A “Righteous Cause” is a pursuit or belief considered morally just, virtuous, and aligned with divine or ethical principles, often involving standing for justice, truth, and God’s will, as seen in the religious context of Christianity. It signifies actions based on a deep moral rationale, differentiating them from self-serving or unrighteous motives, but also carries a warning against self-righteousness and fury, emphasizing pure intent.
Key Aspects:
• Moral Foundation: Actions stem from integrity, ethics, and a profound moral purpose, not just good intentions, says Wisdom Library.
In Christianity, the concept of a Righteous cause pertains to the morally justified reasons behind an individual’s actions, as illustrated through the example of David. This idea highlights the importance of integrity and the belief in trusting God’s judgment, signifying that the foundation of one’s actions should be based on a profound moral rationale. David’s adherence to these principles showcases how faith can guide decisions that align with ethical standards, even in challenging circumstances.
• Religious Significance: In faith, it’s serving God’s plan, like the work of salvation (Christianity).
• Action-Oriented: Involves actively pursuing justice, mercy, and truth, even in opposition, as detailed by Bible Hub.
Practical Application
Upholding righteous causes involves both personal integrity and social action. Believers are called to live lives that reflect God’s standards, as well as to advocate for justice in their communities. Proverbs 31:8-9 urges, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
The call to uphold righteousness extends to all areas of life, including family, work, and community involvement. It requires discernment, courage, and a commitment to truth, even when it is unpopular or costly. James 1:27 reminds believers of the practical outworking of their faith: “Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
• Contrast to Self-Righteousness: While passionate for good, it must avoid the pitfalls of rage or self-deception, requiring careful judgment and pure heart, note the sources. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
Examples in Context
• Christianity: Serving Christ’s mission for salvation; upholding justice and truth in one’s life, as explained by Shared Hope International.
Justice in its simplest form, means to set things right. Yet, how do we know what is right? Who defines “right”? Is it society-at-large or the culture we live in? Is there a moral law that we inherently know to follow?
As Christ-followers, the answer is simple. Our sense of justice is imparted to us by our Creator God. He is loving, kind, and merciful and He is also righteous, holy, and just.
God is just. It is part of His character, which means He is always just. He cannot be unjust, and He defines and sets the standard for justice.
We hear that God is love and God is holy more often than we hear that God is just. And we may readily agree that God sets the standard for love and holiness, but do we understand that He also sets the standard for justice? Pursuing biblical justice means we follow God’s way to make right that which is wrong, and we look to Scripture to define what is “right”.
We do not have to look far to see that Jesus is our standard of righteousness. Jesus Christ lived a perfect, sinless life, died a sacrificial death and rose again to make right that which was wrong. It is because of Jesus and His work on the Cross that we can be justified and made right with God. And Jesus also demonstrates a beautiful example for us to follow in the New Testament as one who cared for the outcast and reached out with compassion to help those most often overlooked. Jesus pursued justice. He physically and spiritually rescued those in need. Healing the leper in Matthew 8 and caring for the woman caught in adultery in John 8 are just a few examples.
• General: A “Noble Cause,” “Just Cause,” or “Moral Cause” are synonyms, says Wisdom Library.
• We seek to avoid “Self-Righteousness.” Christ’s Righteousness and Self-Righteousness.
Righteousness is moral rightness and acceptability, especially before God. It points to a person’s holiness and purity in heart and action. Self-righteousness, then, is a righteousness that comes from someone’s own goodness and work.
As Christians, we completely rely on Jesus’ righteousness, not our own. The only thing my righteousness earns for me is judgment (Romans 3:23-24, 6:23). The Gospel declares, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly…. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8).
The Righteousness of Christ
Jesus kept the Law perfectly. This is often referred to as his “active obedience” – he kept the Law perfectly and his righteousness is imputed to the Christian by faith. When we become Christians we aren’t merely forgiven of our sin, we are clothed in his righteousness.To be “justified” is to be “declared righteous.” It is a word that comes from the court of law, whereby a judge pronounces a defendant, “not guilty.” But not only does justification set you free from guilt (“not guilty”), it also pronounces you as righteous. Christian righteousness comes from beyond us. See the video below for more about this doctrine of Imputed Righteousness, or read about it here.
This is also fuel for evangelism – because starting off a conversation about righteousness and self-righteousness is usually a starting point that Christians and nonChristians will agree over. Again, no one explicitly loves self-righteousness. Helping others identify the ways they are implicitly self-righteous will help you be able to present the righteousness of Christ that can be theirs by faith.