11/18/14 TO BE RIGHTEOUS OR NOT TO BE RIGHTEOUS
Righteous and Upright: Fact or False Doctrine
Over 130 verses which tell that it is possible to be "righteous" and over 40 verses, which tell us it is possible to be "upright." I only found 1 verse that seems to say that it is impossible to be "righteous" and only 2 verses that seem to say that it is impossible to be "upright." Check it out.
I give over 130 verses, which tell us that it is possible to be "righteous" and over 40 verses, which tell us it is possible to be "upright." I only found 1 verse that seems to say that it is impossible to be "righteous" and only 2 verses that seem to say that it is impossible to be "upright." Check it out.
God's word requires us to be righteous. God's grace enables us to be righteous. This document deals with this. The position presented in this document will fly in the face of what Christians are being taught today by so-called Bible believing teachers and pastors.
When the idea of being righteous and living righteously comes up, the typical response of sinning religion is,
"The Bible says,“There is none righteous, no, not one” (Ro. 3:10)."
But they fail to add,
"The Bible also says,“Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous” (1 Jn 3:7)."
If this is all we have of God’s revelation, we are faced with an apparent contradiction. Without any explanation, these verses seem to be mutually exclusive and diametrically opposed to one another. It appears that if one statement is true, the other statement cannot be true.
However, this is not all we have in God’s revelation. In fact, these two verses are not contradictory but complimentary; they are in total agreement. Both of these statements are true. One statement is just as truly the inspired and inerrant word of God as the other statement, therefore both statements must be embraced totally by the believer in Christ. The Romans 3:10 passage is referring to the spiritual condition of lost men, and the First John 3:7 passage is referring to the spiritual condition of saved men.
There is a segment of the Christian religion that exalts the sin of man above the grace of God. They are constantly telling us that man is born in sin (which is true) and will continue in sin until the day he dies (which is true for the unsaved). They say, "God does not want us to sin and God’s grace is sufficient to save us from all sin, but we are only human and therefore we will always sin against God as long as we are in this world and in this sinful body (flesh).” They make human sinfulness to be greater than Divine grace.
This document does not try to prove God’s deliverance from all sin. This document simply wants to prove that God’s word declares that salvation makes saved people righteous.
MY BELIEFS ON THIS SUBJECT
Let me make some statements right at the beginning, which will state my beliefs and the purpose of this article. I offer these statements because most of the people who read this article are going to accuse me of claiming “sinless perfection,” a term that is usually used by those who do not believe in the power of God to save from all sin. Those who believe in God’s full salvation seldom use the term, “sinless perfection” since it is not a Biblical term and it causes more confusion than understanding.
I state my beliefs in order to be completely open with you. My beliefs are important only if they are Biblical. If you cannot find these truths or verses in the Bible, please let me know and I will send you a list of references. After I give you a brief overview of my beliefs on this subject, I will give you a great number of verses, straight from the Bible. In fact, these verses are the reason for this document.
I believe God is the only absolutely perfect Person (Being) Who has ever existed, exists at present or ever will exist.
I believe God is inherently holy and He is the Fountainhead of holiness for all those who have been holy, either by creation (Angels and Adam), or by salvation (those saved through faith in Christ).
I believe Adam incurred a sinful nature at the time of his disobedience in the garden and has passed that sinful propensity to allof his offspring and that all humans have sinned, (except for Jesus Christ).
I believe Jesus Christ came to the world as “God in the flesh,” that is, He was fully God and fully Man, one Person with two natures (Divine and human) but he did not have Adam’s sinful nature, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus lived a sinless life, died a sacrificial death on the cross for the sins of the world and was raised from the dead, physically, for our justification.
I believe Jesus came to save His people from their sins, not in their sins.
I believe if we confess our sins, then God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I believe if we walk in the light as He is in the light, then we have fellowship with Him and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.
I believe those who are trusting the grace of God, the blood of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit can live in obedience to God.
I believe sin separates us from God or God separates us from sin.
