THE RELIGIOUS ARE IN FOR A REAL SHOCK!

RIGHTEOUSNESS:  

A RIGHT-STANDING WITH ALMIGHTY GOD! 

Genesis 15:6 - And he (Abraham) believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness.

Matthew 5:6 - Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after (long for) righteousness:  for they shall be filled.

Matthew 6:33 - But seek . . . 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 believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Gentile).  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith:  as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Romans 3:21-22, 25-26 - But now the righteousness of God without (apart from) the Law is manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith in Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference - - - Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation (the payment in full for sin) 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 who believes in Jesus.

Romans 5:17-18 -For if by one man's offence death reigned by one (Adam); much more those who 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 (Adam) judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One (Jesus Christ) the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Romans 10:9-10 - That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.  For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

2 Corinthians 5:21 - For He (the Father) has made Him (Jesus, the Only Begotten Son of God) to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

Galatians 2:21 - I do not frustrate the grace of God (the gift of His righteousness):  for if righteousness come by (obedience to) the Law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Philippians 3:9 - And be found in Him (in Christ), not having mine own righteousness, which is of (earned by perfectly obeying) the Law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.

Titus 3:5 - Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us . . . .

Hebrews 11:7 - By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Revelation 19:7-8 - Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him:  for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife has made herself ready.  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

THERE ARE TWO SOURCES OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS REQUIRED TO SPEND ETERNITY IN HEAVEN:  ONE CAN EITHER LIVE A TOTALLY SINLESS, PERFECT, RELIGIOUS LIFE TO EARN HIS OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS (SOMETHING MAN IS UNABLE TO DO, FOR ALL HAVE SINNED), OR ONE CAN ACCEPT THE FREE GIFT OF GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS BY FAITH IN THE SINLESS SON OF GOD, JESUS CHRIST!