RIGHTEOUSNESS.

God has standards/guidelines to which He does things. He has standards laid down for man in order to effectively walk with him. God is bound by these standards/principles and He does not compromise any of them. He can only make things that we want from him happen for us only if we align ourselves to his standards. Modernization cannot in any way make God compromise his stands towards man. Modernization changes things but it does not change Gods stands/grounds. RIGHTEOUSNESS is one of God`s STANDARDS which makes and paves the way for effective relationship between DIVINITY and HUMANITY. This article sheds a COMPREHENSIVE LIGHT on the subject...RIGHTEOUSNESS. Be blessed as you read on. ...WHO CAN COUNT THE DUST OF JACOB AND THE NUMBER OF THE FOURTH PART OF ISRAEL? LET ME DIE THE DEATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS AND LET MY LAST END BE LIKE HIS!...NUMBERS 23:10 RIGHTEOUSNESS is a godly attribute that everyone that calls his/herself a child of God/heir of salvation must come to cherish. It is an attribute that God wants for his children to walk in because in it lies great benefits of the kingdom. I have noticed that God will never command his people to do whatever He feels too BIG to do himself and also whatever is totally impossible to do. He exhibits righteousness in all that He does as a LAID DOWN EXAMPLE for us to follow. So,if righteousness is an impossible case,God will not command us to be a practitioner of it. God exhibited righteousness in the beginning of beginnings when He started the creation of all things. He saw the earth in a bad state and He also saw the need to put it RIGHT i.e to put it in a beautiful/colourful state. The creation of LIGHTS e.g the sun,the moon,the stars which eliminated DARKNESS is ONE of the numerous righteous ACTS whereby the earth was put in a right state which it ought to be. He also went ahead to create the WATERS,the SKY,the LAND and LIVING CREATURES e.g vegetation,

plants,trees,birds,livestock etc. He went further to create MAN in his image and likeness and that was the PEAK of his creation. With all of THESE,the earth was put in a BEAUTIFUL STATE having ELIMINATED the FORMLESSNESS and EMPTINESS by God`s righteous act. God created the first MAN to be an extension of his righteousness on the earth. He created him to rule on the face of the earth with righteousness as his BREASTPLATE which is simply OBEDIENCE TO ALL OF GOD`S WORDS/COMMANDMENTS to him as God also rules by righteousness in heaven by being BOUND/SUBJECT to his OWN WORDS. God cannot act contrary to his words and since He is ever obedient to his words,He is ever righteous. So,He made man to rule on the earth righteously based on obedience to his words/commandments/ instructions. As long as man kept to the instructions given to him by God,He ruled righteously on the face of the earth over all other creatures. He pratically walked in God`s righteousness and reaped the fruits that emanated from it. When man was lured into disobedience to God`s words by the devil and he gave in to it,he lost the righteousness of God. He lost it to inherit the wicked nature of the devil which brought about lies,hatred,murder,envy etc. A man cannot be neutral,He is either walking in God`s righteousness or barking in the wickedness of the devil. Since he lost one of God`s very nature,he was disconnected from God`s presence. In summary,the first man became an emblem of wickedness having sold the righteousness of God to sin. Since the fall of the first man,generations after continued living unrighteously in disobedience to God`s words/commandments. God always had the intention of wiping out the unrighteous generation in order to create something new but amidst them.He saw few righteous men in all generation who were determined to obey God`s words and stand out from their unrighteous generation. People like Noah,Abraham,Isaac,Israel,Daniel,Shedrac,Menshac,Abednego,Moses just to mention a few were people that stood righteously for God and God dealt with them in return with his righteous acts but their righteousness was not like the one the first man lost in the beginning,it was basically the righteousness which is of the law. God`s original intention which was for the entirety of mankind to exhibit the kind of righteousness that was lost in the beginning never changed. Although,the first plan to implement the intention failed,He went ahead to implement another plan so that his original intention as stated above can come into fufilment. The other plan paved the way for the coming of Jesus to the earth. He is referred to as the second Adam. Just as the first Adam initially exhibited the righteousness of God,the second Adam also showcased the same. The second Adam was also tempted by the same tempter who tempted the first adam with the same kind of temptation but the second Adam was fully conscious of God`s commandments/sayings and he was always willing to obey them and he waxed great in God`s righteousness. His death and ressurrection has paved the way for as many people as possible to embrace the righteousness of God. The righteousness provided by Jesus unto us is SUPERIOR to the righteousness of the LAW. *****But of him are ye in Christ Jesus,who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,that according as it is written,He that glorieth.let him glorieth in the lord. *****And be found in him,not having mine own righteousness,which is of the law,but that which is through the faith of Christ,the righteousness which is of God by faith. *****Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree,that we, being dead to sins,should live unto