I believe God enables believers to obey Him fully, because, where sin did abound, grace did much more abound.
I believe that believers, by the grace of God, can live without disobeying the known will of God and that God will help us with our infirmities, which are not sins, yet are weaknesses that are less than absolute perfection (He. 4:15-16).
I believe God does not require us to be absolutely perfect or angelically perfect or Adamically perfect, but He does require us to love Him with perfect love (the love of God), which is called the “law of love,” and “the royal law,” “the perfect law of liberty” and “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.”
I believe, if a person loves God, then he will obey God.
I believe, if a person loves God, then he will keep God’s commands.
I believe that by the grace of God we must keep ourselves in the love of God.
I believe those who do not keep God’s commands do not love God and they are of the devil.
I believe those who commit sin are of the devil.
I believe Christians are expected to live without disobeying God and can give testimony to the power of God to save from all sin.
I am sure that there are many other points I could make, but I will move on to the article itself.
MY APPROACH IN THIS DOCUMENT
I will provide passages from the Bible, which clearly tell us that we can be righteous, through the redemptive work of Christ. I wanted to present Bible verses so that you can look at them as a group of verses; think about them and allow them to influence your faith, because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. There is a lack of belief in the possibility of being righteous and living a righteous life, and I hope that these verses will help someone see the truth of God more clearly.
Sometimes people “threaten” to read the context, supposing that the context will “disprove” the Biblical doctrine of imparted and experiential righteousness. I encourage you to read the context of every passage, though that will take quite a while. However, a complete reading of the passage will actually prove that there is such a thing as a righteous person, according to God and His word. In addition, a reading of the context will provide valuable insight into God’s saving power. After you have at least scanned the following lists of verses, PLEASE read their contexts. I even challenge you to read their contexts.
Some people say that the verses are being misinterpreted. Actually, these verses are presented without interpretation. They stand alone. It is true that some verses need to be studied in their original language and in their cultural setting and in their literary context, but the Bible is crystal clear in this area. Some truths are obvious to the open mind and they are repeated over and over again, time after time, ad infinitum (do you think you get my point). The truth that God makes us righteous and the fact that we can live righteously is stated and re-stated time and again. If God did not mean what He said, He should have said something else instead. If the translators failed to get the real meaning of the passage, they failed hundreds of times. If the Bible is wrong on personal and experiential righteousness in the believer, it is wrong about everything.
If we are going to understand the Scriptures, we need to understand the few verses (such as, “there is none righteous“) in the light of the many verses. We should understand the difficult verses in the light of the simple verses.
I only quote verses in this list, which clearly reflect God’s point of view. I do not use verses, which quote dubious sources, such as Job’s friends.
I did not include all of the words and phrases which address this issue, such as “holy,” “holiness,” “pure,” “purity,” “innocent,” “righteousness,” “righteously,” “uprightness,” “uprightly,” “right,” “good,” “saints” or “without sin,” for instance.
I did not include verses that declare that God is righteous, since that is not in dispute. However, it might be worth your while to see how many verses declare that God is righteous as compared with how many declare that there are righteous men.
I have included a list of verses that say humans are not righteous or cannot be righteous. I have been consistent in this report. If you think I failed to list all of the pertinent verses, please do it yourself and let me know what you find. I admit I could have missed some, but on the other hand, I deliberately left out many of the verses, which state that man is righteous. Remember too, these are only lists that use verses with the two specific words, “righteous” and “upright.” However, the principle holds true, regardless of the words used. God’s word acknowledges that men will be righteous, upright, holy and pure, when they are in a right relationship with God.
I have not included verses that declare the unrighteousness of specific individuals, since there is no disagreement that all men are unrighteous while in their unregenerate condition. It is not essential or helpful to list verses that support a point that is not in controversy.
