Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

Man's Righteousness

Levitius.10:10 and that you are to make a distinction between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean;

Each of us have an opinion of what is right and wrong such rights and wrongs are our standards of judgment. What we measure ourselves and others against. But there is much confusion over man's righteousness and Gods? To often we confuse human righteousness with God's righteousness causing a sea of turmoil and confusion found in religion every where!

Matthew 6:23 But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Moreover, because we stand strong on certain values does not necessarily mean we are righteous before God, which comes as a real shock for a great deal of people.

Defining Human Righteousness

righteousness and unrighteousness is a archaic term found in ancient writings that is often misunderstood and misused by us. The term “righteous” simply means to be right when judge against a standard that standard can be the laws of government, a business we work for, a religion, or even our family.

Luke 6:37 Don't judge, and you won't be judged. Don't condemn, and you won't be condemned. Set free, and you will be set free.

Most of us associate the term with God, not governments, or business, or our families rules. Nevertheless, we should understand it not a mystical word used only by God, and its good that we understand so we ourselves are not lead down a false road into all kinds of teachings that has nothing to do with God, but man in judging by God's word, what is righteous and unrighteous.

John 7:24 Don't judge according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment."

John 8:15 You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one.

Romans 2:16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men, according to my Good News, by Jesus Christ.

God's Righteousness Vs. Man's Righteousness

With some 56-thousand sects of Christendom we must conclude there are many standards of what is right and wrong or there would not be so many Christian's religion in our world today! Righteousness itself is very subjective word, it is a word when used cause much judgment and harsh treatment of others.

Romans 14:10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

It is one thing to have a misunderstanding, but quiet another when violating what a person thinks is God's righteousness. We will find that in all human civilizations there are codes of ethics, of right and wrong, but within that same civilization we may find something so horrific in conduct that it would be unimaginable for us to practice today. The eating of blood, the eating of dogs, having multiple wives, and so on . . .
Our own culture of right and wrong may judge such conduct evil. Unfortunately, most Christian's are ignorant in their understanding that at Christ time there were practices allowed that would be considered today as gross sins, and evil condemned by our religion, such as having more then one wife, the divorcing of a wife by just a certificate, the fathering of children through concubines. Even righteous Lot had sex with his own daughters while drunk and was not rejected by God.

James.1:19 So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger;
1:20 for the anger of man doesn't produce the righteousness of God.

So what is God's righteousness with so many people having various degrees of right and wrong simply by how it effects them and their families?

James.2:2 For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue{or, meeting}, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in; 2:3 and you pay special attention to him who wears the fine clothing, and say, "Sit here in a good place;" and you tell the poor man, "Stand there," or "Sit by my footstool;" 2:4 haven't you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

Shadows and Degrees of Light

The truth is something most of us think we love and want it until we actually have to apply the truth to our own life! Many in religion flatly ignore the truth that their religion teaches as righteous conduct when it comes to applying it in their own lives and family, they are willing to live a lie to maintain a relationship with their religion.

An a example of this hypocrisy is when members of Jehovah's Witnesses harshly apply the rule of disfellowshiping to other members, but when a family member is disfellowshipped they bend the rules on all levels to maintain contact and association with the family member, something not found in their bibles at all.

Luke 18:29 He said to them, "Most certainly I tell you, there is no one who has left house, or wife, or brothers, or parents, or children, for the Kingdom of God's sake.

Luke 8:20 It was told him by some saying, "Your mother and your brothers stand outside, desiring to see you." 8:21 But he answered them, "My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God, and do it."

This conduct which is practiced and accepted by most Jehovah's Witnesses is against the rules of the Watch Tower Society, but is allowed earth wide. Nevertheless, it is living a lie while boasting of being in the truth! Those standards are variation of light, shadows of darkness and light that all religions and human's practice and is allowed within all societies.

James 1:16 Don't be deceived, my beloved brothers.
1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow.

Unfortunately, the same standards of righteousness is imputed to God who is light having no variation of perfect truth and justice found in him. Where man allows and are willing to live a lie, soon the person and group thinks God does the same, which is a huge mistake!

James. 3:11 Does a spring send out from the same opening fresh and bitter water?
3:12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, yield olives, or a vine figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh water.
3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good conduct that his deeds are done in gentleness of wisdom.
3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don't boast and don't lie against the truth.

