Category Archives: Righteous

A rescue worker assists a man through deep floodwaters with a helicopter and boat nearby.
Bible, Cross, Righteous, Righteousness, Romans, Salvation, Scripture

THE RESULTS

ROMANS 10:10

“for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

Wouldn’t it be nice to know the long term results of every decision you made? If you marry this person, will you have children and grandchildren? If you take this job, will you stay with it for ten or twenty or even thirty years? If you… But there are no guarantees in life, are there? But wait, we see one today in verse 10 of Romans 10.

Paul continues his thought which he began back in verse 8. This time he goes past the conditions for salvation and tells us the results of being obedient in those conditions. We shall receive righteousness and salvation. Those are eternal things. They don’t wear out. And they aren’t given out to just anyone. A person has to confess with his mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in his heart that God raised Him from the dead. Then WHAMO! The Bible says you are saved by doing that very thing.

APPLICATION

So, what is righteousness? We throw that word around a lot, but do you understand what that is? The Greek word used here is dikaiosuné. HELPS Word-studies says it is “God’s judicial approval.” We didn’t do anything to get His approval (except the confession and believing part). His approval was bestowed on us because of our belief in His Son. Don’t you just love 2 Corinthians 5:21 which says, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”? Boy, I love that!

Then Paul says we receive salvation. What is that word? It’s the Greek word sótéria which carries with it the idea of a rescue, to deliver. I picture in my head the scene where rescue workers are retrieving someone who is injured from the bottom of a cliff or a rescue swimmer dropping into dangerous waters to bring someone to safety. I recall the Camp Mystic tragedy last year which claimed the lives of 23 young girls and staff due to a massive flood. One Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Scott Ruskin, rescued 165 people from that flood. The sad thing is that was just a physical salvation. These individuals who were rescued still need a spiritual salvation (I am sure many of those were believers).

So, what do we do with this righteous and salvation? We proclaim it. We live it. We share it. We tell as many people as we can about this righteousness sharing, rescuing God of ours. It is still their decision. You can’t drag them in. They have to confess and believe on their own. But you can lead them to the point of salvation. Let’s all do our part to bring as many as we can to the throne before He returns.

Father God, thank You for Your righteousness which You bestow on me and thank You for rescuing me from the pit of hell.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Law, Perfection, Righteous, Righteousness, Romans, Scripture

DON’T PURSUE THE WRONG THINGS

ROMANS 9:31

“however, Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.”

Too many people strive after perfection only to fall short time and time again. Their motive is driven by their belief that they must do something themselves to achieve this. But no one is perfect or ever will be perfect. Only one perfect human being ever walked this earth – Jesus. The good news is He doesn’t expect perfection from us even though we are told to “be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)

This was the problem with trying to achieve righteousness by following the Law. Paul knew that. He had tried to gain this righteousness by perfectly adhering to the requirements of the Law. The problem was if you could keep the whole Law and fail in just one, you were guilty of failing the whole law. The word translated as “arrive” is phthanó which is used seven times in the New Testament. It has various meanings but generally means to attain or arrive at. We’ll look at some of the other uses later.

APPLICATION

Matthew Henry says of this verse, “The Jews talked much of justification and holiness, and seemed very ambitious to be the favourites of God. They sought, but not in the right way, not in the humbling way, not in the appointed way. Not by faith, not by embracing Christ, depending upon Christ, and submitting to the gospel. They expected justification by observing the precepts and ceremonies of the law of Moses.” That’s why the Jews struggled with the fact that the Gentiles who gave their lives to Christ achieved what they had been pursuing through simple faith.

In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he has a section in chapter 3 that talks about his pursuit for perfection. Take a minute and read Philippians 3:12-16. It ends with these words, “however, let’s keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.” He acknowledges the journey of faith includes a process of sanctification, but states that we need to live in what we have already attained. What does that mean? It means, I believe, that Paul knew his righteousness did not depend on what he could achieve. He could never achieve perfection. But Jesus saw him and sees us perfected in Him. Hallelujah!

