God's Attributes Reflected in UsНамуна

God is righteous

“Great are the works of the Lord,
studied by all who delight in them.
Full of splendor and majesty is His work,
and His righteousness endures forever.” (Psalm 111:2-3)

God’s righteousness is essential to His very being. It is mentioned very often in the Bible, always in a positive tone. But it is not easy to explain what it means that God is righteous. Usually, righteousness means conformity to an ethical or moral standard. But there is no standard above God. The righteous standard to which God conforms is Himself. So, we can describe God’s righteousness as Him acting always in a way that is consistent with His own character.

At first sight, this concept seems pretty meaningless. However, since we know that God is good and just, His righteousness ensures that He will not condemn the innocent or clear the guilty. He is not whimsical or capricious, like the Greek gods for example. He is utterly reliable. Therefore, it is good news that “His righteousness endures forever,” as Psalm 111:3 phrases it.

God’s righteousness requires His opposition to all that opposes His goodness, and His reward for ‘good works’. God will judge the world against His own standards. His righteousness makes sure that evil will not have the last word.

Can you imagine how this world would look like if God was not righteous?