WHAT IS "RIGHTEOUSNESS?"

Strong's Concordance defines "righteousness" as:  the state of him who is as he ought to be; the condition acceptable to God; the doctrine concerning the way in which man may attain a state approved of God, which includes integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling, and acting.  In the King James Version of the New Testament, it is translated from the Greek δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē), which occurs ninety-two times in eighty-five verses, with thirty-three of them being in the Book of Romans.  Romans reveals much concerning the state of being righteous; to begin with, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one" (Rom. 3:10).  Perhaps this verse is referring to Isaiah 64:6, were we read, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags...."

If, as the definition states, righteousness is the condition in which a man is acceptable to God, the way a man can attain a state that is approved by God, and yet no man is righteous, is there any hope of ever being accepted by God?  The answer is yes!  The good news, the Gospel message, reveals how a man can attain the status of righteousness!  The state of being righteous is God's gift to all who will accept His only begotten Son Jesus as one's Lord!  The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 10:8-13:

"...The Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the Word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.  For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him.  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (declared righteous by God)."

The "Word" that saves lost sinners, is the Gospel (Rom. 1:16)!  Paul stated the Gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4: 

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved (recognized by God as being righteous), if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures."

Jesus offered Himself so that we could meet God's "entrance requirements!"  Again quoting Paul:

"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.  For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (Rom. 5:19; 2 Cor. 5:21)!

A man would be a fool not to accept God's free gift of salvation!

Place your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ today!