The Gates of Righteousness

"Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, and I will praise the LORD. ²⁰ This is the gate of the LORD, through which the righteous shall enter. ²¹ I will praise You, for You have answered me, and have become my salvation."

Psalm 118:19-21

Only those with clean hands and a pure heart will see God (Ps. 24:4).  The Law of God proves beyond any shadow of doubt that there is none good, no not one.  Solomon stated rhetorically in Proverbs 20:9, "Who can say, "I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?"  If man's only hope for righteousness was through his own effort, he would have no hope whatsoever.  But by the grace of God, the righteousness of Christ has been imputed through faith to all those who believe.  Paul stated his fervent desire in Philippians 3:9-11 to "...be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; ¹⁰ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, ¹¹ if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."

Jesus Christ has been revealed as the Gate of Righteousness, the Way, the Door through whom man is invited to enter and receive eternal life.  The Psalmist wrote, "Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, and I will praise the LORD."  God has opened the gates.  God has made a way of salvation, and our response should be eternal praise for God's glory.  As important as it is to receive Christ's righteousness imputed through faith, it is imperative we walk in it.  God did not make us righteous only so we could be granted entrance to heaven.  When we decide to walk through the Gate of Righteousness, the implication is we will also are choosing to continually walk in the path of righteousness.

Every day we remain on this earth we face the choice of walking in righteousness or seeking to satisfy self.  Peter wrote of Christ being our righteous example in 1 Peter 2:22-25:  "...who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth"; ²³ who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; ²⁴ who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed. ²⁵ For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."  Those lives of those who have received of Christ's righteousness should be marked by the practice of it.  In choosing holiness and righteousness, we walk in true worship and praise of the God who loves us and gave His life for us.  One person's deliberate act of choosing righteous obedience to God is worth more than all the songs and raised hands of those who walk unrighteously.

Have you chosen the Way of Righteousness to receive salvation?  That is good!  Be mindful and intentional to take the necessary step of choosing to live righteously every day.  Through God it is possible!