Thoughts on Righteousness

 It is a simple thing, and something that as a "Bible Christian" I was trained to overlook. But the word for righteousness in Greek, "dikaiosune" means "a state of being 'dikaios'," that is, "a state of being observant to the right thing to do." We are often taught that where Paul speaks of this word, He is talking about being legally "dikaiosune" or having an "imputed dikaiosune" as opposed to a literal dikaiosune. But to be honest, such thinking is theological gymnastics necessary to make Paul's writings all about legal forgiveness and what is called "justification" when they aren't.

     Paul was speaking literally. That is, for example, when in Philippians 3:9 he says, "and I might be found by means of Him, not possessing 'my' dikaiosune which is from the Torah but that which is through the faith of Christ, the dikaiosune which is upon the faith..." That is, he is talking about the difference between the self based observance of the Torah through one's own faulty sense of right and wrong producing morally right (dikaios) but faulty actions, and the Spirit of Christ acting and speaking through Him producing dikaios actions and words by nature because they originate with Jesus Christ and not one's own self. He is not speaking of some sort of "imputed" righteousness for legal purposes, but literal right actions, words, and thoughts produced by union with and submission to the Spirit of Christ with whom he was joined as one.

     Once understood in this way, the passage in Philippians 3 makes perfect sense, especially where he says, "if how I might arrive at the resurrection of the dead." That is, he was pushing hard to throw away everything which might obstruct his submission to the Spirit of Christ so that he might, if at all possible, arrive at that constant state of being of being fully in synch with the Spirit of Christ at all times, as he would be at the resurrection, but in this life. He considered everything which did not contribute to this goal "skubala," or, literally, crap. He recognized that he hadn't made it yet, but nevertheless he continued to push for that goal of bringing his "flesh," his own brain's responses and malfunctioning psychology, under total voluntary submission to the control of the Spirit of Christ. This was both the goal and the prize, total synchronization with the Spirit of Jesus Christ just as Jesus Christ was totally submitted to and synchronized with the Father.

     The righteousness of Jesus Christ, His right actions and words, is not something which cannot be seen or experienced, but is on full display for those who, like Him, bring their own responses, actions, and words under the control of His Spirit, releasing control of themselves to His Spirit. And it stands in stark contrast to the "righteousness" of those trying to do the right thing by keeping moral codes, rules, or laws. It is a righteousness which comes, not from restraining one's own faulty psychology, triggers, and responses, but from the One who is "right" to start off with, whose very core and nature is "right."