The Final Judgment (Matt. 25:31-46)

[Sung Psalm: 37]

What does it mean to be “righteous”? As Ezekiel puts it so succinctly: “he does what is just and right.” (18:5)

Now, it should be clear from Ezekiel 18 that righteous people do exist! Ezekiel speaks of how a righteous man might have a wicked son. And a wicked man might have a righteous son.

And for that matter, if a wicked man repents and does what is right, then he becomes righteous. And if a righteous man ceases to do what is right, then he becomes wicked.

To be “righteous” in Ezekiel’s usage here simply means that at the moment you are doing what is right.

And the way that you become righteous is twofold: repent of whatever wrong you have done, and then do what is right!

Now, in the New Testament this is called justification and sanctification.

But both justification and sanctification involve righteousness.In justification, God forgives our sins and reckons us as righteous in his sight, only because of what Jesus has done – because Jesus was the righteous one. In justification, God forgives our sins and imputes the righteousness of Christ to us.

Sanctification also involves righteousness. In sanctification, the dominion – the reign – of sin is destroyed, and we are more and more enabled to die unto sin and live unto righteousness. In other words, we do what is right.

Hence, the Christian is righteous because of the imputed righteousness of Christ. But also the Christian is righteous because we do what is right.