What is…
righteousness

being morally right and good in the eyes of God

Due to the fall of man to sin, no descendant of Adam is truly righteous, apart from God’s grace through faith in the Second Adam, Jesus Christ. All are guilty of sin and inherently evil. But there is Good News (the Gospel), we can be counted as righteous through faith in Christ’s totally righteous life, death on our behalf and divine physical resurrection.

The Apostle Paul explained this to the church in Rome (Romans 3:10-12, 19-28):

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

…Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

SEE:

• What is SIN? Answer
• What is REPENTANCE? Answer
• How do I know what is right from wrong? Answer
• How can I decide whether a particular activity—such as smoking, gambling, etc.—is wrong? Answer
• What is LOVE? Answer
• What is TRUE LOVE in marriage? Answer
• What is GOODNESS? Answer
• What is HOLINESS? Answer
• What is GODLINESS? Answer
• What is SANCTIFICATION? Answer
• What is the BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS? Answer
• What is JUSTIFICATION? Answer
• What are GOOD WORKS? Answer
• The Ten Commandments
• Are you GOOD ENOUGH to get to Heaven? Answer
• HOW GOOD is good enough? Answer
• Are we living in a MORAL STONE AGE? Answer
• What is the GOODNESS OF GOD? Answer