In Matthew 12:28 and Luke 11:20 phthanó is used to describe what Jesus taught about the kingdom’s arrival. The Topical Lexicon says, “Jesus declares that His exorcisms prove the kingdom’s present arrival, not merely future hope. Phthanō underscores immediacy: the reign of God has already overtaken His hearers.” You can celebrate your attainment of God’s righteousness in your life today. Know your identity in Him and strop pursuing things you think will gain you a perfection not necessary in the eyes of God.

Lord, I love You and thank You for seeing me as perfected already through Your righteousness.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Holy Spirit, Law, Righteous, Righteousness, Romans, Scripture

RIGHTEOUS ACTS

ROMANS 8:4

“so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

Knowing the right thing to do and doing the right thing are two different things. For instance, I know what a NFL quarterback is supposed to do. I could even learn his playbook. But I will never be a NFL quarterback. I cannot perform the acts he is required to do (throwing a 50 yard pass, read defenses in seconds and adjust the play, etc.). The same holds true for us spiritually. Let Paul explain.

In verse 4 of Romans chapter 8, Paul uses a word that is translated above as “requirement.” I normally agree with the New American Standard, but here I prefer other translations which use “righteousness” or “righteous requirement.” The Greek word is dikaióma. Notice the little “-ma” on the end of that word. Zodhiates stresses that when that suffix is used on the end of word, it points out the result of an action, not just the action. So, read the verse that way, “so that the result of the righteous act of the Law might be fulfilled in us…”

APPLICATION

Dikaióma “is not precisely the word so often used in this Epistle to denote ‘the righteousness which justifies’ (Ro 1:17; 3:21; 4:5, 6; 5:17, 18, 21), but another form of the same word, intended to express the enactment of the law, meaning here, we believe, the practical obedience which the law calls for.” (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary) That cannot be done by us. It is the Spirit of God in us.

Back to my analogy of the NFL quarterback. Pretend through some magical spell that the spirit of Aaron Rodgers or Brett Favre entered my body. I would then possess the wisdom, knowledge, experience and physical ability to be that NFL quarterback. It would not be Carl. It would be Aaron or Brett. That would be awesome, but I couldn’t claim any of the credit for touchdowns or passes made.

There is nothing in you as a follower of Christ that you can boast in. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that. “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” You didn’t save yourself or maintain your spiritual walk by yourself. It is the work of the Spirit. Praise God that it is not up to us. Amen? Now, let the Spirit live through you today.

Father God, I submit myself to Your indwelling power today to use me how You see best.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Good, Holy, Holy Spirit, Righteous, Scripture

HOLY, RIGHTEOUS AND GOOD

ROMANS 7:12

“So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.”

Few things in this world could be called holy, righteous and good. The Bible is all these things. It is the holy word of God Who is Himself holy. It is righteous as is God, and it is good as is God. But you will never see this unless you spend time in it. Only by immersing yourself in it will you discover all that it entails.

Paul, being a Jew, did not want to give the impression that the Law was bad. Just the opposite. The Law served God’s purpose of pointing men to the need for a Savior. Paul has been telling us in the past few verses that it pointed out their sins which should lead them to repentance. Initially, that was accomplished through the sacrificial system. But now, once those sins are revealed, they should run to the Savior, Jesus.

APPLICATION

It is holy. The Greek word is hagios, which means set apart or different than the world. There has never been another book like God’s Word. It is the best-selling book of all time, far surpassing any other. The words it holds, straight from the mouth of God to the writers through His Holy Spirit, are life-altering. They have the answer to any question you could ever have.

It is righteous. That word is dikaios, which means that which conforms to God’s own being. The words are just. They are right. What it says about sin is right. What is says about holy living is right. What is says about marriage between one man and one woman is right and just. Because it is righteous and just it can judge your heart and your motives.

And finally, it is good. That’s the Greek word agathos and “describes what originates from God and is empowered by Him in their life, through faith.” (HELPS Word-studies) God is good, therefore His words are too. They are beneficial for us because they originate from God Himself.

Which book of the Bible is your favorite? How about memorizing some passages from it? Which is your least favorite? Mine used to be Leviticus. All those rules and descriptions bored me until…I realized practically every word of the book is God talking. If God is talking, it must be important. Right? That made me see it differently. Spend some time today in His Word. It is holy, righteous and good.

Father God, I praise You for giving us Your holy, righteous and good Word.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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