The Difference Between Righteousness and Holiness

[shepherdsword]

@Episkopos @Laurina @MostlyConfused @Azim

I have always considered righteousness and holiness as interchangeable parallel terms. I can see now that is a mistake. Let's look at the mechanical definitions

English:
Righteousness: . It is the state of living in agreement with high moral rules or divine laws. (Merriam Webster)
Holiness: being set apart for a special purpose and living with pure moral goodness. It comes from old words that mean being whole, complete, or separate from common, everyday things

Hebrew
Righteousness: צְדָקָה — tsĕdāqāh (tsedakah) carries the basic idea of being right, just, righteous, or in accordance with a proper standard.
Holiness: קֹדֶשׁ — qōdesh (kodesh) The fundamental idea of being holy is set apart, consecrated, or belonging to the sacred sphere.

Greek
Righteousness: δικαιοσύνη — dikaiosynē - It comes from the root δικαι-, associated with justice, righteousness, and what is right.
Holiness: ἅγιος — hagios = holy, sacred, set apart

All three languages seem to indicate the same definition. This decreases the idea that the terms are mistranslated.

It also indicates an increasing degree of consecration on this scale of four levels of purity
1)wicked
2)unrighteous
3) righteous
4) holy (being the highest degree of purity)

They (perhaps) correspond with the four eternal fates
1) hell, lake of fire for the wicked
2) outer darkness for the unrighteous
3) inheriting the earth by the righteous
4) ruling with Christ for the holy.

In the ballpark? Out in left field?

 

[Episkopos]

@Episkopos @Laurina @MostlyConfused @Azim

I have always considered righteousness and holiness as interchangeable parallel terms. I can see now that is a mistake. Let's look at the mechanical definitions

English:
Righteousness: . It is the state of living in agreement with high moral rules or divine laws. (Merriam Webster)
Holiness: being set apart for a special purpose and living with pure moral goodness. It comes from old words that mean being whole, complete, or separate from common, everyday things

Hebrew
Righteousness: צְדָקָה — tsĕdāqāh (tsedakah) carries the basic idea of being right, just, righteous, or in accordance with a proper standard.
Holiness: קֹדֶשׁ — qōdesh (kodesh) The fundamental idea of being holy is set apart, consecrated, or belonging to the sacred sphere.

Greek
Righteousness: δικαιοσύνη — dikaiosynē - It comes from the root δικαι-, associated with justice, righteousness, and what is right.
Holiness: ἅγιος — hagios = holy, sacred, set apart

All three languages seem to indicate the same definition. This decreases the idea that the terms are mistranslated.

It also indicates an increasing degree of consecration on this scale of four levels of purity
1)wicked
2)unrighteous
3) righteous
4) holy (being the highest degree of purity)

They (perhaps) correspond with the four eternal fates
1) hell, lake of fire for the wicked
2) outer darkness for the unrighteous
3) inheriting the earth by the righteous
4) ruling with Christ for the holy.

In the ballpark? Out in left field?

Righteousness is about what we do. Holiness is about God and His presence.


Can we do what is right without God's presence? Of course. That's why we have the law and so many examples of people who do right. An example is the "good" Samaritan. Was he holy? Of course not. Did he obey God (even without knowing it). Yes.

And then there is God's mercy on those who suffer, who are defenseless. God will be their champion and avenger,. And the meek. God will uplift them.

And the proud? God will abase them.

So much of modern evangelicalism is about a diligent study of the bible to get EVERYTHING wrong. That's because they have no understanding of what God approves of nor what pleases Him

God approves of righteousness. He will save the righteous (in the future). God is PLEASED when we show faith even when we haven't seen anything. He elevates the sincere faith that is without guile or self-seeking. When we love the truth we love God.

 

[shepherdsword]

Righteousness is about what we do. Holiness is about God and His presence.


Can we do what is right without God's presence? Of course. That's why we have the law and so many examples of people who do right. An example is the "good" Samaritan. Was he holy? Of course not. Did he obey God (even without knowing it). Yes.

