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Maintaining Righteousness Before Christ's Return

Maintaining righteousness until Christ's return involves a continuous process of sanctification, steadfastness, and obedience to God's law, rooted in the work of the Holy Spirit and the righteousness of Christ [3, 8]. The New Testament frequently exhorts believers to remain blameless and spotless in anticipation of the Lord's appearing [1, 2, 4].

Righteousness, in a biblical sense, is understood as obedience to God's law [3]. This obedience is not merely external but involves the heart, speech, and walk [7]. The concept of maintaining righteousness is closely tied to sanctification, which Easton's Bible Dictionary defines as the work of the Holy Spirit bringing the entire human nature under the influence of new, gracious principles implanted during regeneration [8]. This process carries the work begun in regeneration to perfection, extending to the whole person [8].

The call to maintain righteousness is often presented in the context of Christ's second coming. Paul, for instance, instructs Timothy to "keep the commandment spotless, blameless, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Timothy 6:14 LITV) [1, 2]. Similarly, 1 Thessalonians 3:13 speaks of God making believers' "hearts stable and unblameable in holiness before God even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints" [4]. This eschatological perspective underscores the urgency and significance of ongoing spiritual integrity [10].

The patristic tradition also addressed the concept of righteousness in relation to Christ's coming. Clement, in a dialogue with Peter, questioned whether those who died before Christ's advent would be deprived of the kingdom if righteousness was finalized by His coming. Peter responded that Christ, being eternal, was always present with the pious, implying a continuous divine engagement with humanity's pursuit of righteousness [9]. Augustine further emphasized that while man lost his initial immortality through free will, future immortality is obtained through grace. He argued that even before the Fall, man's free will would not have sufficed for maintaining righteousness without God's assistance [12]. After the Fall, humanity had to struggle for the recovery of holiness through toil and trouble [13].

The Reformed tradition, as articulated by John Calvin, emphasizes that believers are renewed into the righteousness of God through regeneration, which is a blessing of Christ [15]. This renewal is described as being "changed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord" and "put[ting] on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" [15]. Calvin also stresses that justification before God comes solely through "what Christ is and has done," not through human actions or "fictitious righteousness" [16, 17]. This understanding highlights that while believers are called to maintain righteousness, their ultimate standing before God rests on Christ's imputed righteousness [11, 16].

Steadfastness is a key component in maintaining righteousness. Torrey's Topical Textbook notes that steadfastness is commanded in Scripture and is secured by God's power, presence, and the intercession of Christ [6]. It is a characteristic of saints and should be manifested in cleaving to God, working for the Lord, and adhering to apostolic doctrine [6].

The concept of "perseverance of the saints" in some traditions, such as that described by Easton's Bible Dictionary, posits that once justified and regenerated, believers will certainly persevere in grace and attain everlasting life, unable to totally or finally fall away [5]. This doctrine is supported by passages like John 10:28-29 and Philippians 1:6, and is seen as flowing from the immutability of divine decrees and the provisions of the covenant of grace [5].

The readiness for Christ's return is not merely a passive waiting but an active state of preparedness, involving watchfulness and readiness to meet the Son of Man [14]. This readiness is intrinsically linked to maintaining a righteous life, recognizing the critical importance of Christ's return for one's commitments and actions [10].

