The Righteous Man Shall Live by His Faith

The Bible uses the word "righteousness" extensively throughout the Old and New Testaments. It is a word we do not often use, if at all, in our daily conversation. A reliable biblical definition comes from Spiros Zodhiates, a highly respected Greek scholar: That which is right, conformable to right, pertaining to right, that which is just. This is expected by the one who sets the rules and regulations whereby man must live, whether that be society or God. Therefore, it means that which is expected as duty and which is claimed as a right because of one's conformity to the rules of God or society. The righteousness of God is a standard of life governed by that which is right. What connects man to God's righteousness is faith, a firm persuasion, conviction, and belief in the truth. "The righteous man shall live by his faith" is a foundational statement tied directly to the gospel by Paul in Romans 1:16-17, who repeated the clause in Galatians 3:11 (also quoted in Hebrews 10:38). This expression also became the watchword of the Reformation, helping Martin Luther to appreciate the truth of justification (made righteous) by faith. "This text," said Luther, "was to me the true gate of Paradise." This book defines what that important passage means in practical terms and il- lustrates these principles in the lives of a number of men of faith. There are fifty-two chapters to occupy the reader weekly in a meditation of the heart for the truth about righteousness and how the man or woman of faith can experience it in the details of life.