There is a great danger in presenting the minority view of God (i.e. there is none righteous) as though it is the sole view of God. Actually, to deceitfully handle the word of God in such a way is wicked. The whole view is, there is none inherently righteous, no, not one and those who are in a salvific relationship with God are not only called righteous, they are righteous. For every verse that seems to say man is not righteous, there are hundreds of verses that declare man’s personal and experiential righteousness through Christ. Yet most people will laud and applaud man’s sinfulness rather than God’s glorious and great salvation.
I am eager for responses to this article, whether you like what I have written or not. If you can prove me wrong, please do. Be assured, if I do not agree with your position I will probably respond. However, the final authority is the word of God, not our opinions or the opinions of learned religionists and theologians. I know people who will say, “Doctor Hootchiebob does not agree with this point of view.” Well, Doctor Hootchiebob is wrong and God is right. “Let God be true and every man a liar.”
RIGHTEOUS, THE PASSAGES
Old Testament
Genesis 7:1
1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
Genesis 18:23-26
23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
26 And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
Exodus 23:7-8
7 Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
8 And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.
Deuteronomy 25:1
1 If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.
2 Samuel 4:11
11 How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?
1 Kings 8:32
32 Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.
2 Chronicles 6:23
23 Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness.
Psalms 1:5-6
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Psalms 5:12
12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favor wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
Psalms 7:11
11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
Psalms 11:3; 5
3 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
Psalms 14:5
5 There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.
Psalms 31:18
18 Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.
Psalms 32:11
11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
Psalms 33:1
1 Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.
Psalms 34:15
15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
Psalms 34:17
17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
Psalms 34:19
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
Psalms 34:20-21
20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
Psalms 37:16, 21, 25, 29, 30; 32; 39
16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.
21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous showeth mercy, and giveth.
25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.
32 The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.
Psalms 52:6
6 The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him:
Psalms 55:22
22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
Psalms 58:10-11
10 The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.
Psalms 64:10
10 The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.
Psalms 68:3
3 But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.
Psalms 69:28
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.
Psalms 72:7
7 In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.
Psalms 75:10
10 All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.
Psalms 92:12
12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
Psalms 94:21
21 They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.
Psalms 97:11-12
11 Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
Psalms 107:42
42 The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.
Psalms 112:6
6 Surely he shall not be moved forever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.
Psalms 118:15
15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.
Psalms 118:20
20 This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.
Psalms 125:3
3 For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.
Psalms 140:13
13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.
Psalms 142:7
7 Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.
Psalms 146:8
8 The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:
Proverbs 2:7, 20
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
Proverbs 3:32
32 For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.
Proverbs 10:3, 11, 16, 21, 24, 25, 28, 30, 32
3 The LORD will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked.
11 The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.16 The labor of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin.
21 The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.
24 The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.
25 As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.
28 The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.
30 The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.
32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.
Proverbs 11:8, 10, 21, 23, 28, 30, 31
8 The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead.
10 When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.
21 Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.
23 The desire of the righteous is only good: but the expectation of the wicked is wrath.
28 He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.31 Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner.
Proverbs 12:3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 26
3 A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.
5 The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.
7 The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.
10 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
12 The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.
26 The righteous is more excellent than his neighbor: but the way of the wicked seduceth them.
Proverbs 13:5, 9, 21, 25
5 A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame.
9 The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
21 Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repaid.
25 The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.
Proverbs 14:9, 19, 32
9 Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favor.
19 The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
32 The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.
Proverbs 15:6, 19, 28, 29
6 In the house of the righteous is much treasure: but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble.
19 The way of the slothful man is as a hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.
28 The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.
29 The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.
God's word requires us to be righteous. God's grace enables us to be righteous. This document deals with this. The position presented in this document will fly in the face of what Christians are being taught today by so-called Bible believing teachers and pastors.
When the idea of being righteous and living righteously comes up, the typical response of sinning religion is,
"The Bible says,“There is none righteous, no, not one” (Ro. 3:10)."
But they fail to add,
"The Bible also says,“Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous” (1 Jn 3:7)."
If this is all we have of God’s revelation, we are faced with an apparent contradiction. Without any explanation, these verses seem to be mutually exclusive and diametrically opposed to one another. It appears that if one statement is true, the other statement cannot be true.