Sources

  1. I Timothy “I Timothy 6:14 (LITV) — that you keep the commandment spotless, blameless, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,”
  2. 1 Timothy “that you keep the commandment without spot, blameless, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ; -- 1 Timothy 6:14”
  3. 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.”
  4. I Thessalonians “I Thessalonians 3:13 (Geneva1599) — To make your hearts stable and vnblameable in holines before God euen our Father, at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ with all his Saints.”
  5. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Perseverance of the saints — Their certain continuance in a state of grace. Once justified and regenerated, the believer can neither totally nor finally fall away from grace, but will certainly persevere therein and attain everlasting life. This doctrine is clearly taught in these passages, John 10:28, 29; Rom. 11:29; Phil. 1:6; 1 Pet. 1:5. It, moreover, follows from a consideration of (1) the immutability of the divine decrees (Jer. 31:3; Matt. 24:22-24; Acts 13:48; Rom. 8:30); (2) the provisions of the covenant of grace (Jer. 32:40; John 10:29; 17:2-6); (3) the ato”
  6. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Steadfastness — Exhibited by God in all his purposes and ways -- Nu 23:19; Da 6:26; Jas 1:17. Commanded -- Php 4:1; 2Th 2:15; Jas 1:6-8. Godliness necessary to -- Job 11:13-15. Secured by The power of God. -- Ps 55:22; 62:2; 1Pe 1:5; Jude 1:24. The presence of God. -- Ps 16:8. Trust in God. -- Ps 26:1. The intercession of Christ. -- Lu 22:31,32. A characteristic of saints -- Job 17:9; Joh 8:31. Should be manifested In cleaving to God. -- De 10:20; Ac 11:23. In the work of the Lord. -- 1Co 15:58. In continuing in the Apostles' doctrine. -- Ac 2:42. In holding fast our”
  7. 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”
  8. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Sanctification — Involves more than a mere moral reformation of character, brought about by the power of the truth: it is the work of the Holy Spirit bringing the whole nature more and more under the influences of the new gracious principles implanted in the soul in regeneration. In other words, sanctification is the carrying on to perfection the work begun in regeneration, and it extends to the whole man (Rom. 6:13; 2 Cor. 4:6; Col. 3:10; 1 John 4:7; 1 Cor. 6:19). It is the special office of the Holy Spirit in the plan of redemption to carry on this work (1 Cor. 6:1”
  9. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 8: Twelve Patriarchs, Excerpts, Epistles, Apocrypha, Decretals — CHAP. LII. -- THE SAINTS BEFORE CHRIST'S COMING.: When he had thus spoken, I answered: "If those shall enjoy the kingdom of Christ, whom His coming shall final righteous, shall then those be wholly deprived of the kingdom who have died before His coming?" Then Peter says: "You compel me, O Clement, to touch upon things that are unspeakable. But so far as it is allowed to declare them, I shall not shrink from doing so. Know then that Christ, who was from the beginning, and always, was ever present with the pious, though se”
  10. Revelation (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Revelation 22:11: 22:11 Vile people who refuse to accept God’s forgiveness will continue to be vile (see 16:9), yet John reminds the righteous to maintain their integrity. This verse is a warning to evildoers, and it calls the righteous to recognize the crucial significance of Christ’s return relative to their commitments and their actions.”
  11. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 23: man’s “own righteousness” is that which would render him righteous, then “the righteousness of God,” in this connection, must be a justifying righteousness. It is called the righteousness of God, because, as said before, He is its author. It is the righteousness of Christ. It is provided, offered, and accepted of God. Here then are two righteousnesses; the one human, the other divine; the one valueless, the other infinitely meritorious. The folly of the Jews, and of thousands since their day, consists in refusing the latter and trusting t”
  12. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 3: Augustine — On the Holy Trinity — CHAP. 106.--THE GRACE OF GOD WAS NECESSARY TO MAN'S SALVATION BEFORE THE FALL AS WELL AS AFTER IT.: The former immortality man lost through the exercise of his free-will; the latter he shall obtain through grace, whereas, if he had not sinned, he should have obtained it by desert. Even in that case, however, there could have been no merit without grace; because, although the mere exercise of man's free-will was sufficient to bring in sin, his free-will would not have sufficed for his maintenance in righteousness, unless God had assisted it by impa”
  13. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 5: Augustine — Anti-Pelagian — CHAP. 55.-- TO RECOVER THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH HAD BEEN LOST BY SIN, MAN HAS TO STRUGGLE, WITH ABUNDANT LABOUR AND SORROW.: The flesh which was originally created was not that sinful flesh in which man refused to maintain his righteousness amidst the delights of Paradise, wherefore God determined that sinful flesh should propagate itself after it had sinned, and struggle for the recovery of holiness, in many toils and troubles. Therefore, after Adam was driven out of Paradise, he had to dwell over against Eden, --that is, over against the garden of deli”
  14. Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 24:43: Therefore be ye also ready,.... Or prepared for the coming of the son of man; which as it is said to be like a thief in the night, expresses the suddenness of it, may excite to watchfulness and readiness; which readiness is to be understood, not of a readiness to do the will and work of God, though this is absolutely necessary; as to watch and pray, to hear the word preached, to confess Christ, and give a reason of the hope that is in us, to communicate to the support of the cause and interest of Christ, and to suffer for his sake; but of a preparedness to meet the ”
  15. CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 58: the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord.” Again, “Be renewed in the spirit of your minds” and “put ye on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Again, “Put ye on 516 the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” 310 310 2 Cor. 3:18 ; Eph. 4:23, 24 ; Col. 3:10 ; 2 Cor. 4:16 . Accordingly through the blessing of Christ we are renewed by that regeneration into the righteousness of God from which we had falle”
  16. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 23: that it should not only be practically held by the people, but that it should also be clearly presented and maintained by the clergy. It is not what we do or are, but solely what Christ is and has done that can avail for our justification before the bar of God. Other Passages teaching the same Doctrine. 4. This doctrine of the imputation of the righteousness of Christ; or, in other words, that his righteousness is the judicial ground of the believer’s justification, is not only formally and argumentatively presented as in the passages cit”
  17. CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 69: declares, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance?” ( Mt. 9:13 ). If sinners alone are admitted, why do we seek admission by means of fictitious righteousness? 6. The thought is ever and anon recurring to me, that I am in danger of insulting the mercy of God by laboring with so much anxiety to maintain it, as if it were doubtful or obscure. Such, however, is our malignity in refusing to concede to God what belongs to him until most strongly urged that I am obliged to insist at greater length. But as Scriptur”
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