God's Perfect Righteousness

God's righteousness is unassailable by humans with sin they cannot be God's righteousness, because God's righteousness has no sin, no
darkness, or spot, nor wrinkle, of sin. God has no filth of the flesh found in all humans, God has no desires of our flesh, or does he dwell upon evil for entertainment as we human do. God is perfect light, there is no lie in God, not even a little white lie as we human call it to justify our unrighteousness for lying to others, no jealousy in God towards anyone.

1 John 1:5 This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

Titus 1:2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who can't lie, promised before time began;

Hebrews 6:18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to take hold of the hope set before us.

God says of us human that none of us are righteous, not one! God's standards of righteousness is not mankind's standards of righteousness, or some would be righteous, or make themselves righteous, instead, God tells us we all sin, and if we say we don't we are a liar!

Romans 3:10 As it is written, "There is no one righteous; no, not one.

1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Here we find the real mystery of false religion that God calls Babylon the Great. False religion teaches at its core that mankind can by applying its rules found in the bible make themselves righteous, but God says that is a lie! So who is right, and who is wrong? Billion upon billion of people are in religions or have been at onetime that practice righteousness by membership, is there such a concept found in our bibles? No! That to is a lie of false religion.

Titus 3:5 not by works of righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.

The question we must all ask ourselves is? Can something unclean produce something clean? Can a person that claims to be righteous by application of the rules of some religion touch us, and make us clean? Moreover, can removing the unclean among us, those that violate the rules keep us clean, if we are not clean in the first place?

Haggai 2:12 'If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with his fold touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any food, will it become holy?'" The priests answered, "No."

Levitius 7:21 When anyone touches any unclean thing, the uncleanness of man, or an unclean animal, or any unclean abomination, and eats some of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which belong to Yahweh, that soul shall be cut off from his people.'"

Proverbs 20:9 Who can say, "I have made my heart pure. I am clean and without sin?"

Well, not according to God's standards of righteousness, but yes, mans righteousness is acceptable according to human's standards of right and wrong, so let us not confuse the two. Do we want truth? Or our we like so many wanting a variation of truth a shadow, of righteousness so it does not effect our lives on earth?

Ezekiel 22:26 Her priests have done violence to my law, and have profaned my holy things: they have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they caused men to discern between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

Our motives, feelings, and thoughts are not God's righteousness, not even close, we all fall short of God's glory another term over used and understated for most of us. What is God's glory? Will for certain it is without sin, it is without variations of right and wrong, and its without double standards.

Rom.10:1 Brothers, my heart's desire and my prayer to God is for Israel, that they may be saved.
10:2 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
10:3 For being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they didn't subject themselves to the righteousness of God.

God alone is righteous, from him as the creator of righteousness, he must make his creation righteous, not us! When a person believes they are making themselves righteous by using God's words to discipline others, they are badly mislead, and if continued in that course of self-righteousness will hang a mile-stone upon their own neck of judgment!

Matthew 18:6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him that a huge millstone should be hung around his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depths of the sea.

Lets emphatically state there is no way we can make ourselves righteousness by any application of any law, rule, or commandment found in our bibles that is a fundamental truth of our bibles! Once we are a sinner we are not washed clean by scrubbing ourselves and others with God's rules, laws, and commandments. Touching something holy against something dirty does not clean it, it pollutes its, don't be fooled!

Job 14:4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.

Matt.7:17 Even so, every good tree produces good fruit; but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit.

The Gift of Righteousness

There is no way to make ourselves righteous, there are ways to make ourselves acceptable to other humans by our meeting the rules and laws within government, commerce and religion, but let us not be confused with God's righteousness that is a free gift given us, by God without our merit.

Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

Merit is something we earn and apply to purchasing something of value when need. God righteousness is without our merit, and we best understand that and get this one point straight in our minds before we every step foot into Christianity or we will find ourselves in a very dark and confused place filled with anger and trouble within short order!

James. 4:1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come from your pleasures that war in your members?
4:2 You lust, and don't have. You kill, covet, and can't obtain. You fight and make war. You don't have, because you don't ask.
4:3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it for your pleasures.
4:4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
4:5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously"?
4:6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."{Proverbs 3:34}

Man's righteousness does no exist in God's mind or ways, man does not have a righteousness when judged against God's righteous standards. Man comes up far short of God's righteousness. In fact, every human's mouth will be shut when judged against God's righteous laws.

Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God.

God give us righteousness, it cannot be earned, bought, sold, or maintain by any human likeness or form. It cannot be applied by a religion, a person, place of things. God gives us his righteousness, and he maintains our righteousness by our faith in him as a loving Father of his children.

