Hold Fast to Righteousness

As Christians, it’s important that we don’t rely on our self-righteousness—our own good works—for salvation. Though holiness and righteousness are important, they can’t save us. And yet we must hold fast to our righteousness.

This truth is illustrated in the book of Job. If you aren’t familiar with Job, in a nutshell it is the a story of the suffering of a righteous man named Job. He loses everything—his family, his livestock, his home, all his possessions—in a single day. Then he suffers debilitating boils all over his body. His wife suggests he curse God and die, because things have gotten so bad. Three friends come to offer comfort and counsel, but fall short of the mark. Then God speaks to Job.

This wisdom book of the Bible addresses the struggle we face of understanding God as a good God in the face of seemingly unfair suffering of someone who has done everything right.

In Job 27:6 (NASB), this suffering man says, “I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go.” In my Hebrew-Greek Study Bible, I learned that the Hebrew word translated “righteousness” in this verse (Ts^edȃqȃh) is a legal term equating to justice or innocence. It often refers to the relationship between God and a person, or between two people.

Elsewhere in scripture we are told the righteous live by faith.  Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11. The patriarch Abraham believed, or had faith in, God and it was credited to him as righteousness. Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6; James 2:23.

The righteousness we must hold fast to is that which we receive as a gift from God when we put our faith in the atoning sacrifice of His Son, our Savior, Jesus.

The righteousness that Job clung to was that which he knew he had because of his faith in God’s sovereignty and power.

I’m reminded of the lyrics of “Hold on to God” by Dwight Yoakam:

Hold on, hold on, hold on to God
And not the ways of the world
Hold on, hold on and put your trust
In His ever lasting Word
Hold on, hold on, hold on to God
In this life’s storm-tossed sea
Cling to Jesus, His lifeline
It will salvation bring

What are you holding fast to today? Are you clinging to your own power and might to control your little corner of the world? Or are you holding fast to Jesus?