However, this is not all we have in God’s revelation. In fact, these two verses are not contradictory but complimentary; they are in total agreement. Both of these statements are true. One statement is just as truly the inspired and inerrant word of God as the other statement, therefore both statements must be embraced totally by the believer in Christ. The Romans 3:10 passage is referring to the spiritual condition of lost men, and the First John 3:7 passage is referring to the spiritual condition of saved men.
There is a segment of the Christian religion that exalts the sin of man above the grace of God. They are constantly telling us that man is born in sin (which is true) and will continue in sin until the day he dies (which is true for the unsaved). They say, "God does not want us to sin and God’s grace is sufficient to save us from all sin, but we are only human and therefore we will always sin against God as long as we are in this world and in this sinful body (flesh).” They make human sinfulness to be greater than Divine grace.
This document does not try to prove God’s deliverance from all sin. This document simply wants to prove that God’s word declares that salvation makes saved people righteous.
MY BELIEFS ON THIS SUBJECT
Let me make some statements right at the beginning, which will state my beliefs and the purpose of this article. I offer these statements because most of the people who read this article are going to accuse me of claiming “sinless perfection,” a term that is usually used by those who do not believe in the power of God to save from all sin. Those who believe in God’s full salvation seldom use the term, “sinless perfection” since it is not a Biblical term and it causes more confusion than understanding.
I state my beliefs in order to be completely open with you. My beliefs are important only if they are Biblical. If you cannot find these truths or verses in the Bible, please let me know and I will send you a list of references. After I give you a brief overview of my beliefs on this subject, I will give you a great number of verses, straight from the Bible. In fact, these verses are the reason for this document.
I believe God is the only absolutely perfect Person (Being) Who has ever existed, exists at present or ever will exist.
I believe God is inherently holy and He is the Fountainhead of holiness for all those who have been holy, either by creation (Angels and Adam), or by salvation (those saved through faith in Christ).
I believe Adam incurred a sinful nature at the time of his disobedience in the garden and has passed that sinful propensity to allof his offspring and that all humans have sinned, (except for Jesus Christ).
I believe Jesus Christ came to the world as “God in the flesh,” that is, He was fully God and fully Man, one Person with two natures (Divine and human) but he did not have Adam’s sinful nature, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus lived a sinless life, died a sacrificial death on the cross for the sins of the world and was raised from the dead, physically, for our justification.
I believe Jesus came to save His people from their sins, not in their sins.
I believe if we confess our sins, then God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I believe if we walk in the light as He is in the light, then we have fellowship with Him and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.
I believe those who are trusting the grace of God, the blood of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit can live in obedience to God.
I believe sin separates us from God or God separates us from sin.
I believe God enables believers to obey Him fully, because, where sin did abound, grace did much more abound.
I believe that believers, by the grace of God, can live without disobeying the known will of God and that God will help us with our infirmities, which are not sins, yet are weaknesses that are less than absolute perfection (He. 4:15-16).
I believe God does not require us to be absolutely perfect or angelically perfect or Adamically perfect, but He does require us to love Him with perfect love (the love of God), which is called the “law of love,” and “the royal law,” “the perfect law of liberty” and “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.”
I believe, if a person loves God, then he will obey God.
I believe, if a person loves God, then he will keep God’s commands.
I believe that by the grace of God we must keep ourselves in the love of God.
I believe those who do not keep God’s commands do not love God and they are of the devil.
I believe those who commit sin are of the devil.
I believe Christians are expected to live without disobeying God and can give testimony to the power of God to save from all sin.
I am sure that there are many other points I could make, but I will move on to the article itself.
MY APPROACH IN THIS DOCUMENT
I will provide passages from the Bible, which clearly tell us that we can be righteous, through the redemptive work of Christ. I wanted to present Bible verses so that you can look at them as a group of verses; think about them and allow them to influence your faith, because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. There is a lack of belief in the possibility of being righteous and living a righteous life, and I hope that these verses will help someone see the truth of God more clearly.