righteousness,by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray,but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. Jesus is the way to righteousness having sacrificed his life to get it for us. In as much as He has made it available for us,we have to receive him into our lives. We cannot have access to what He carries without accepting his personality. After accepting his personality by believing in what He did for us in fufilling God`s redemption plan for us,we can then have access to righteousness. *****That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the lord Jesus and shall believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead,thou shall be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness,and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Furthermore,after accepting him personally into our lives which makes us have access to righteousness,we have to walk in it. It is walking in it that makes us to access the benefits of doing so. Having access to righteousness is like standing in front of a CLOSED DOOR while walking in righteousness is the KEY that UNLOCKS and OPEN the CLOSED DOOR. Many people have access to it via new birth/re creation but they are not walking in it probably due to ignorance. We can walk in righteousness by consciously walking in the footsteps of the one who provided it for us. The question you may want to ask now is that what are the footsteps of Jesus? Obedience to God`s words of course! He was ever conscious of God`s words everytime and everywhere and He was willing to obey them in all situations. He does not do anything that is contrary to God`s words. Satan tried everything to make him disobey God`s words but He replied all his lies with the truth of God`s words having been intoxicated with them to do/obey them. He obeyed God`s words to the letter and this makes him an emblem/epitome of righteousness for every nation,tribe and tongue to follow. So, the only way to walk in righteousness is to follow his footsteps by obeying the commandments of Go as stated in his words. *****For even here unto were ye called,because Christ also suffered for us,leaving us an example,that ye should follow his steps,who did no sin,neither was guile found in his mouth,who when He was reviled,reviled not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. Even the men of old that lived based on the righteousness of the law(and not by faith) were men addicted to obeying God`s words/voice. Men like... (1).Noah who obeyed God`s word to build an ark of protection for himself and his family. (2).Abraham who obeyed God to leave his father`s house to a foreign land where he had never been to. He also obeyed God`s promise of having a child even when it seemed that the promise was unsure to come. God promised him a child at the age of 75 years and he got it at the age of 100 years. All through the 25 years of waiting,he never doubted the ability of God to make do his promise. He simply obeyed and believed God`s word. Also,when when God told him to sacrifice this same one and only child,he obeyed God without questioning him /asking for reason. No wonder the bible recorded that...Abraham believed in the LORD, and God counted it unto him for RIGHTEOUSNESS. (3).Isaac obeyed God to stay in the land of Gerar which was plauged with famine. (4).Moses who obeyed God to confront Pharaoh and demand for thr release of the Israelites after 430 years of labour. (5).Daniel who obeyed God not to defile himself with the king`s portion of food which was offered to idols. He also obeyed God by praying/seeking his face in a foreign land even when a decree was made not to do so. (6).Shedrach,Menshac and Abednego who obeyed God not to bow down nor worship other gods beside him cos He is a jealous God. They refused to bow down to the god of Nebuchadnezzar and it counted unto them for righteousness., If all these men made up their mind to obey God`s words uno righteousness which is of the law,there is nothing stopping us from following Christ`s steps to walk in righteousness which through faith is SUPERIOR to that of the law. Having accepted Jesus,the whole saler and distributor of righteousness and walking in its reality/fullness by following his foot steps,then God`s standard of righteousness is met. Anytime a man live up to God`s standards pertaining to anything,He in turn raises the standard of such man high. If a man fufil God`s stand on righteousness,God reciprocates this by showing his own ACTS of righteousness to such a man. When a man is satisfied with the ACTS of God`s righteousness,the standard of such a man is RAISED. Let us look at God`s acts of righteousness to man. (1).PROTECTION/DELIVERANCE ****************************** For the righteous,God delivers him from troubles,destructions and traps targetted at him from the pit of hell. God delivered Noah from the destruction that came to the earth in his time because of his righteousness. Nebuchadnezzar thought that he could cut short the years of existence of Shedrac,Menshac and Abednego on earth but God delivered them out from the fiery furnance but left the men that threw them to die in their unrighteousness. The enemies of Daniel thought that they will see his end in the lion`s den but God delivered him and they died in his stead even in their unrighteousness. Even Jesus could not be killed by anyone before his time because God was always with him. *****Riches profit not in the day of wrath but righteousness delivereth from death. The righteousness of the righteous shall deliver them but the transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness. The righteous is delivered out of trouble and the wicked cometh in his