a few of the passages from the epistles of Paul, Peter and John that lead me to that conclusion.  Let’s begin by considering a few statements from Paul’s letter to the church in Rome.  In the first chapter Paul writes,

So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.  For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”  Romans 1:15-17

Through the gospel, God reveals His righteousness “from faith for faith.”  Further, “the righteous shall live by faith.”  Some manuscripts say, “The one who by faith is righteous shall live.”  Faith comes by hearing the good news; faith leads to righteousness; and righteousness leads to enhanced faith.  They work together in a cycle of growth and reveal themselves through the tangible evidence of a transformed life.

Two chapters later Paul identifies people who are eligible to receive God’s glorious gifts of faith and righteousness – those who believe – writing,

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it – the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.  Romans 3:21-22

God’s righteousness “has been manifested… through faith in Christ Jesus for all who believe.”  God’s righteousness has been and is being displayed through people who have faith in Christ Jesus.  The presentation of God’s righteousness in and through mere humans through Christ Jesus by faith is a remarkable, mind-blowing concept.  Just as faith is a gift from God and salvation is a gift from God, righteousness is His.  Righteousness belongs to God and He allows people to gain bits and pieces of it through His holy indwelling.

Later in the same letter Paul writes,

For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.  Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.   Romans 5:17-19

Those “who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ” and “will be made righteous.”  People who receive God’s holy gift of righteousness through Christ Jesus “reign in life” and are made righteous.  God’s righteousness transforms those who receive it, rendering them righteous.

In the next chapter Paul urges his readers to present themselves to God as instruments of righteousness.  Righteousness is not merely an inward characteristic; it reveals itself through behavior.  Just as a claw hammer is designed to drive and pull nails, a pen is designed to write on paper, a coffee pot is designed to produce coffee, followers of Christ are designed to reveal God’s righteousness to the world.  Believers are instruments of righteousness.  Paul urges believers to present themselves to God as instruments of righteousness, allowing God to use them for His intended purpose – revealing His righteousness to the world.  Paul writes,

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.  Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.  For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.  Romans 6:12-14

The word translated as “members” in verse 13 may refer to body parts, human personality, or “sanctified imagination” (see HELPS Word-studies entry 3196), or possibly every possible display of a person to God.  If God has given us His gracious gift of new life, and we purport to have received His holy gift, His holy transformation should be evident through our lives.  Paul continues writing on this theme saying,

Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?  Romans 6:16; and

For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.  Romans 6:19; and

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 6:22-23

I have heard it said that freedom is not absolute.  After a prisoner is released, he may re-enter society, but if he does, he must live according to the standards and restrictions imposed on him by society.  If he chooses to go out into the wilderness and live apart from society’s restrictions, he will be bound by the daily requirements necessary to survive in the wilderness.  Whether in prison, society or wilderness, he is bound by a unique set of restrictions.  Freedom from one set of restrictions means bondage to another.  Freedom is not absolute. 

Similarly, we must (and regularly do) choose which system we desire to subject ourselves to.  If we choose to live in and through Christ Jesus, God frees us from slavery to sin, but that means becoming slaves to God and His righteousness, and gaining communion with Him, which is eternal life.

Throughout the Book of Romans we see God calling us to receive the gift of His righteousness through Christ Jesus so that we might be transformed and as a result, our actions will reveal His righteousness.  In one of his letters to the church in Corinth, Paul continues this thought describing believers as new creations and stating that the reason God asked Jesus to take on our sin was to transform us into “the righteousness of God.”  The notion that believers, followers of Christ, might be righteous is not a passing thought, it is fundamental to God’s purpose.  Paul writes,

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.  All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.  For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Later in the letter Paul urges His readers to cleanse their bodies and spirits as they seek the completion of holiness.  Please allow that thought to sink in a bit.  What does total, complete holiness look like?  Is that possible so long as we live here on earth?  Paul urges us to bring “holiness to completion,” suggesting it is not only possible, but also the goal for every believer.  Paul writes,

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.  2 Corinthians 7:1

He restates the thought in his letter to the church in Ephesus, reminding readers that their new life in and through Christ Jesus is righteous, holy and in the image of God, and as a result of their spiritual transformation they walk in holiness, which necessitates giving up behavior and thoughts they formerly enjoyed.  But giving up old sinful lifestyles is not a burden because through His glorious transformation old ways of life are revolting.  He writes,

 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.  They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.  They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.  But that is not the way you learned Christ! – assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.  Ephesians 4:17-24

And to the church in Philippi, Paul urges readers to be pure and blameless, and to behave in ways revealing their inward righteousness.  Again, pure behavior is caused by righteousness.  Actions flow from the heart, revealing its contents.  Paul writes,

For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.  And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.  Philippians 1:8-11

And in his letters to Timothy, Paul urges his protégé to flee sinful things and pursue righteousness writing,

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.  1 Timothy 6:11; and

So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.  2 Timothy 2:22

Paul clearly reads God’s call to righteousness set forth in the Old Testament through the worldview transformed by Christ Jesus, and he sees Christ Jesus as the One through whom righteousness is possible.  We cannot achieve righteousness on our own merit or effort, but through Christ Jesus the impossible becomes not merely possible, but expected.  Are thoughts such as these unique to Paul, or do others support the view?

Peter and John share Paul’s understanding.  Peter explains that the reason Jesus took our sins upon Himself and died, was so that we would die to sin and live in righteousness.  Followers of Christ should endeavor to be righteous.  This is not a passing thought; this is fundamental to Jesus’ holy mission on earth.  Peter writes,

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.  He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.  When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.  He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.  For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.  1 Peter 2:21-25

In his second epistle, Peter describes God’s patience and the wrath of His judgment, urging readers not to confuse God’s patience with approval, and urging readers to pursue holiness and Godliness.  Peter writes,

 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!  But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.  2 Peter 3:8-13

John urges readers to purify themselves and practice righteousness.  While recognizing that every human on earth is sinful and a sinner, John draws a distinction between sinfulness and continually pursuing lives of sin.  As humans we all sin, and when we realize our sin, through the Holy Spirit’s convection or otherwise, we should repent and turn to God and seek forgiveness.  John urges readers to follow that course of life rather than continually repeating the same life of sin.  He urges us to seek purity, seek righteousness, seek God. 

In fact, John goes further than merely urging readers to behave in righteousness, he says it is impossible for followers of Christ, believers, those who have received His new life, children of God to continue living lives of sin because they have been born of God.  New life simply does not mix with sinful desires and behavior.  New life transforms the way we see the world and the way we respond to things of the world.  Situations, entertainment, settings and thoughts that formerly seemed appealing will no longer be desired or desirable.  This is caused by spiritual transformation in and through Christ Jesus.  John writes,

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.  And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.  Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.  You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.  No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.  Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.  No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.  By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.  1 John 3:1-10

In the Old Testament, God miraculously created the nation of Israel through a barren woman who was too old to have children.  He gave the nation His law and set it apart as His holy nation, but they were unable to maintain holiness on their own.  They strayed.  Jesus came to earth on a mission culminating with taking our sin and dying so that we might live in righteousness.  Jesus is the way to holiness.  What is impossible for mere humans is possible through God.

Does the New Testament erase righteousness as the standard for living?  Not at all.  Through Christ Jesus, we gain His righteousness enabling us to achieve the standard.

May you seek Him, may you know Him, may you embody His righteousness and reveal Him to the world around you.  Amen.