Sometimes people “threaten” to read the context, supposing that the context will “disprove” the Biblical doctrine of imparted and experiential righteousness. I encourage you to read the context of every passage, though that will take quite a while. However, a complete reading of the passage will actually prove that there is such a thing as a righteous person, according to God and His word. In addition, a reading of the context will provide valuable insight into God’s saving power. After you have at least scanned the following lists of verses, PLEASE read their contexts. I even challenge you to read their contexts.
Some people say that the verses are being misinterpreted. Actually, these verses are presented without interpretation. They stand alone. It is true that some verses need to be studied in their original language and in their cultural setting and in their literary context, but the Bible is crystal clear in this area. Some truths are obvious to the open mind and they are repeated over and over again, time after time, ad infinitum (do you think you get my point). The truth that God makes us righteous and the fact that we can live righteously is stated and re-stated time and again. If God did not mean what He said, He should have said something else instead. If the translators failed to get the real meaning of the passage, they failed hundreds of times. If the Bible is wrong on personal and experiential righteousness in the believer, it is wrong about everything.
If we are going to understand the Scriptures, we need to understand the few verses (such as, “there is none righteous“) in the light of the many verses. We should understand the difficult verses in the light of the simple verses.
I only quote verses in this list, which clearly reflect God’s point of view. I do not use verses, which quote dubious sources, such as Job’s friends.
I did not include all of the words and phrases which address this issue, such as “holy,” “holiness,” “pure,” “purity,” “innocent,” “righteousness,” “righteously,” “uprightness,” “uprightly,” “right,” “good,” “saints” or “without sin,” for instance.
I did not include verses that declare that God is righteous, since that is not in dispute. However, it might be worth your while to see how many verses declare that God is righteous as compared with how many declare that there are righteous men.
I have included a list of verses that say humans are not righteous or cannot be righteous. I have been consistent in this report. If you think I failed to list all of the pertinent verses, please do it yourself and let me know what you find. I admit I could have missed some, but on the other hand, I deliberately left out many of the verses, which state that man is righteous. Remember too, these are only lists that use verses with the two specific words, “righteous” and “upright.” However, the principle holds true, regardless of the words used. God’s word acknowledges that men will be righteous, upright, holy and pure, when they are in a right relationship with God.
I have not included verses that declare the unrighteousness of specific individuals, since there is no disagreement that all men are unrighteous while in their unregenerate condition. It is not essential or helpful to list verses that support a point that is not in controversy.
There is a great danger in presenting the minority view of God (i.e. there is none righteous) as though it is the sole view of God. Actually, to deceitfully handle the word of God in such a way is wicked. The whole view is, there is none inherently righteous, no, not one and those who are in a salvific relationship with God are not only called righteous, they are righteous. For every verse that seems to say man is not righteous, there are hundreds of verses that declare man’s personal and experiential righteousness through Christ. Yet most people will laud and applaud man’s sinfulness rather than God’s glorious and great salvation.
I am eager for responses to this article, whether you like what I have written or not. If you can prove me wrong, please do. Be assured, if I do not agree with your position I will probably respond. However, the final authority is the word of God, not our opinions or the opinions of learned religionists and theologians. I know people who will say, “Doctor Hootchiebob does not agree with this point of view.” Well, Doctor Hootchiebob is wrong and God is right. “Let God be true and every man a liar.”
RIGHTEOUS, THE PASSAGES
Old Testament
Genesis 7:1
1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
Genesis 18:23-26
23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
26 And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
Exodus 23:7-8
7 Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
8 And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.
Deuteronomy 25:1
1 If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.
2 Samuel 4:11
11 How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?
1 Kings 8:32
32 Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.
2 Chronicles 6:23
23 Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness.
Psalms 1:5-6
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Psalms 5:12
12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favor wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
Psalms 7:11
11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
Psalms 11:3; 5
3 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
Psalms 14:5
5 There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.
Psalms 31:18
18 Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.