And then there is God's mercy on those who suffer, who are defenseless. God will be their champion and avenger,. And the meek. God will uplift them.

And the proud? God will abase them.

So much of modern evangelicalism is about a diligent study of the bible to get EVERYTHING wrong. That's because they have no understanding of what God approves of nor what pleases Him

God approves of righteousness. He will save the righteous (in the future). God is PLEASED when we show faith even when we haven't seen anything. He elevates the sincere faith that is without guile or self-seeking. When we love the truth we love God.

It seems the Lord puts some conditions on His indwelling presence. It goes a bit deeper than "asking Jesus into your heart" although I am sure he hears the prayer for this from a pure and contrite heart.

However I have never heard this mentioned at any evangelical crusade I went to.

Jn 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, 1) If a man love me, 2)he will keep my words: and 3)my Father will love him, and 4)we will come unto him, and 5) make our abode with him.

steps 1-3 righteousness steps 4-5 holiness ?

 

[MostlyConfused]

I don’t think #4 is holiness. I guess because I think of it as Him abiding/remaining in me and never abandoning me, but not yet the “I abiding in Him.”

 

[Laurina]

I don’t think #4 is holiness. I guess because I think of it as Him abiding/remaining in me and never abandoning me, but not yet the “I abiding in Him.”

I agree!

JOHN 15:1-10
"1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love."

Verses 4 and 5 are about abiding in Him. I don't believe we can do that without dying to SELF, as in, we can't have 2 husbands. We are free to marry only after the first husband has died...that would be "SELF." So, this would be the holy.

I see verse 10 as the righteous, keeping His commandments (whether consciously or not). The righteous are people with love, they love their neighbours as themselves.

 

[MostlyConfused]

Verse 6 is disturbing, not sure if I really understand it.

 

[Episkopos]

It seems the Lord puts some conditions on His indwelling presence. It goes a bit deeper than "asking Jesus into your heart" although I am sure he hears the prayer for this from a pure and contrite heart.

However I have never heard this mentioned at any evangelical crusade I went to.

Jn 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, 1) If a man love me, 2)he will keep my words: and 3)my Father will love him, and 4)we will come unto him, and 5) make our abode with him.

steps 1-3 righteousness steps 4-5 holiness ?

I agree. Jesus was perfect and yet he walked among the filthy. So holiness came to us. But to abide in Christ means we go to Him...and filthiness can't enter a holy place. So there is a BIG difference between Jesus coming to us and us going to be where He is.

But you are on to something here....that God enters those who obey Him. We have to be careful, though, not to make an entire theory based on one aspect of our relationship with God.

"And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost whom God hath given to them that obey him." Acts 5:32

If we are given the Spirit...as in Christ in us... does that mean we are holy? What does the bible say about our proximity to God at various stages of spiritual growth?

When people read the verse I posted it contradicts what they think about the order of Spirit VS obedience. Do we obey the Lord BECAUSE we are saved.....or else..Are we saved because we are obedient.

Well It's BOTH.

For righteousness...we obey first.

For holiness...we are saved first.

Unless we understand the difference we will NEVER have a sound doctrine.

 

[Laurina]

Verse 6 is disturbing, not sure if I really understand it.

Hebrews 10:39 "But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul."
If you are/were a branch, you are/were abiding in Him. If you pull away, after having abided, you will wither and eventually die. Then, I understand that it's just about keeping the ground clean.
As in, don't start a journey you're not willing to complete, or start building without counting the cost.

 

[MostlyConfused]

I didn’t understand that Laurina. Keeping the ground clean? And good morning!

 

[Laurina]

I didn’t understand that Laurina. Keeping the ground clean? And good morning!

Good morning!!
Oh, well I keep a garden, so when there are dead "branches" (in this case), it seems logical that they get removed from the garden/vineyard. If the branch doesn't value life in the vineyard, or doesn't understand that perhaps it should humble itself and make it's way to be among the righteous (parable of the unjust steward), it's going to get cleaned up from where it's taking up room in the vineyard, without any possibility of bearing any fruit. (Like the dead branches on my plum tree.)