Doctor Osborn Hleta from the Assemblies of God Church in Swaziland has made an interesting anatomy of the word ‘righteousness’. In his message, he equals righteousness to holiness, as without both one cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
In his message delivered on 27 October 2014 at Matsapha Prison, he pointed out that for Christians to return or regain the power of the gospel, they must live a holy or righteous life. Below is the analogy for righteousness.
R – Right standing with God, that is, living in reverence for God. Fear God but not everybody else (Sin of Fear).
I -Irreproachable, meaning, one who is blameless. Your life should not be clouded with worldly practices.
G – Guiltlessness, your conscious should not condemn you in anyway. Don’t get used to doing things the way you are used to and ignore God’s chastening.
H – Holiness. Shun sin, at all cost.
T – Temperance, which directly reflects on self control and it is none negotiable. Believers will be tempted but they must live right even then. The flesh will desire will trouble them but they still must crucify and control their bodies.
E – Ethical, do as you would love for others to do unto you.
O – Objective, upright with the truth. The truth means it is true for everyone including ourselves.
U – Un hypocritical. Do not say something in your heart but do something else in practice. This is very much likened to gossip. People would say something about someone when they face them and say something else to others about the same person.
S – Sanctification, separation from sin. Don’t live by experience even when your spirit has been defiled.
I can assure you that this is not easy to fulfil yet we are all called to live by these standards. One thing I know is that this message is spread throughout the world because God is about to do something in the world today. I want to believe that the coming of the Lord is at hand and only the pure will make the rapture.