stead. (2). DISTINCTION/LIFTING/ELEVATION ********************************* Righteousness has a way of distincting/lifting/elevating the righteous out of the assembly of the wicked/unrighteous ones. Righteousness elevated Abraham from his kinsmen and by the time he escaped from their midst,his kinsmen were no where to be found. Righteousness also lifted Isaac in a foreign land(Gerar) to the extent that a whole nation became envious of a stranger who was prospering in their midst. Righteousness also distincted Shedrac,Menshac,Abednego and Daniel who despised/rejected the kings portion of food offered unto idols and went for vegetables. At the end,they looked fairer and better than those that fed from the contaminated idol`s food. Shedrac,Menshac and Abednego via righteousness also stood out from the crowd by not bowing down to the god of nebuchadnezzar and they were promoted openly. Daniel also stood out from the wicked crowd who wanted to stop him from seeking the TRUE GOD of gods in prayer and he was promoted while they were demoted. *****Thou lovest righteousness and hateth wickedness,therefore,thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. *****Righteousness exalths a nation but sin is a reproach. (3). ANSWERS TO PRAYERS. *********************** Righteousness is one of the image and likeness of God in man and so,He cherishes the image/likeness a lot. He loves to hear the prayers emanating/coming from the bowels of the righteous and answers them. Hezekiah was a king in his time that stood out distinctly from other kings on the platform of righteousness. There was a day that a prophet called Isaiah brought the news of his death to him. Hezehiah turned back unto God in prayer making his petition known unto him on the platform/basis of his righteous ways before God and God answered his prayers. He was healed of his sickness and he enjoyed fifteen extra years on earth. Jesus also enjoyed express answers to his prayers because of his righteous ways. ******The lord is far from the wicked,but hears the prayer of the righteous. *****The eyes of the lord are over the righteous and his ears are open to their cries,but the face of the lord is against them that do evil. (4). BLESSINGS. **************** There is nothing that God has in his possession that He cannot give out to the righteous because of his love for them. He is pleased with them readily and it is easy for him to shower his blessings on them. Abraham,Isaac,Israel all enjoyed God`s blessings in a foreign land. Jesus also walked in this path of blessings being blessed with/in all things. *****In his days shall the righteous fluorish and abundance of peace shall be his portion as the moon endureth. *****The righteous shall fluorish like the palm tree.he shall grow like a cedar in lebanon. (5).MERCY. ************* Mercy is a divine arrangement put in place to swallow up judgement which results from errors/mistakes/sins committed by anyone. The righteous among all categories of people have access to mercy because of God`s love and pity for them. In case they mistakenly fall into one error,sin or the likes,God`s mercy is always available to forgive them. David is a man that enjoyed the daily outpour of God`s mercy such that he was pardoned for all the errors he made as a righteous man. *****A righteous man falleth seven times and still rises up again. *****Sow to yourself in righteousness and reap in mercy. (6). ETERNAL REWARDS. ***************** Righteousness guarantees eternal reward(s) even after the physical death of the righteous as they never die spiritually. They do not know eternal condemnation as they are received by God in Heaven. Even on earth after they have passed on,their names cannot be forgotten. Abraham,Isaac,Israel,Noah,David,Enoch just to mention a few have their names still mentioned till date because of the righteous way they lived. Jesus is still celebrated today after what He did 2007 years ago in heaven and on the earth because of his righteous way of life. *****Henceforth,there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the LORD,the righteous judge shall give me at that day,even not to me only,but unto all them that love his appearing. *****Blessed are ye that are persecutad for righteousness sake,for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Having highlighted the righteous acts of God which is directly proportional to the righteous ways of man,it is important for every man including you and me to STRIVE to LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY. The greatest enemy of righteousness is SIN and SIN is basically disobedience to God`s words/commandments. The first adam lost God`s righteousness to sin while the second Adam who won God`s righteousness for us conquered sin tooth and nail. Sin has nothing LONG LASTING to offer except temporary pleasures but the end of those temporary pleasures is SHAME on EARTH and ETERNAL CONDEMNATON in heaven. I will rather choose to foresake the temporary pleasures of sin for the permanent pleasures of righteousness. It is important to daily fight sin(especially disobedience to God`s words) with all our might so as to win the eternal fruits of righteousness. In conclusion,it may be difficult for the flesh to obey the commandments of God but I believe that God will not ask us to do anything beyond our capacity. It is necessary to continually ask God for GRACE to be able to obey all his commandments with ease which makes walking in righteousness cheap. It is my prayer that as you EARNESTLY SEEK God`s face today in FERVENT PRAYERS,He will pour his GRACE on you which will make it easy to FOLLOW THE FOOT STEPS OF CHRIST unto RIGHTEOUSNESS. Shalom!