Righteousness Begins with God
Righteousness is one of those words that many assume they understand. It is often discussed, defined, and even debated. Yet if the starting point is wrong, the entire understanding becomes distorted.
In today’s culture, righteousness is frequently treated as personal and flexible. Individuals determine their own moral boundaries. Society shifts, opinions evolve, and what was once considered wrong can become acceptable or even celebrated. Even within parts of the church, there can be pressure to soften or redefine moral standards.
But the defining question remains. Who determines what righteousness is?
If human beings define it, then truth becomes unstable and constantly changing. Scripture, however, does not change because God does not change. Righteousness begins with Him.
Deuteronomy 32:4 declares, “He is the Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He.” It does not say that God pursues righteousness. It states that He is righteous. Righteousness is not external to Him. It flows from His very nature.
To understand righteousness, one must look at God.
In Isaiah 6, when the prophet saw the Lord high and lifted up, the angels were not crying out love, love, love or power, power, power. They cried, “Holy, holy, holy.” Holiness defines Him.
When Isaiah encountered that holiness, he did not compare himself to others. He did not measure himself horizontally. Instead, he declared, “Woe is me.” He became undone in the presence of God’s perfection.
This reveals a crucial truth. Righteousness must be measured vertically, not horizontally.
One of the greatest spiritual dangers is comparison. Measuring oneself against others can lead to pride or false confidence. But when measured against God’s holiness, the reality becomes clear. No one meets that standard.
That realization is not meant to produce despair. It is meant to reveal the need for a Savior.
Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” If righteousness is defined by God’s character, then to hunger for righteousness is to hunger for Him. It is not primarily about performance, but about relationship. Not about self improvement, but about alignment with the One who is perfectly righteous.
Human effort alone can never produce true righteousness. Through Christ, however, there is an exchange. Human unrighteousness is replaced with His righteousness. That is the only way anyone is made right before God.
Righteousness begins and ends with Him. He is the standard. He is holy, just, and unchanging. When He is seen rightly, everything else comes into focus.
The world will continue to redefine morality. Culture will continue to shift. Opinions will continue to evolve. But God does not move.
Righteousness is not discovered by looking within or by looking around. It is revealed by looking up.
Until God is the starting point, righteousness will always be reduced to preference. But when He is recognized as the source, the standard becomes clear, the need becomes undeniable, and grace becomes astonishing.
The question is not whether righteousness exists. The question is whether we are willing to bow to the One who defines it.
Because righteousness does not adjust to us. We are called to align with Him.
