Jeremiah Kaaya Pastor at Springs of Power Church, Teacher by professional

What is righteousness? How are we counted righteous? Why is it that without righteousness, we can't see God?

Righteousness is God's own mind and God's own way. Righteousness is exclusively of God.

Before man fell, he had been counted righteous by way of having not disobeyed God. When man fell, he lost his right of righteousness and was, as a wage for his disobedience detached from God (Gen 3). In order to restore this righteousness, God provided a way by offering His Son Jesus Christ so that through Jesus Christ, we are restored.

To be counted righteous therefore is by the sole acceptance of Jesus Christ and the subsequent submission to His Lordship. On this account therefore, righteousness is obedience to and agreement with God. By this, we are able to regain the precious relationship with God the Father which we had lost when Adam and Eve fell.

Scripture stipulates that man was created in God's own image (Gen 1:27). Being created in God's own image is only extended to humans, not any other creature. Man was created in such a way that he is the only creature with the abilities and attributes like those of God.

Being created in God's image is never a fact of our physical looks. Rather, God's image is not that how we look physically, is how God looks. There are two ways I can state we are created in God's image; 

We are in God's image by way of being righteous as He is righteous (Being like Him in spirit and soul). For it is about the state of our heart which is paramount. The scribes and the Pharisees were hypocritically righteous because it was never rooted in their heart. They would do anything and everything for the public eye.

We are also created in God's image because God created us so that we are rulers with Him. He extended His authority to us the humans. Just as He rules in Heaven, so do we on earth by way of the authority that He extended to us when He created us. It is when man sinned that he had lost the authority over all creation.

Jesus came so that through Him, we can regain being in God's image and the authority of ruler ship over all creation. Rather when we confess Christ as Savior and submit to His Lordship. 

Lu 14:15 is about the resurrection of the righteous. If you read from verse 13 so as to get the proper context of it, you realize that Jesus was teaching a way of keeping ourselves righteous (I use the word keeping because righteousness is only granted by God. Our only requirement is to keep it so). 

Jesus taught that when you make a feast, don't invite the well to do, instead go call the lame, the maimed, the poor, the blind. People from whom we should not expect recompense. Why so? To God, it is not what we do, it it what our heart and mind are. We should not harbor selfish intentions. When they recompense you, then you are done and do not expect any more from God.

On that account therefore, it is about the state of the heart. We must not do anything because we have the ability to, but because it is what to do. For we must not only help out of abundance, but out of a loving and upright heart. For only God knows the heart and it is what He looks for in us (Jeremiah 17:10), (Lu 16:15), (Psalms 44:21). Thus to say; guard your heart not your deeds. True goodness is only of God. It is this element of life in us which is righteousness which will make it possible for us to resurrect, because for it comes with an upright heart and a rightful mind. Our heart and attitude matters most. God is righteous and only the righteous can afford to live as He lives.

God hates it when we pretend, when we put on a look simply to be appreciated by men. When we are selfish and opportunistically seek to place ourselves where we gain materially. God demands an upright heart. 

Jesus left His Heavenly glory to save us. We are not only to confess Him, but equally to learn from Him. He was selfless in all.

September 25 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report