Biblical Definition and Nature of Perfect Righteousness
Biblical Definition and Nature of Perfect Righteousness
The concept of perfect righteousness is deeply rooted in biblical teachings and is understood as obedience to God's law. According to Torrey's Topical Textbook, righteousness is defined as "obedience to God's law" [3]. This understanding is supported by Deuteronomy 6:25, which states that righteousness is achieved when one obeys the law of God.
In the biblical context, perfect righteousness is associated with God's character. Deuteronomy 32:4 describes God as perfect in his work and just in all his ways [2]. The Psalmist also affirms God's righteousness, stating that "He loveth righteousness and judgement" (Psalms 33:5) [7]. Easton's Bible Dictionary further explains that God's justice is a perfection of his nature, making him infinitely righteous in himself and in all his actions [1].
The Bible also highlights the importance of human righteousness. According to Isaiah 32:17, the work of righteousness will result in peace, quietness, and confidence forever [6]. Psalm 19:6 describes the law of the Lord as perfect, containing the whole mind and will of God regarding faith and practice [12]. In the New Testament, Jesus is presented as the embodiment of perfect righteousness. Torrey's Topical Textbook notes that Christ "loved righteousness" and "was girt with righteousness" [3].
The patristic tradition interprets perfect righteousness as being closely tied to the faith of the grace of Christ. Augustine argues that true righteousness cannot be achieved without the faith of the grace of Christ, as the law alone cannot provide the necessary spiritual strength [10]. Similarly, John Calvin emphasizes that perfect righteousness is not achievable through human efforts alone but is rather a gift from God through faith in Christ [8].
The Reformed tradition further articulates that perfect righteousness is imputed to believers through Christ's sacrifice. Charles Hodge explains that justification by faith involves the imputation of Christ's righteousness to the believer, making them righteous in the eyes of God [9]. John Gill, representing the Baptist/Reformed tradition, also emphasizes that the righteousness of God revealed in the Gospel is the righteousness that Christ wrought out by obeying the law and bearing its penalty on behalf of his people [11].
The pursuit of righteousness is a recurring theme in the Bible. Deuteronomy 16:20 exhorts the Israelites to "pursue righteousness" so that they may live and possess the land [4]. The Psalmist also affirms that God has pleasure in uprightness and that those who walk in uprightness will be counted as righteous (Psalms 11:7; 58:1) [5].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Justice of God — That perfection of his nature whereby he is infinitely righteous in himself and in all he does, the righteousness of the divine nature exercised in his moral government. At first God imposes righteous laws on his creatures and executes them righteously. Justice is not an optional product of his will, but an unchangeable principle of his very nature. His legislative justice is his requiring of his rational creatures conformity in all respects to the moral law. His rectoral or distributive justice is his dealing with his accountable creatures according”
- Deuteronomy “Deuteronomy 32:4 (Geneva1599) — Perfect is the worke of the mighty God: for all his wayes are iudgement. God is true, and without wickednesse: iust, and righteous is he.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Righteousness — Is obedience to God's law -- De 6:25; Ro 10:5; Lu 1:6; Ps 1:2. God loves -- Ps 11:7. God looks for -- Isa 5:7. Christ Is the Son of. -- Mal 4:2. Loves. -- Ps 45:7; Heb 1:9. Was girt with. -- Isa 11:5. Put on, as breast-plate. -- Isa 59:17. Was sustained by. -- Isa 59:16. Preached. -- Ps 40:9. Fulfilled all. -- Mt 3:15. Is made to his people. -- 1Co 1:30. Is the end of the law for. -- Ro 10:4. Has brought in everlasting. -- Da 9:24. Shall judge with. -- Ps 72:2; Isa 11:4; Ac 17:31; Re 19:11. Shall reign in. -- Ps 45:6; Isa 32:1; Heb 1:8. Shall execute.”
- Deuteronomy “Deuteronomy 16:20 (YLT) — Righteousness--righteousness thou dost pursue, so that thou livest, and hast possessed the land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Uprightness — God is perfect in -- Isa 26:7. God has pleasure in -- 1Ch 29:17. God created man in -- Ec 7:29. Man has deviated from -- Ec 7:29. Should be in Heart. -- 2Ch 29:34; Ps 125:4. Speech. -- Isa 33:15. Walk. -- Pr 14:2. Judging. -- Ps 58:1; 75:2. Ruling. -- Ps 78:72. The being kept from presumptuous sins is necessary to -- Ps 19:13. With poverty, is better than sin with riches -- Pr 28:6. With poverty, is better than folly -- Pr 19:1. They who walk in Fear God. -- Pr 14:2. Love Christ. -- Song 1:4. Countenanced by God. -- Ps 11:7. Delighted in by God. -- Pr 1”
- Isaiah “The work of righteousness will be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever. -- Isaiah 32:17”
- Psalms “Psalms 33:5 (Geneva1599) — He loueth righteousnesse and iudgement: the earth is full of the goodnesse of the Lord.”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 43: for pardon, it is of importance to know how our being instructed in the Moral Law renders us more inexcusable. If it is true, that a perfect righteousness is set before us in the Law, it follows, that the complete observance of it is perfect righteousness in the sight of God; that is, a righteousness by which a man may be deemed and pronounced righteous at the divine tribunal. Wherefore Moses, after promulgating the Law, hesitates not to call heaven and earth to witness, that he had set life and death, good and evil, before the peo”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 26: by imputation become the inherent characteristic of any other person or thing. Wax cannot become hard by the imputation of the hardness of a stone, nor can a brute become rational by the imputation of the intelligence of a man; nor the wicked become good by the imputation of the goodness of other men. But what has this to do with one man’s assuming the responsibility of another man? If among men the bankrupt can become solvent by a rich man’s assuming his responsibilities, why in the court of God may not the guilty become righteous by the”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 5: Augustine — Anti-Pelagian — CHAP. 23.--THERE IS NO TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS WITHOUT THE FAITH OF THE GRACE OF CHRIST. (part 1): Wherefore he who lives according to the righteousness which is in the law, without the faith of the grace of Christ, as the apostle declares that he lived blameless, must be accounted to have no true righteousness; not because the law is not true and holy, but because to wish to obey the letter which commands, without the Spirit of God which quickens, as if of the strength of free will, is not true righteousness. But the righteousness according to which the 414”
- Romans (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Romans 1:17: For therein is the righteousness of God revealed,.... By "the righteousness of God", is not meant the essential righteousness of God, the rectitude of his nature, his righteousness in fulfilling his promises, and his punitive justice, which though revealed in the Gospel, yet not peculiar to it; nor the righteousness by which Christ himself is righteous, either as God, or as Mediator; but that righteousness which he wrought out by obeying the precepts, and bearing the penalty of the law in the room of his people, and by which they are justified in the sight of God: and”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 19:6: The law of the Lord is perfect,.... By which is meant, not the law of Moses, or the ten commandments, but the "doctrine" of the Lord; as the word "torah", signifies, even the whole word of God, as in Isa 8:20. All the Scriptures of truth, which are profitable for doctrine; for setting doctrine in a clear light, and for the vindication and establishment of it, and are the rule of doctrine both to preachers and hearers; and which are "perfect", contain the whole mind and will of God, both with respect to faith and practice; whereby the man of God is made perfect, and th”