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Righteousness is a word that has largely fallen out of favour in the English language. Outside of church, people rarely talk about righteousness. It's almost as if people are afraid to mention it because it sounds pretentious.
Nevertheless, God is a God of righteousness, and expects His people to walk in righteousness.
Phil 3:9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
Righteousness is blamelessness, but there are two ways of attempting to achieve it.
The first way is to depend on your own righteousness which comes from trying to fulfil all the requirements of God's law.
This is called self-righteousness and isn't really possible to do.
The second type is the righteousness that comes from God by faith.
Titus 3:5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
Rom 3:10 As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one;"
There is no such thing as a righteous person; that's why self-righteousness is useless as a method of gaining eternal life.
Rom 4:5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
Rom 10:10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Gal 3:6 just as Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."
Righteousness comes through faith.
Rom 5:17 For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)
2 Cor 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Righteousness is received as a gift from God.
1 Cor 1:30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God; and righteousness and sanctification and redemption;
Christ Himself is our righteousness.
Rom 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.
Righteousness comes through what Christ did on the cross on our behalf.
Mat 13:43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Mat 25:46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Only the righteous will be admitted into the Kingdom of God.
Ps 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.
James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
1 Pet 3:12 For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.
God only listens to the prayers of the righteous.
If you like these Topical Bible Studies, don't forget to check out our Expository Bible Studies too.