Psalms 32:11
11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
Psalms 33:1
1 Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.
Psalms 34:15
15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
Psalms 34:17
17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
Psalms 34:19
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
Psalms 34:20-21
20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
Psalms 37:16, 21, 25, 29, 30; 32; 39
16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.
21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous showeth mercy, and giveth.
25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.
32 The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.
Psalms 52:6
6 The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him:
Psalms 55:22
22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
Psalms 58:10-11
10 The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.
Psalms 64:10
10 The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.
Psalms 68:3
3 But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.
Psalms 69:28
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.
Psalms 72:7
7 In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.
Psalms 75:10
10 All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.
Psalms 92:12
12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
Psalms 94:21
21 They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.
Psalms 97:11-12
11 Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
Psalms 107:42
42 The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.
Psalms 112:6
6 Surely he shall not be moved forever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.
Psalms 118:15
15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.
Psalms 118:20
20 This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.
Psalms 125:3
3 For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.
Psalms 140:13
13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.
Psalms 142:7
7 Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.
Psalms 146:8
8 The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:
Proverbs 2:7, 20
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
Proverbs 3:32
32 For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.
Proverbs 10:3, 11, 16, 21, 24, 25, 28, 30, 32
3 The LORD will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked.
11 The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.16 The labor of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin.
21 The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.
24 The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.
25 As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.
28 The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.
30 The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.
32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.
Proverbs 11:8, 10, 21, 23, 28, 30, 31
8 The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead.
10 When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.
21 Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.
23 The desire of the righteous is only good: but the expectation of the wicked is wrath.
28 He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.31 Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner.
Proverbs 12:3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 26
3 A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.
5 The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.
7 The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.
10 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
12 The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.
26 The righteous is more excellent than his neighbor: but the way of the wicked seduceth them.
Proverbs 13:5, 9, 21, 25
5 A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame.
9 The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
21 Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repaid.
25 The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.
Proverbs 14:9, 19, 32
9 Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favor.
19 The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
32 The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.
Proverbs 15:6, 19, 28, 29
6 In the house of the righteous is much treasure: but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble.
19 The way of the slothful man is as a hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.
28 The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.
29 The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.
Proverbs 18:5, 10
5 It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment.
10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
Proverbs 21:12, 18, 26
12 The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked: but God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness.
18 The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright.
26 He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not.
Proverbs 23:24
24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.
Proverbs 24:15
15 Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:
Proverbs 28:1, 10, 12, 28
1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.
10 Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession.
12 When righteous men do rejoice, there is great glory: but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden.
28 When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but when they perish, the righteous increase.
Proverbs 29:2, 6, 7, 16
2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.
6 In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare: but the righteous doth sing and rejoice.
7 The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it.
16 When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: but the righteous shall see their fall.
Ecclesiastes 3:17
17 I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
Isaiah 5:23
23 Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
Jeremiah 20:12
12 But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause.
Ezekiel 3:20, 21
20 Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.
Ezekiel 13:22
22 Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life:
Ezekiel 18:20, 24, 26
20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
26 When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.
Ezekiel 33:12, 13. 18
12 Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.
13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.
18 When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.
New Testament
Matthew 10:41
41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.
Matthew 13:17
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
Matthew 23:29, 35
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous,
35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zechariah son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
Matthew 25:37, 46
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Luke 1:6
6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
Romans 5:19
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Hebrews 11:4
14 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
James 5:16
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
1 Peter 3:12
12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
1 Peter 4:18
18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
2 Peter 2:8
8 For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds
1 John 2:29
29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
1 John 3:7
7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
1 John 3:12
12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
Revelation 22:11
11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
UPRIGHT, THE PASSAGES
Old Testament
1 Samuel 29:6
6 Then Achish called David, and said unto him, Surely, as the LORD liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in my sight: for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day: nevertheless the lords favor thee not.
