I’ve been thinking about the word righteousness, and if it’s a place we can arrive on our own from the works we do or don’t do…
Can we be righteous people on our own? If so, how?
I don’t think we can earn righteousness anymore that we can earn salvation. Salvation is a gift we receive once we receive Christ in our hearts and strive to keep that Spirit in us, and more importantly just acknowledge where that gift is coming from. We don’t earn it per se.
Years ago I had an opportunity to have a private lunch with President Dallin H. Oaks from my church. We spent several hours together and he taught me many things I’ll never forget. One of them was a principle I learned about acknowledging God in all things.
During our conversation anytime I brought up a talk that he gave in General Conference, and how much I loved certain parts to it, he would do something interesting, I didn’t at the time understand fully, and maybe I still don’t now; but after I would bring up the part of the talk, and how amazing it was, he would just slowly point his finger up to heaven. Indicating that “it wasn’t him” that gave the talk, but instead inspiration given from heaven. That to me was righteous, and it is a gift he had by making that connection to heaven with a simple point of a finger and thought about God.
See now like a very underdeveloped person and soul like myself, if someone gives me any type of praise, even if they themselves feel God can be with me from time to time, I sometimes seem to always find a way to absolutely blow it, by absorbing the praise as if it were myself, and not God. Which many times is not righteous at all. Therefore not always using the gifts I have for good. Stopping the flow with selfishness.
I believe it’s one of the reasons society is in such a mess; because we walk around all day praising ourselves and others; thinking it’s us who are doing everything, and not God who gave us the gifts we have. Because speaking about God is so taboo now days, very few people have the gift of real righteousness. We may look right, especially online, sadly many of us (including myself) don’t really have it figured out, and are really wrong.
“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” 1st Cor 1:30
In other words, like light, righteousness just happens naturally when we are actually turned to the light and yoking with God. Righteousness is a gift like faith; and I believe it’s received when we are actually yoked with Christ. We are made righteous (or right) because we allow Christ to live in and through us, like a flowing fountain of water that doesn’t sit stagnant, selfishly inside ourselves.
I believe it’s why President Oaks pointed up so the praise could flow back to God, and therefore allow more room inside himself to receive future revelation coming back down from heaven, to give to others. Back and forth all day with people who truly understand. Righteousness is a gift from God, it’s not something we can achieve or earn on our own.
Righteousness seems to have more of a legal feel to it.. “To be right” or “Justified”…but can we ever really be “right” or “justified” without Jesus Christ in and through us? Even if we are doing all the things that “look good” outwardly? I don’t believe we can on our own, not even close. Because Christ is always RIGHT we can become RIGHTEOUS if we come unto Him.
“those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:17)
I want to testify that Jesus Christ is the One and only being that can fix everything in our lives, not only fix it, but make us truly righteous with his power. Justified in righteousness. There is no other way.
