Proverbs 24:16. The righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.
When the Old Testament speaks of righteousness it always means righteous deeds. The righteous are those who DO righteousness. In the New Testament (especially Paul) the righteous are those who ARE righteous by faith in Christ. Obviously the righteousness here in proverbs 24:16 is the righteousness of a person who is living a right life. They are obeying the law. Doing justice. Helping the widow, the orphan, the stranger (which of course the righteous in Christ should also be doing).
So what does the proverb mean? It means even the righteous can fall. Even the righteous can struggle. Even the righteous can face hardship and failure. It has always been true in this fallen world that even though we are doing the right thing, sometime we still struggle, and suffer, and fall. In fact, we might fall down seven times or many times in this life.
Consider Christ as the primary example of this principle. Unlike any of us, he was perfectly righteous yet he still fell down. He not only suffered in spite of his goodness, he suffered because of his goodness. This is the suffering that all who are in Christ are called to embrace. Part of our union with Christ is sharing his imputed righteousness, praise God! But the other part is sharing his suffering, his falling down over and over, until glory.
And that’s the promise of the proverb and of our union with Christ – the righteous rise again. Even though in this life we might fall down over and over again, one day we will rise again, even from the dead, to live forever with Jesus. Did Jesus stay down? No, he did not. Did Jesus rise again? Yes, he did! And so will we when we trust in him.
Romans 8: 31-39. 31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Everything will be sorted out on judgment day. The righteous in Christ will be resurrected to inherit the conquering love of Christ. The wicked? They will stumble on that day of calamity, never to rise again.
What makes the difference between the righteous and the wicked? Not our righteous deeds, but rather a righteousness that comes apart from the law. A righteousness that comes by faith in Christ alone.
You: Are you righteous? On what basis?
You in Christ: We are righteous in Christ. How does this truth allow us to trust in a future resurrection?
Christ in you: How does trusting in our guaranteed future resurrection allow us to fight through the pain and failures of this life?
Pray: Father, I know my righteousness comes from faith in Christ. May his power in me allow me to continue to live like him even when I fall over and over again. Amen.
To Live is Christ 