RIGHTEOUSNESS IS BY FAITH, NOT BY WORKS!

The biblical term "righteousness," is defined as:  "The state of him who is as he ought to be, the only condition acceptable to God; being just; having integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling, and acting."  Unfortunately, Romans 3:10 states: "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one!"  Because of our lack of righteousness, and therefore, being unacceptable to fellowship with God, we long for that which, in and of ourselves, we cannot attain.

That is why Jesus encouraged His audience to hunger and thirst after righteousness.  He said, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Mt. 5:6).  So, how is man's hunger and thirst for righteousness satisfied?  The following verses tell us:

Matthew 6:33 - "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

Romans 1:16-17 - "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith."

Romans 3:22 - "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."

Romans 3:24-26 - "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."

Romans 5:17-18 - "For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.  Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life."

Romans 10:3-4 - "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.  For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth."

Romans 10:9-10 - "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."

2 Corinthians 5:21 - "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."

Philippians 3:9 - "And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith."

Titus 3:1 - "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."

God's righteousness is a free gift to all who will trust in Jesus Christ, the Lord!