Righteous

[460 words] Are you righteous? The word “righteous” (dikaios) appears 79 times in the New Testament. I offer this composite from a study of the original word: (a) a righteous person is one who fulfills his duty toward God and men, (b) a righteous person is one who observes divine and human laws, (c) a righteous person is one who acts in accordance with right, and (d) a righteous person is one who is such as he or she ought to be in character and behavior. This word (dikaios) appears six times in the book of 1 John. A study of these passages is most insightful. The first passage acknowledges that the Lord is righteous. John wrote, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1:9). Here the word translated “just” is the Greek word for…