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Righteousness also usually carries something with it called “merit” that is another concept largely misunderstood and misapplied in religious circles. In fact, I have come to realize over the years that nearly every religious word is more often perceived through it's counterfeit understanding based on our false views of what God is like than on what God says and reveals about Himself as reality and in the Bible.
Righteousness is one of the holdouts that has continued to evade my understanding. Many other words have come alive for me as God has shown me their true meaning through various means. But I have been still waiting for a better explanation of this word that is more satisfying and sensible than most of the ramblings and forceful expositions I have heard.
While I do not have a complete and conclusive understanding yet, I am starting to perceive something that has the earmarks of truth in the real reality arena. It starts with the following verses as a basis for the real definition:
Rom. 4:3 For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS."
Gal. 3:6 Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
James 2:23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God.
In words someone recently used that explained this more clearly, it says that Abraham believed God could do what He said He could do and that act or choice in itself was considered, in the real reality, righteousness. The same applies to everyone, not just Abraham. If I believe that God can and wants to do what He says, particularly in my life where my permission allows Him to act the most, then I will have righteousness, the right kind of righteousness. It is not any behavior or action on my part or even a worked up feeling labeled faith. I may not even be saved in heaven because of it as was demonstrated in the life of Ahab. Because righteousness alone does not save me, contrary to much religious propaganda.
Then it occurred to me the other day that if the essence of real righteousness is believing God can do what He says He can do (which we very seldom really believe), then counterfeit righteousness is when I believe in myself, that I can do what I say I can do to be good. When I trust in my own ability in the slightest degree even if that is based on help from God, then I have introduced corruption into the equation and it is no longer pure righteousness. That is why the saints in Revelation are repeatedly singing and shouting that only God is worthy and He alone is holy and righteous.
I have observed that most of the teaching I have heard on righteousness is a very subtle mix of the two concepts. This has lead to a great deal of confusion and discouragement on the part of millions including myself. Many Christians in reaction to this have concluded either that they have to indeed help God make them be righteous or they are to believe in Jesus as a substitute and expect little or no effect to be seen in their own lives. This is rooted in a misunderstanding of what is cause and what is effect.
One of Satan's most successful deceptions has been to get people to invert cause and effect in our thinking. Most of my life great emphasis was put on the descriptions of the effects of righteousness that should be seen in one's life with the implication that if we could somehow produce the effect effectively enough then the cause would somehow fall into place. We seldom use that thinking in the natural world so why should it work in the spirit world?
The opposite argument has been that since we really can't produce the effect of righteousness in our lives (which is absolutely true), then we should be content to just live in a continuous cycle of sin, confession, repentance, forgiveness, sin, confession, repentance, etc. This is what is viewed in sanctuary symbology as the outer court experience. I believe Rev. 11:2 is referring to people who are stuck in this way of thinking.
Much more can be looked at along these lines and is in many discussions. But I find it helpful to condense down to its simplest form the meaning of the words used to communicate spiritual concepts that are always bigger than the words used to convey them. For now, for me, this is a beginning or maybe a deepening of my struggle to understand what is and what is not behind this word. It fits much better with the other emerging revelations I have been discovering lately about the real truth about God and about humans. My view of this is very different than it was 30 years ago and is still open for growth.
A few months ago I ran across a “position paper” of sorts in some of my old stuff that tried to explain why certain teachings on righteousness by faith were really heresies. I was appalled and sickened at the legalistic logic involved and wondered who might have written such an attack. Slowly I began to realize that it was most likely written by myself when I was around 18 or 19. Usually I like to hang on to old papers from my past partly to see how I have changed. However, I was do sickened by the logic and the heaviness I experienced while reading this old document I simple had to throw it away lest anyone else read it and become attracted to the legalism and bondage that I was suffering under when I wrote it. I was ashamed that I had ever written such a tirade but also grateful at how God has lead me to much greater freedom while protecting me from losing all interest in Him at the same time.
God is very good and is worth of all praise and honor. I am glad that I can honestly feel that way and not say it simply to sound religious. I remind myself, or He reminds me, that He is good irregardless of what happens to me or what appearances seem to implicate about Him. I want to mature more in grace so that my praise and testimony about Him is more consistently truthful to His reality.
