Good Standing With God Is A Gift From ancient times mankind has searched for an answer to the question Job asked:
JOB 9:2 NKJ
2 . . . how can a man be righteous before God?The New Testament reveals the good news that God offers righteousness as a free gift to everyone who receives the Lord Jesus Christ.
Righteousness means right-wise-ness, or being right. So righteousness is right standing, or good standing with God.
Righteousness is a gift from God -- not something you can earn or achieve. God simply declares that you are innocent, as far as He is concerned, because you believe in Jesus.
You are righteous if Jesus is your Lord. In fact, Jesus is your righteousness. So, you are really as righteous as God is -- because He is your righteousness. As a believer in Jesus, you will never be more righteous -- no matter what you do.
In our New Testament, the same Greek words are translated as just, justified, justification, righteous, righteousness, or made righteous.
We Are Righteous ROMANS 3:10 NKJ
10 As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one;Romans 3:10 is speaking of what is written in the Old Testament, and is part of a passage that continues on to say that now we can be righteous through faith in Jesus Christ.
ROMANS 3:21-22 NKJ
21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
22 even the righteousness of God which is through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;ROMANS 3:24 Young's Literal
24 being declared righteous freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,In the following verses, justified could have been translated as made righteous.
ACTS 13:39 NKJ
39 "and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.ROMANS 4:25 NKJ
25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.ROMANS 5:1,9 NKJ
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Only By Faith GALATIANS 3:24 NKJ
24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.GALATIANS 2:16 NKJ
16 "knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.ROMANS 3:28 NKJ
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.GALATIANS 2:21 NKJ
21 ". . . if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."ROMANS 4:2,3,5 NKJ
2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something of which to boast, but not before God.
3 For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."
5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,ROMANS 10:10 NASB
10 for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
So Act Righteous 1 JOHN 3:10 NKJ
10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.1 CORINTHIANS 15:34 NKJ
34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.ROMANS 6:19 NKJ
19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.2 CORINTHIANS 6:14 NKJ
14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?EPHESIANS 6:14 NKJ
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
A Gift For All ROMANS 5:16-19 NKJ
16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.
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.)
18 Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.
How To Become Righteous ROMANS 3:20-22 NKJ
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight . . . .
21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
22 even the righteousness of God which is through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;ROMANS 10:9-10 NKJ
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.1 JOHN 1:9 NKJ
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Jesus Is Our Righteousness 1 CORINTHIANS 1:30 NKJ
30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God -- and righteousness and sanctification and redemption --2 CORINTHIANS 5:21 NKJ
21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
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