Righteousness in the Bible

John Stott Commenting on " those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matt 5:6)

Righteousness in the Bible has at least 3 aspects: legal, moral and social

Legal righteousness is justification, a right relationship with God. The jews 'pursued righteousness, Paul wrote the later, but failed to attain it because they pursued it in the wrong way. They sought 'to establish their own' righteousness', and 'did not submit to God's righteousness', which is Christ himself.(Romans 9:30- 10:4)...

Moral righteousness is that righteouness of character and conduct which pleases God. Jesus goes on after the beatitudes to contrast this Christian righteousness with pharisaic righteousness(20). The latter was an external conformity to rules; the former is an inner righteousness of the heart , mind and motive. For this we should hunger and thirst.

It would be a mistake to suppose, however, that the biblical word 'righteousness' means only a right relationship with God on the one hand and a moral righteousness of character and conduct on the other. For biblical righteousness is more than a private and personal affair.; in includes social righteousness as well. And social righteousness, as we learn from the law and teh prophets, is concerned with seeking man's liberation from oppression, together with the promotion of civil rights, justice in courts , interigty in business dealings and honour in home and family affairs. Thus Christians are committed to hunger for righteousness in the whole human community as something pleasing to a righteous God.