"Every wound can become either a hiding place for the ego or a doorway through which grace enters." - agileo... a reflection on 2 Corinthians 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Righteousness

Righteousness is commonly understood to be human effort towards moral achievement. In modern religious language, to be “righteous” often means “sinless” or “flawless,” a status we must attain. But in Scripture, the term righteousness is far richer. 

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for righteousness is Tzedakah, meaning God keeps His promises. In the New Testament, the Greek word is Dikaiosynē, meaning God puts the world back together through Jesus.

Righteousness, therefore, is covenant language. It is the vibrancy of our oneness with God. It is about trust in God’s commitment to make things right.

Understanding the meaning of righteousness this way reframes the gospel as God’s healing action, not our legal acquittal.

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”