1Cor.1:29 that no flesh should boast before God.
1:30 But of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who was made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption: 1:31 that, according as it is written, "He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord."{Jeremiah 9:24}

We cannot received the free gift of God's righteousness, and do as so many do, start in God's righteousness and then go into bragging and lying that we are the ones maintaining it by works of law of our religion. Many see it as a gift they water plant and spread it like money to buy more righteousness by their works done in the name of God!

Luke 19:22 "He said to him, 'Out of your own mouth will I judge you, you wicked servant! You knew that I am an exacting man, taking up that which I didn't lay down, and reaping that which I didn't sow.

2 Peter 3:17 You therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware, lest being carried away with the error of the wicked, you fall from your own steadfastness.

Such self deception speak loud and clear of a person true heart condition they are seeking glory for themselves instead of seeking the glory of God, which glory is Christ Jesus a gift bestowed upon him for maintaining righteousness upon earth for his Father glory.

Heb. 1:3 His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself made purification for our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Yes, that is right, Christ is God's glory, he is God's righteousness and is that which we all fall short of as sinful humans. The gift of God, is Christ, his righteousness given too us, by unmerited kindness! We are given a perfect sinless life, that is, a righteous life instead of our own sinful life to live through to God's glory. We by faith accept Christ righteousness as ours, a gift of love from our Father. That precious and priceless gift is so wondrous and grand that we give up our own life and live in Christ, and allow him to work through us for God's glory.

John 1:14 The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 5:41 I don't receive glory from men.

John 5:44 How can you believe, who receive glory from one another, and you don't seek the glory that comes from the only God?

Ephesians 1:6 to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely bestowed favor on us in the Beloved.

Ephesians 1:12 to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ:

Ephesians 1:14 who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of his glory.

We are not growing Christ righteousness into a worldly business, a religion, or a government, and/or anything else of this world. We do not belong to ourselves, we belong to Christ and Christ is no part of this world. Once we move away from Christ into a self-righteousness, we are adulterous polluting the unleavened bread of Christ body. The bread of life.

1 Corinthians 5:7 Purge out the old yeast, that you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed in our place.

1 Corinthians 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old yeast, neither with the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

We are not to think so foolishly that our present, our touching something unclean is going to become acceptable to God because we have Christ righteousness indwelling us. We are to lead others to Christ, unencumbered by any self-righteousness. If our message is not clear, but cluttered with all kinds of business thoughts, religious rules and doctrine, or government politicking over who is right and wrong we have polluted the Christ.

1 Corinthians 14:33 for God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. As in all the assemblies of the saints.

We belong to the body of Christ, no other, not our own, not to a religion, a business, a person, place of thing. We work in the body for the body, we don't foolish think a hand, or foot can attach itself to another project and claim to be the body of Christ that is a lie against the creation of God itself.

Romans 8:13 For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Romans 14:8 For if we live, we live to the Lord. Or if we die, we die to the Lord. If therefore we live or die, we are the Lord's.

The free gift of God's righteousness is maintain by walking in the Spirit it has nothing to do with our flesh at all, those desires are not the desires of the Spirit, don't be fooled, test the spirits if they are fleshly or spirits from Holy Spirit?

2 Corinthians 13:5 Test your own selves, whether you are in the faith. Test your own selves. Or don't you know as to your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good.

1 John 4:1 Beloved, don't believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

There is no other righteousness that is eternal life for sinner but Christ Jesus, its that simple, the rest is confusion and darkness, such thinking and self-justification for human action are unrighteous, and can never come up to the mountain of YHWH, corruption does not produce incorruption its impossible. Mankind will never grow into a righteous people by any thing they can do or invent on earth. No amount of knowledge, research, new ideas, changing government, or renewing an old religion will change mankind from unrighteousness, into righteousness, don't be fooled.

1 Peter 3:21 This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you--not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:6 For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace;

Romans 8:7 because the mind of the flesh is hostile towards God; for it is not subject to God's law, neither indeed can it be.

Romans 8:8 Those who are in the flesh can't please God.

There is only one answer, problem solved, completed, and finished, that is, Christ Jesus, God's glory, his righteousness, the new heavens, and new earth. One place, one place only where all are made righteous by God's own love and humility, Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh, for as you presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to wickedness upon wickedness, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness for sanctification.

Romans 8:10 If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness.

Philippians 3:9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

Revelation 21:5 He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." He said, "Write, for these words of God are faithful and true."