2 Samuel 22:24, 26
24 I was also upright before him and have kept myself from mine iniquity.
26 With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt show thyself upright.
Job 1:1, 8
1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
Job 2:3
3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
Psalms 7:10
10 My defense is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.
Psalms 11:2, 7
2 For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.
7 For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.
Psalms 18:23, 25
25 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
25 With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt show thyself upright;
Psalms 20:8
8 They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.
Psalms 32:11
11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
Psalms 33:1
1 Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.
Psalms 36:10
10 O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.
Psalms 37:14, 18, 37
14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation
18 The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be forever.
37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
Psalms 64:10
10 The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.
Psalms 94:15
15 But judgment shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.
Psalms 97:11
11 Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.
Psalms 111:1
1 Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.
Psalms 112:2, 4
2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.
4 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
Psalms 125:4
4 Do good, O LORD, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.
Psalms 140:13
13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.
Proverbs 2:21
21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.
Proverbs 10:29
29 The way of the LORD is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.
Proverbs 11:3, 6, 11, 20
3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.
6 The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness.
11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
20 They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the LORD: but such as are upright in their way are his delight.
Proverbs 12:6
6 The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.
Proverbs 13:6
6 Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner.
Proverbs 14:11
11 The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.
Proverbs 15:8
8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.
Proverbs 16:117
The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.
Proverbs 21:18, 29
18 The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright.
29 A wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright, he directeth his way.
Proverbs 28:10
10 Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession.
Proverbs 29:10, 27
10 The bloodthirsty hate the upright: but the just seek his soul.
27 An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.
Song of Solomon 1:4
4 Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee.
Isaiah 26:7
7 The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just.
DLG note… In this case God is called “most upright” but the way of the justified person is called “uprightness.”
Psalms 19:13
13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
Ecclesiastes 7:29
29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
SUMMARY
I GAVE YOU A LIST OF MORE THAN 130 VERSES THAT PROVES HUMANS CAN BE “RIGHTEOUS” IN THIS PRESENT EVIL WORLD.
I NOW OFFER THE ONLY VERSE I KNOW ABOUT, WHICH SEEMS TO INDICATE THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A “RIGHTEOUS” PERSON.
NONE RIGHTEOUS, THE PASSAGE
Romans. 3:10
10 “There is none righteous, no, not one”
DLG note… This is a true statement concerning the unsaved. Paul said that all people are in need of a Savior, because all have sinned. The context makes it perfectly clear that Paul was speaking about those who are not justified and sanctified.
Remember, this document only addresses verses that use the word “righteous.” Someone may point out that there are other words used in the Bible, when referring to sinful people. YES, there are. But if we used the verses that say man is not holy, we would need to make a list of verses that say man can be and is holy, when in a right relationship with God. This would produce other lists that are overwhelmingly numerous and clear that God does indeed make for Himself a holy, righteous, pure, obedient, good, upright people.
Someone may say, “But, there are several different Greek and Hebrew words, which are translated as, “righteous” and they do not mean what David says.”
David responds… I will be glad to do a word study with you concerning the meaning of the Hebrew and Greek words. But the point is, people claim that the Bible says people cannot be righteous and then use one Bible verse to prove their point, ignoring over one hundred and thirty other verses. If we are going to use Bible words, we must use Bible words honestly. The Bible says that we can be righteous.
These verses do not contradict each other, they compliment one another and they deal with different subjects. The point is, the Bible clearly teaches that humans can be and must be personally and experientially righteous.
I GAVE YOU A LIST OF MORE THAN 40 VERSES THAT PROVES HUMANS CAN BE UPRIGHT IN THIS PRESENT EVIL WORLD.
I NOW OFFER 2 VERSES THAT SEEM TO INDICATE THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN UPRIGHT PERSON.
NONE UPRIGHT, THE PASSAGES
Micah 7:2, 4
2 The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.
4 The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.
DLG note… The context clearly addresses a particular people in a particular time and place. The prophet Micah was pointing out how far reaching was Judah’s sin. The fact that the prophet looked for the “upright” man indicates that upright people had existed, but had died or been killed.
