Righteousness refers to a holy and upright living, in accordance with God's standard. The word righteousness comes from a root word that means "straightness." It also refers to a state that conforms to an authoritative standard. Righteousness is a moral concept. God's character is the definition and source of all righteousness. - Gen. 18:25; Deut. 32:4; Rom. 9:14 - Therefore, man's righteousness is defined in terms of God's.

In the Old Testament the term righteousness is used to define man's relationship with God - Ps.50:6; Jer. 9:24 - and with other people. - Jer. 22:3 - In the context of relationships, righteous action is action that promises the peace and well-being of human beings in their relationships to one another. For example, Adam and Eve would have acted righteously in their relationship with God if they had obeyed Him because His commands defined that relationship. The Ten Commandments and related laws defined Israel's relationship with God. to obey those laws was to act righteously because such obedience maintained the covenant relationship between God and His people.

The sacrificial system in the Old Testament and the cross in the New Testament show man's need for righteousness. Sin is disobedience to the terms that define man's relationship with God and with other people. Since the FALL in the Garden of Eden, man is inherently unrighteous. As the prophet Isaiah said, 'We are all like an unclean thing and all our righteousness are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.' - Is. 64:6 - Man cannot be righteous in the sight of God on his own merits. Therefore, man must have God's righteousness imputed or transferred to him.

The cross of Jesus is a public demonstration of God's righteousness. God accounts or transfers the righteousness of Christ to those who trust in Him.

I am no longer trying for perfection by my own efforts, the perfection that comes from the Law, but I want only the perfection that comes through faith in Christ, and is from God and based on faith. - Phil. 3:9 -

Abram put his faith in Yahweh who counted this as making him justified. - Gen. 15:6 -

So far then we have seen that through our Lord Jesus Christ, by faith we are judged righteous and at peace with God, since it is by faith and through Jesus that we have entered this state of grace in which we can boast about looking forward to God's glory. - Rom. 5:1-2 -

You believe in the one God - that is credible enough but the demons have the same belief and they tremble with fear. Do realise, you senseless man, that faith without good deeds is useless. You surely know that Abraham our father was justified by his deeds because he offered his son Isaac on the altar? There you see it; faith and deeds were working together; his faith became perfect by what he did. This is what scripture really means when it says: Abraham put his faith in God and this was counted as making him justified; and that is why he was called 'the friend of God.' - James 2: 19-23 -

Be ambitious for the higher gifts. And I am going to show you a way that is better than any one of them. - 1Cor. 12: 31 -
If I have all the eloquence of men or of angels but speaks without love, I am simply a gong booming or a cymbal clashing. If I have the gift of prophecy, understanding all the mysteries there are, and knowing everything, and if I have faith in all its fulness , to move mountains but without love, then I am nothing at all. - 1Cor. 13:1-2 -

In short, there are three things that last: Faith, Hope and Love; and the greatest of these is Love. - 1Cor. 13:13 -

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Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -