Our Righteousness

He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

Growing up, I did not like getting into trouble or being punished for it. As hard as I tried, it still happened at times. A couple of these come to mind. When I was in 3rd grade, I was caught talking in the bathroom, so I was given the punishment of standing against the wall at recess and not playing with the other kids. In 7th grade, I had a scuffle with another student, and my teacher had me stand before the class as she whacked my hand with a yardstick numerous times. Interesting that after all these years, I still vividly remember those moments. Times like these embarrassed me, and I did not like letting others down or disappointing them.

Looking back, I realize something important about those moments. My teachers disciplined me because rules mattered, and part of their responsibility was to uphold what was right. In a small way, those moments remind me of God's righteousness.

In Jeremiah 23:6 and 33:16, the prophet, Jeremiah, prophesies to the Israelites about a righteous “Branch” from David’s line. This foreshadowed Jesus’ coming to bring salvation. These verses reveal another name of God, Jehovah Tsidkenu, the Hebrew name for God translated to “The Lord our Righteousness.” God revealed this name when promising to restore the broken, unfaithful Israelites. 

God is inherently righteous. It is not just a quality, it is His very nature.  Everything He does is right. He is the absolute standard of holiness, justice, and truth. In Him, there is no wrong, dishonesty, or unfairness. He is the perfectly righteous One, and His righteousness is everlasting. Psalm 116:5 reads,  “The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.”

God’s true and perfect righteousness is not possible for us to attain on our own. Romans 3:10 reads, “as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one.” To understand why, we must go all the way back to Genesis 3, to the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve allowed the enemy's deception to trick them into disobeying God, causing sin to enter the world and breaking our fellowship and relationship with God. We are all guilty of sin. We are all deserving of punishment and His wrath. In my story above, I willfully disobeyed and chose to do things my way. As a result, I received punishment.

But we have some really great news!  God did not leave us in our unrighteousness. He had a plan from the beginning. He gave us His righteousness through the gift of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice. Our key verse above reminds us that God made Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin for us. We have just celebrated the most significant holiday on the Christian calendar, Easter, which commemorates Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. On the cross, Jesus substituted His perfection to atone for our sin so that we can one day stand before God and He will see not our sin, but the holy righteousness of the Lord Jesus. A big church word for this is substitutionary atonement. Back to my childhood story, I cannot imagine someone stepping into my place and taking my punishment for me. But that is just what Jesus did for each of us!

Hard as we may try, we cannot earn righteousness through effort, good behavior, or religious activity. When we trust in Christ, we are forgiven, cleansed, and made right with God. Our relationship with the Father is restored. And we no longer need to strive for God’s approval, because we already have it. 

Jehovah Tsidkenu reminds us that the righteousness we could never achieve on our own has been graciously given to us through Jesus, and our lives are to be a reflection of His goodness to the world.

Call to Action

How are you trying to earn God’s approval? Remind yourself that you are approved and right before God because of what Jesus did for you. 

Ask God to reveal areas of your life (attitudes, actions, or habits) that do not reflect His righteous character, and then ask Him for courage to change these to be more like Him. 

How can you practice righteousness in your ordinary, everyday choices? What are some small acts you will take this week? (doing the right thing, choosing honesty, treating others fairly, etc)

Digging Deeper

For more verses on righteousness, read: Psalm 1:1, Proverbs 21:2-3, Amos 5:24, Matthew 5:6, Matthew 6;33, Romans 1:17, Romans 3:21-22, James 5:16, Titus 2:11-12, 1 Peter 3:12

Prayer

God, You are perfectly righteous in everything You do. Thank You that Your ways are always right and trustworthy. I confess that I am a sinner unable to achieve righteousness on my own, but I thank You for the righteousness You give through Jesus. Help me to trust Your character and reflect Your goodness in the way I live today.

Copyright © 2026 Kyle Cravens