The fact that Micah said, “all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net” makes it clear that he is not referring to all men of all times and all places, since the saved do not fit this profile, nor did Micah fit this description.
Also, the prophet said that the day of visitation was going to come upon the people. This is a prophecy of judgment and deliverance. Not only will God forgive sins, He will tread underfoot the power and corruption of sin. He will forgive people of their sins committed and He will deliver them of sin indwelling (vss. 18-20).
I hope you will overlook any typographical errors or other honest mistakes. Please let me know about them and I will make the correction.
I am interested in hearing from you.
Pastor David L. Gould
Proverbs 21:18, 29
18 The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright.
29 A wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright, he directeth his way.
Proverbs 28:10
10 Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession.
Proverbs 29:10, 27
10 The bloodthirsty hate the upright: but the just seek his soul.
27 An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.
Song of Solomon 1:4
4 Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee.
Isaiah 26:7
7 The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just.
DLG note… In this case God is called “most upright” but the way of the justified person is called “uprightness.”
Psalms 19:13
13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
Ecclesiastes 7:29
29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
SUMMARY
I GAVE YOU A LIST OF MORE THAN 130 VERSES THAT PROVES HUMANS CAN BE “RIGHTEOUS” IN THIS PRESENT EVIL WORLD.
I NOW OFFER THE ONLY VERSE I KNOW ABOUT, WHICH SEEMS TO INDICATE THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A “RIGHTEOUS” PERSON.
NONE RIGHTEOUS, THE PASSAGE
Romans. 3:10
10 “There is none righteous, no, not one”
DLG note… This is a true statement concerning the unsaved. Paul said that all people are in need of a Savior, because all have sinned. The context makes it perfectly clear that Paul was speaking about those who are not justified and sanctified.
Remember, this document only addresses verses that use the word “righteous.” Someone may point out that there are other words used in the Bible, when referring to sinful people. YES, there are. But if we used the verses that say man is not holy, we would need to make a list of verses that say man can be and is holy, when in a right relationship with God. This would produce other lists that are overwhelmingly numerous and clear that God does indeed make for Himself a holy, righteous, pure, obedient, good, upright people.
Someone may say, “But, there are several different Greek and Hebrew words, which are translated as, “righteous” and they do not mean what David says.”
David responds… I will be glad to do a word study with you concerning the meaning of the Hebrew and Greek words. But the point is, people claim that the Bible says people cannot be righteous and then use one Bible verse to prove their point, ignoring over one hundred and thirty other verses. If we are going to use Bible words, we must use Bible words honestly. The Bible says that we can be righteous.
These verses do not contradict each other, they compliment one another and they deal with different subjects. The point is, the Bible clearly teaches that humans can be and must be personally and experientially righteous.
I GAVE YOU A LIST OF MORE THAN 40 VERSES THAT PROVES HUMANS CAN BE UPRIGHT IN THIS PRESENT EVIL WORLD.
I NOW OFFER 2 VERSES THAT SEEM TO INDICATE THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN UPRIGHT PERSON.
NONE UPRIGHT, THE PASSAGES
Micah 7:2, 4
2 The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.
4 The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.
DLG note… The context clearly addresses a particular people in a particular time and place. The prophet Micah was pointing out how far reaching was Judah’s sin. The fact that the prophet looked for the “upright” man indicates that upright people had existed, but had died or been killed.
The fact that Micah said, “all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net” makes it clear that he is not referring to all men of all times and all places, since the saved do not fit this profile, nor did Micah fit this description.
Also, the prophet said that the day of visitation was going to come upon the people. This is a prophecy of judgment and deliverance. Not only will God forgive sins, He will tread underfoot the power and corruption of sin. He will forgive people of their sins committed and He will deliver them of sin indwelling (vss. 18-20).
I hope you will overlook any typographical errors or other honest mistakes. Please let me know about them and I will make the correction.
I am interested in hearing from you.
Pastor David L. Gould
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