In one of the previous churches I attended, the preacher would often refer to Matthew 6:33:
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)
Then the pastor would follow up the verse with the following:
"Seek His righteousness, that is, His right way of doing things."
That statement would make me cringe.
No, righteousness is not something we get by what we do!
The New Covenant, the Epistles in the New Testament could not make it clearer!
"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:17)
Two words that I want to focus on in the above verse: gift, and receive.
A gift is not something that you earn, fight for, or work for. A gift is something that is ... given to you as a grace. When we receive something, it is not something that we achieved, conceived, or deceived to obtain. That verb indicates that we just open up our hands and take what is offered to it.
Righteousness under the New Covenant is no longer about what we do, but what Jesus did and what He gives to us because of His Finished Work!
Consider this, too!
"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Not only do we receive (and keep receiving!) the gift of righteousness, but because of Jesus, we become The Righteousness of God in Him. It's our new identity, our new self, our new being!
So, all this talk about righteousness as something that we get by doing is all wrong.
But here's the kicker: even the Sermon on the Mount foresees righteousness as something that we receive, not something that we achieve!
Let's revisit the key verse in the Beatitudes:
"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." (Matthew 5:6)
Notice that Jesus promises that those who "hunger and thirst" after righteousnesss will BE filled. They will not fill themselves. The righteousness that they crave will be given to them!
Isn't it interesting that Jesus talks about righteousness as something that is eaten and drunk, something that we taken in, that we feed on? Eating and drinking is not a laborious effort, but something which people by and large enjoy doing. It's not a strenous effort, but receiving something good!
Right away, Jesus is laying the groundwork for the New Covenant! This righteousness that will fill us is not our own righteousness, but His! Not something that we can earn, because no one can be righteousness in His own effort (cf Psalm 53:1)
Remember also what Jesus says later on in the Sermon on the Mount:
"For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:20)
Followed by:
"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)
The Pharisees trusted in the works, their lawkeeping, their observance of teachings and traditions. Jesus brushed that all away, and He told the disciples that the Pharisees and their righteousness was not good enough. You want to earn your standing before God? You have to be PERFECT!
And no one can do that. Not one.
No wonder the Sermon on the Mount ends with:
"28And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." (Matthew 7:28-29)
From that astonishment should come: "I cannot do that!"
Then Jesus can step in and say: "But I can. Let me be your Savior. Let me be your Righteousness!"
He is our Living Water, and He is our Bread of Life, so that we no longer hunger or thirst for righteousness, but are filled.
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