If you’re from some traditions, today’s title, “Works Righteousness” gives you pause. After all, isn’t the Apostle Paul clear?

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2.8, 9, NKJV)

But I’m not using “works” as a noun but as a verb. I’m quoting Psalm 15:

LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?

• He who walks uprightly, And
• works righteousness, And
• speaks the truth in his heart;
• He who does not backbite with his tongue,
• Nor does evil to his neighbor,
• Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
• In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the LORD;
• He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
• He who does not put out his money at usury,
• Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things shall never be moved. (Psalm 15, NKJV, bulleted for clarity, emphasis mine)

A good list! Ten items, of which “works righteousness” is the second. ESV translates it “does what is right,” but let’s stick with NKJV. God’s people ought to be “working righteousness” – doing righteous things.

A friend of mine comes from a tradition that’s so afraid of not living by the spirit of Ephesians 2.8, 9, that people won’t do anything. “I couldn’t shovel snow off of my neighbor’s driveway, that would be works righteousness!” No, as my friend Pastor Aaron Dorman would say, “It’s not works righteousness, it’s righteous works!”

There are things God expects us to do and not to do, not to earn salvation (“works righteousness”) but to be God’s people in the world, full of righteous works:

And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful. (Titus 3.14, NKJV)

This verse pops up again tomorrow…stay tuned!