Righteousness Revisited

"He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." Psalm 23:3

Isn't it interesting that such a short and clear verse has so much depth?  When I feel the Holy Spirit speaking to me through God's Word I start investigating.  It is just my nature and my present desire to fully know what God is saying.  That is why I define everything.  (Also why I love the Amplified Bible!)  Definitions are like looking at a word with a magnifying glass.  You might generally understand the meaning of a word or sentence, but you might actually learn something if you take the time to explore the meaning of the word or sentence.

Restore - bring back; reinstate
• return (someone or something) to a former condition, place, or position
• repair or renovate so as to return it to its original condition
• give (something previously stolen, taken away, or lost) back to the original owner or recipient 

I discussed righteousness in an earlier post but here is a quick recap:

Righteous - characterized by proceeding from morality or justice; clean-handed, good, guiltless, innocent, upright, virtuous, worthy.

In Matthew 5:20 Jesus says, "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."

A Pharisee was a member of an ancient Jewish sect, distinguished by strict observance of the traditional and written law.  Pharisees were supposed to be the very embodiment of righteousness during their time, so for Jesus to expect a righteousness that surpassed pharisaic righteousness, it must have seemed unattainable.  Yet Jesus also says "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." (John 14:6-7).  So how is it that we achieve the unattainable righteousness needed to enter Heaven?

JESUS.

Now look at the Amplified Bible's version of Psalm 23:3:

"He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him--not for my earning it, but] for His name's sake."

Jesus was the fulfillment of the law, as he taught.  While the Pharisees maintained their focus on the law as the means to their "righteousness" they completely missed Jesus, and true righteousness.  The righteousness that is required of us to enter the Kingdom, is acquired only through surrender to Jesus.  He is the only one capable of this righteousness, and therefore the only way into Heaven and into communion with God.  As I said in my earlier post, this should be a great relief!   There is no striving for some unattainable perfection, no meeting of expectations, no performance that is required of us.  God simply asks for us to abandon ourselves to Him.  There is nothing required of us to receive God's love.  The process of salvation and progressive sanctification is not performance-based.  It is simply allowing yourself to belong to God.  This involves obedience... but I'll save that for next time! Just remember that coming to God and needing Him, have nothing to do with where you are in life or the choices you have made.  The only thing you need to have to come to the Lord, in repentant salvation or as a repentant believer, is a willing heart.