This is the statement of Saint Paul as recorded in the First Corinthians chapter fifteen verse thirty four “Awake to righteousness and sin not”. The erudite Apostle went further to add “Some have not the knowledge of God”. For one to awake to righteousness, such must acquire the knowledge of God and stick to practising it.
Righteousness embraces all acts of well doing before God. Therefore to “Awake to righteousness” means to be alive to or conscious of doing what is good and well pleasing to God and to oppose, expose and renounce all acts of sin or appearance of evil at all times. (2 Corinthians 4:1,2; Ephesians 5:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:22)
To Awake means to stop sleeping; to wake from sleep; to make someone stop sleeping. Sin is defined as the breaking of the law of God.– 1 John 3:4.
The death penalty is for sinners – all who transgress or break the law of God. But those who repent shall be forgiven their sins and granted God’s grace of eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ. Anyone, man or woman, boy or girl who upholds God’s righteousness is blessed. The Psalmist declared “Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all time” (Psalm 106:3) Such ones shall abide in God’s Tabernacles and dwell in His holy hill – Psalm 15:1-5.