It is the righteousness of God within a person, put into action, which produces a definite and desired result.
Righteousness is among the most foundational elements of life in God provided through the substitutionary sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Righteousness is key to our experiencing the fullness of all the benefits which God has provided for us. If we do not understand righteousness, we will remain largely out of touch with the blessings and benefits which Christ’s redemptive work affords.

Second Corinthians 5:21 tells us, “For He made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Through Christ’s redemptive work, we have been placed in right-standing with God. When we give our life to Jesus, our unrighteousness is replaced with His righteousness. Through receiving Jesus as Lord, we are transformed by righteousness and thereby empowered to live righteously in every sphere of our life.

The Scriptures reveal that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation – the old degenerate nature has passed away, and all things have become new (2 Cor. 5:17).  When we receive Jesus into our life, we put off our former nature and manner of life, and put on the new nature which is created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:22-24).

God’s righteousness, God’s nature has become our nature. Righteousness is not only within us, but it is who we are. We have been made the righteousness of God in Christ. Righteousness is our true identity.

The Work Of Righteousness
Isaiah 32:17 reveals, “The work of righteousness will be peace…”  Peace refers to the state or condition of wholeness and completeness. Christ’s work of righteousness restored mankind back to the original position of peace with God – making it possible for every person to enter into right relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Peace indicates a condition of absolute totality – where nothing is absent, missing, broken, out of place, or out of order. Righteousness produces such a state of being. The force of righteousness at work causes things to be made right – which produces peace, quietness and assurance forever.

Psalm 145:17 instructs, “The Lord is righteous in ALL HIS WAYS, gracious in all His works.”  The Lord is righteous in everything He does. And since the work of righteousness produces peace, the implication is that nothing God does is ever incomplete, out of line, out of order, or deficient in any area.

As already mentioned, our new nature in Christ has been created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4.24). We have been made righteous with God’s righteousness. Therefore we have the certainty that through His righteousness we can be righteous in all our ways just as He is righteous in all His ways.

Effecting Righteousness
Isaiah 32:17 mentions both the work of righteousness and the effect of righteousness. The particular usage of “work” in this verse denotes effort, labour, purposeful action; a specific kind of activity or way of working – while the usage of “effect” in the same verse indicates the result of (something); anything brought about by a cause or agent; influence or action on something.

In context, Isaiah 32:17 implies that the effort, purposeful action, and specific operation of righteousness will be peace, and the influence, outcome, and direct result of righteousness is quietness, assurance, and confident trust forever.

The word “effect” not only can be used as a noun (as illustrated in the above verse), but can also carry a verb tense. In such case, “effect” means to bring about; produce as a result; to cause; accomplish; make operative. To give effect to something means to put into practice and make operative.  It is therefore evident that working righteousness effects righteousness. Righteousness is the cause, or the agent, by which quietness and confident trust are directly brought about.

One example of this principle is found in James 5:16: “The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” Interestingly, this verse also incorporates effect and righteousness into its core theme.

“Effectual” denotes producing, or able to produce the desired effect. Some translations of James 5:16 use “effective” in place of “effectual”. The definition of “effective” includes producing a definite or desired result; efficient; operative; active. It is the righteousness of God within a person, put into action, which produces a definite and desired result. Righteousness causes prayer to be operative, efficient, and effective in its working.

(To read Part 2, search by author/speaker for Sharah LaGail Wyatt, then search under articles for The Effect of Righteousness: Part 2)