The righteousness of God

The new year has started, and many have already vowed their new year’s resolutions, some of which most of us know will be broken soon. Good for those who can keep their promises, but the more important thing is what they are. And for the morally- and spiritually-inclined, these include prayers and promises to be good – offers of devotion and sacrifices, of what we can and will do for God.

While indeed it is commendable to offer praises, worship to God, and promise good deeds and sacrifices, we may need to reflect and ask the question, are these what God wants from us? Oftentimes we are so caught up with what we think we can do and offer God and lose sight of what he really wants. God is kind and loving, abounding in grace and mercy, but we should not forget he is holy and just as well, wrathful against sin and unrighteousness.

The eighth-century B.C. prophet Amos wrote “I hate, I reject your festivals, nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; and I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings. Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” (Amos 5:21-24).

Justice and righteousness. Like waters and an ever-flowing stream. God is loving, forgiving, and merciful as he is holy, just, and righteous. God is all these attributes which cannot be dissected and separated. Thus, as we face the new year, we must approach him as who he is – a good, loving, forgiving, just, holy, and righteous God. Take away any one of those attributes and we are no longer dealing with God, but an idol created in our own minds for our own selfish intentions. We must deal with God as who he really is.

The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is the epitome of God’s plan of salvation for man, leading to the forgiveness of sin and the offer of eternal life with God. “For

the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23). Salvation and eternal life are free, but the righteousness of God requires the death of God’s only Son. And it is the same righteousness that will enable us to live the kind of lives he so wants for us.

The entire year of 2022 has 365 days. If we love God as we should, we must live each single day according to his righteousness. All our sacrifices will mean nothing to him if we do not live each day the way he wants us to. This may be the best new year resolution we can have. It might be an almost impossible goal, but with him as our guide and our strength, we certainly can. As we face the new year, let us do so with the righteousness of God as our guiding path.