About Righteousness

By Johny M. Northcutt

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     There must be a great many people like myself who become frustrated because they fail in righteousness. Paul had this problem. He said his body served the law of sin while his mind served the law of God. But he did not despair and we should not. Jesus will deliver us. I want to think with you about righteousness.

     Our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees. Theirs was based on a cold and calculated obedience to the law. There was no compassion or kindness. Jesus said they cleaned the outside of the vessel but not the inside. We must never be righteous to impress others. This is inconsistent and unworthy of Jesus.

     We manifest our righteousness by trusting and believing in Jesus as God's Son, and activating that trust by repentance and baptism, by being born into the family of God. We then start growing in righteousness. There were some who asked Jesus what they could do to please God and to do his works. He said that the work of God was to believe in the one whom God sent. Do you realize that is all we have to do to please God, for if we truly believe we will do all that he desires of us.

     We demonstrate our righteousness by our treatment of others. We love our neighbors as ourselves. We see other people as a reflection of ourselves, with all of the aches, pains, sorrows, and joys that we feel. Some of us forget this at times. There are those who cannot control their appetites in certain areas. Can we do so? Some cannot cope with temptations. Our neighbors, like ourselves, must live in a hostile world. Love them. Treat them with kindness, patience and mercy. We must some day stand before God and the measure we use for others is the one by which he will judge us. Jesus showed kindness to two women who were guilty of adultery. He wept at the grave of a friend. This is an example for us.

     Jesus said he would send the Holy Spirit to teach us the truth about sin, righteousness and judgment. Paul wrote, "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, they are a law unto themselves, and show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing them witness" (Romans 2:14). Righteousness is dictated to us by the Spirit of God each second of our lives. We know what we should do in every situation. But we do not always respond. Jesus knows this and makes intercession for us.

     Jesus said, "I do what I see my Father do. I speak what I hear him speak." He also said, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness but in the light of life." These statements indicate that if we have eyes to see and ears to hear, we can see and bear what God is doing. We should no longer be in darkness. Listen for the words of God. See the miracles of God wrought in the lives of people and in creation. God is near. He is all around us!

     Righteousness in Jesus is really an expression of the love of God, the love that is from God. To love people in all conditions as we see them each day is beyond human capability. Paul declares that even though we have spiritual gifts, possess the faith that moves mountains, and give our goods to feed the poor and our bodies to be burned, without love it is all in vain. Imagine one who has the faith to move a mountain and yet such faith be empty. It is without the love of God. It is here we must let Jesus express himself through us. The love of God comes to us by Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the love of God.

     Do not give up if you do not have a feeling of overwhelming love. It will grow like a tree, beginning from a seed. Paul said to live peaceably with all men in so far as you are able. Some people

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have greater ability to live peaceably and righteously than others. At this point never use a good brother or sister as an example. Keep your heart set on Jesus. I have become very concerned at times because I could not feel what I believe was this love. But I now believe that the fact one is concerned about it is pleasing unto God.

     I have found that the love that counts is not a mental attitude that goes up and down with changing circumstances. It is a gift from God, and entirely different than I had anticipated. It is rather unexplainable. We will never perfect righteousness while on earth. We can serve God in heart and mind, but we are still in flesh. This is not an excuse for sin, but the flesh was crucified with Jesus, so it is justified. Righteousness is a minute-by-minute living experience. Do not make long range living plans of "do's and don'ts." It is from heartbeat to heartbeat!

     (Johny M. Northcutt resides at 7428 Arlington Drive, Saint Louis, Mo. 63117).