Written by Dynamis Ministries | September 12, 2024
The Bible is filled with stories of all kinds of people. Some people are introduced only briefly and then quickly fade away. Meanwhile, other people play much larger roles in the story of God and are a part of landmark moments. Some of these more well-known individuals are Abraham, Noah, Joseph, Ruth, Daniel and Mary. While they all play prominent roles in God’s story, a few similarities bind them together. One such similarity that could easily be overlooked is that these people are described in the Bible as being righteous.
The word righteous is not one that we use much in our language today, but it shows up quite a bit in God’s Word, so let’s look at the meaning of this word from a couple of perspectives. The dictionary defines righteous as “characterized by uprightness or morality; morally right or justifiable; acting in an upright, moral way.” In other words, righteousness is centered around morality.
In Scripture, the definition of righteous goes much deeper. The Greek word used in the Bible for righteousness, dikaiosune, means living in a right relationship with God, other people and all creation. It’s way more than just being correct when it comes to issues of morality. It’s about how we interact with others in ways that are just and honest and reflect the nature of God. So, when the Bible reveals the righteousness of people like Noah and Ruth as being righteous, it is saying that they lived in a way that represented the heart and the character of God.
Whether it’s through the story of someone the Bible captures or a direct Bible verse, God’s Word provides many examples of what makes a person righteous. Not surprisingly and yet awe inspiring, a couple of defining characteristics that distinguish a righteous person is that they look after the needs of the marginalized and are also generous. Check out these two verses as a reference:
“A righteous man knows the rights of the poor.” – Proverbs 29:7
“The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives.” – Psalm 37:21
In other words, a righteous person is a selfless person. They are aware of others, they have empathy toward the poor, they seek justice and they give. This is different than our first thoughts about righteousness in Christian circles. We tend to look at righteousness as the plus side of the scale that measures right from wrong. This can often lead to judgmental attitudes towards others or prideful hearts in ourselves which only hurts our ability to live in a right relationship with God and others.
Understanding that righteousness is connected to elevating the needs of others above our own through empathy, justice and generosity can inspire us today to keep being generous. We should be encouraged that no matter how small a gift or act of love and good to another, our generosity is a direct reflection of the heart of God and in acting that way we are being truly righteous!
