WALK IN RIGHTEOUSNESS

“He leads me in the PATHS of RIGHTEOUSNESS for His name’s sake” – Psalm 23:3b

To Walk in God’s Way is to WALK IN RIGHTEOUSNESS: “He leads me in the PATHS of RIGHTEOUSNESS for His name’s sake” (Psa.23:3b). The word “righteous” means “to be in right standing with God”! We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (1Cor.1:30). Therefore it’s our calling to walk in righteousness, regardless of the world’s pressures and challenges. Christianity is a Walk of Righteousness. We are consistently commanded and encouraged us to walk in righteousness:

Righteousness refers to that faithful habit of living a life that God approves; obeying His commands, and living in the Light of His Word. Righteousness is the nature of God in Man, which produces the rightness of God: the ability to do right and fulfil the Will of the Father. God is always right; it’s His nature to be right. There can never be error, fault, or mistake in God or His ways. It is also the nature of the citizens of Him Kingdom to do righteousness. We walk in righteousness and do works of righteousness; we manifest the goodness of God everywhere.

God has bestowed on Believers, immense privileges. But privileges and responsibilities go together. To enjoy the privileges of a relationship, we must take on the responsibilities thereof. The Walk of Righteousness can be viewed as part of our responsibilities as children of God. We have great privileges, but to gladden the Father’s heart, we must cheerfully pursue God’s right ways daily; for that gladdens our Father’s heart. We must stay in the Word, no matter the world’s disparagement.

Righteousness challenges the ways of the world, hence they may not appreciate it when we walk in righteousness. This is similar to how the Pharisees and Sadducees had a problem with the good works that Jesus did and misunderstood Him. Just because we’re doing the right things doesn’t mean everybody will like us. Some might resist us, and try to make us compromise; they might even call us evil. Rather than compromise, we must maintain our stand. We’re greater than our adversaries, detractors, and persecutors.

The Walk of Righteousness is highly rewarding: For the LORD God is a Sun and Shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that WALK UPRIGHTLY (Psa.84:11). Diverse temporal benefits and eternal blessings and rewards flow on the Pathway of Righteousness.

Righteousness is Life: “even when we were dead in trespasses, made us ALIVE together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” (Eph. 2:5). The righteous are spiritually alive in a healthy relationship with God and His people.

Righteousness is the Foundation of flourishing: “The RIGHTEOUS shall FLOURISH like the palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon” (Psa.92:12).

Righteousness makes us “accepted in the Beloved” (Eph.1:6b). As righteous persons in Christ, we are accepted by God and attracted to Him: “God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and WORKS RIGHTEOUSNESS, is accepted by Him” (Acts 10: 34b-35). He made us alive and brought us into a relationship with Himself: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been made near by the blood of Christ” (Eph.2:13).

Righteousness guarantees Divine Provision: “I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread” (Psa.37:25).The righteous is rightly placed by God where he cannot lack.

Righteousness defends and protects: “No weapon formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue which rises against you in judgement you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and THEIR RIGHTEOUSNESS is from Me,” says the LORD” (Isa.54:17).

To walk in Righteousness is to walk in Honour. We’ve become the apple of God’s eye, bearing His insignia, “Touch not My anointed” (Psa. 105:15a). He says to us: “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light” (1Pet.2:9a).