Righteousness.htm

RIGHTEOUSNESS.

"Keep on, then, seeking first the Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you." (Matt 6:33).

PRACTICE RIGHTEOUSNESS.
"If you know that He is righteous, you gain the knowledge that everyone who practices righteousness (1) has been born from Him." (1 John 2:29).

"The children of God and the children of the devil are evident by this fact: Everyone who does not carry on righteousness does not originate with God, neither does he who does not love his brother." (1 John 3:10).

Almighty God "loves the seeker after righteousness." (From Prov 15:9 NEB).

"But pursue righteousness, Godly devotion, faith, love, endurance, mildness of temper. Fight the fine fight of the faith, get a firm hold on the everlasting life for which you were called…" (From 1 Tim 6:11,12).

"But God be thanked, you, who once were slaves of sin, have yielded whole-hearted obedience to the pattern of teaching to which you were made subject, and, emancipated (2) from sin, have become slaves of righteousness... I mean, as you once yielded your bodies to the service of impurity and lawlessness, making for moral anarchy, so now you must yield them to the service of righteousness, making for a holy life." (Rom 6:17-19 NEB).

JEHOVAH PROTECTS HIS RIGHTEOUS SERVANTS.
"Seek the Lord, all in the land who live humbly by His laws, seek righteousness, seek a humble heart; it may be that you will find shelter in the day of the Lord's anger." (Zeph 2:3 NEB).

"The Name of Jehovah is a strong tower. Into it the righteous runs and is given protection." (Prov 18:10).

"The righteous is the one rescued even from distress, and the wicked one comes in instead of him." (Prov 11:8).

"To do right is the protection of an honest man, but wickedness brings sinners to grief." (Prov 13:6 NEB).

"The Lord's curse rests on the house of the evildoer, while He blesses the home of the righteous." (Prov 3:33 NEB).

"Blessings are showered on the righteous; the wicked are choked by their own violence." (Prov 10:6 NEB).

"A good man leaves an inheritance to his descendants, but the sinners hoard passes to the righteous." (Prov 13:22 NEB).

"The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but He disappoints the cravings of the wicked". (Prov 10:3 NEB).

"Happy are those hungering and thirsting for righteousness, since they will be filled." (Matt 5:6).

"But there are new heavens and a new earth that we are awaiting according to His promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell." (2 Peter 3:13).

THE FUTURE REWARD FOR RIGHTEOUS ONES.
"…so at the end of time the Son of Man will send out his angels, who will gather out of his Kingdom whatever makes men stumble, and all whose deeds are evil... And then the righteous will shine as brightly as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father…" (From Matt 13:40 43 NEB).

"And you people will again certainly see the distinction between a righteous one and a wicked one, between one serving God and one who has not served Him." (Mal 3:18).

"The purpose is that you may walk in the way of good people and that the paths of the righteous ones you may keep. For the upright are the ones that will reside in the earth, and the blameless are the ones that will be left over in it." (Prov 2:20,21).

"…but the righteous will enter eternal life." (From Matt 25:46 NEB).

"Happy are those who have been persecuted for righteousness' sake, since the Kingdom of the heavens belongs to them." (Matt 5:10).

"A man set on righteousness finds life, but the pursuit of evil leads to death". (Prov 11:19 NEB).

"If the righteous man is being saved with difficulty, where will the unGodly man and the sinner make a showing?" (1 Peter 4:18).

"A man's whole conduct may be pure in his own eyes, but the Lord fixes a standard for the spirit of man." (Prov 16:2 NEB).

WHY SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS BRINGS HUMILIATION.
"(Christ) spoke this illustration also to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and who considered the rest as nothing: "Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and began to pray these things to himself, 'O God, I thank you I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give the tenth of all things I acquire.' But the tax collector standing at a distance was not willing even to raise his eyes heavenward, but kept beating his breast, saying, 'O God, be gracious to me a sinner.' I tell you, This man went down to his home proved more righteous than that man; because everyone that exalts himself will be humiliated, but he that humbles himself will be exalted."" (Luke 18:9 14).

"Do not pose as a righteous man before the Lord…" (Eccus 7:5 NEB).

"Whoever loves life and would see good days must restrain his tongue from evil and his lips from deceit; must turn from wrong and do good, seek peace and pursue it. For the Lord's eyes are turned toward the righteous, his ears are open to their prayers; but the Lord's face is set against wrong-doers." (1 Peter 3:10-12 NEB).

"The Lord stands aloof from the wicked, but He listens to the righteous man's prayer." (Prov 15:29 NEB).

(1)	RIGHTEOUSNESS:	Conformity of one's life to the requirements of the Divine moral Law.
(2)	EMANCIPATED:	Set free from the bondage of sin.