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Romans 14:17 tells us that the Kingdom of God is about living in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Today we will discuss righteousness. When Jesus speaks about the abundant life of the Kingdom of God, He is not talking about achieving material prosperity, although it does not preclude it. Jesus Himself stated in Matthew 6:32 that He knows that we have need of things. After stating that, Jesus went on to say, “…but in order to acquire these things, you must seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness,” and then the material things that you need will follow.
What is righteousness? The Bible tells us that outside of God, no one is righteous (Romans 3:10), but that righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22). You are righteous when you live your life in line with God’s will, because His righteousness is expressed through you. None of us lives completely without sin while on this earth, but once saved, you can live by His power in such a way that He is pleased. His righteousness working in you causes you to please God through your actions, thoughts, and behavior. This righteousness is a manifestation of having your existence in Christ. When you live and move and have your being in Him (Acts 17:28), one of the fruits that you bear is a righteous lifestyle.
There are two types of righteousness: righteousness which is of God and our own standard of self-righteousness. Unfortunately, many of us who have a zeal for the Lord and are serving Him in the marketplace fall prey to walking in self-righteousness. The Apostle Paul emphasized in Philippians 3:9 that his desire was “to be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.”
He also stated in Romans 10:2-3, speaking of the Israelites, that they had a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. In their zeal, they established their own righteousness, because they were ignorant of the righteousness of God. What is this righteousness that is “of the law”?
It is actions and behaviors that are based on the letter of the law but ignorant of the Spirit. This zealous self-righteousness is using God’s Word to realize one’s own will and desires without taking into account the effect on others. It is a stubborn pursuit of one’s perceived rights, based on a legalistic interpretation of Scriptures, but at the expense of love. This is in contrast to the Apostle’s Paul’s beautiful summation of what truly matters when he said, “the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (Galatians 5:6b (NIV))
Those who have their own standard of righteousness may not be involved in immoral acts such as murder, adultery, and so forth, but their actions do not please God, because they are based on their own sense of righteousness rather than God’s.
How do I know if I’m walking in my own righteousness?
- I always justify my own position
- I am not operating out of love
- I am seeking more to be understood than to understand
- I am fighting for my ‘rights’ rather than for what is right
- I am not being led by the Holy Spirit
- I lack compassion
- I am presumptuous
Unfortunately, as Christians, some of us have earned a reputation for self-righteousness. This means that we are living according to our own standards of righteousness, not God’s. As a result, the message of the Good News of the Gospel has at times been lost, and often falls on deaf ears, because we are perceived to be more concerned about our agenda than we are about genuinely caring for people.
As a Kingdom business steward, if you are not careful, you may fall into this trap. This trap of self-righteousness will impact the success of your business. Or, even if your business succeeds financially, you will lose your ability to transform the marketplace because of your self-righteousness.
How can you ensure that you are operating in God’s righteousness?
- Do not justify yourself
- Operate in love
- Seek to genuinely understand others
- Focus on what is right and not who is right. (lay down your personal ‘rights’)
- Be led by the Holy Spirit
- Be compassionate
- Do not make assumptions about others
Remember Paul’s statement in Philippians 3:9. Faith in Christ enables us to lay aside worldly self-righteousness that is based on performance, self-sufficiency, maneuvering, and conniving. Instead, we trust God and His goodness to justify and cover us. We rest in the love of Jesus Christ, and live by faith, expressing His love and His righteousness through all that we do.
Walking and resting in God’s righteousness demonstrates that your existence is in Christ. Once you have established the foundation of His righteousness working in your life, you are ready to build toward the subsequent steps of peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
My prayer for you today is that God will give you the grace to reject your own standard of self-righteousness and embrace His righteousness, so that you may glorify Him in the marketplace.
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