Righteous people: Zechariah and Elizabeth

        Is Zechariah without fault? Is Elizabeth perfect? Are they righteous?
        Here we are again, the the first chapter of the book of Luke. As my followers know, the two previous posts were a discussion of Zechariah and his disbelief and the consequences: blessings and reminders resulted.
        As I was re-reading this selection, yes again, I picked up on a vital word "righteous." See for your self:  In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. They were both righteous.They kept the commands of the Lord. They honored and loved him. Were they perfect? Let's see.
        At one point in my life, I defined a righteous person, as someone that did no wrong and could do no wrong. I had no scriptural basis for this, it's simply what I was taught, and possibly shown. As I have grown in my faith and knowledge of the Lord, I have come to realize the extent to which my viewpoint was twisted. Twisted to the point of sin because for me to believe that anyone is without sin or fault is fallacy. Only Christ can handle the pressure of perfection. There is no human being on this earth that does not do wrong, and everyone is capable of doing wrong. Scripture supports this, see the book of Romans.
        So, what is a righteous person? A righteous person is one who stands before the throne of the Lord, justified and spoken for. Jesus Christ is our righteousness. To know him and walk in relationship with him is righteousness. Luke names Zechariah and Elizabeth righteous. He knows of their faith and commitment to the Lord. They want to do the right thing, but fail. Zechariah failed when given the opportunity to believe the angel of the Lord.
        So, why the muteness? Why the consequences? Are righteous people to live free of sin and consequences? No, and scripture will support that as well, see the book of James. The Lord promises us His strength amidst trials and His joy for our times of conquering.
        Cling to Him, hang on His every promise, and know that with Him you are righteous.