The word means doing what is correct, just, right. It means following the norms or rules. It is being honest and loyal.

The truth is that no man can make himself righteous. It is a gift of God. Too often, religion makes righteousness something you do rather than what God has given you. God gives us righteousness as a gift. Righteousness will bear fruit in our lives, as you will see soon.

This righteousness comes by the faith of Jesus Christ, by believing. This is not the righteousness of religion or what a man can produce. It is the very righteousness of God. It comes by the faith of Jesus Christ Himself. We receive that gift by believing.

God counts our believing, trusting, and faith in Him as righteousness. That accounting term refers to God placing righteousness on our account. We were ungodly, but He justified us. He counted our faith for righteousness. The Lord doesn’t impute sin to us. God credited righteousness to our account. It is not by the work that we do.

We simply believe in our heart. We rely on, trust, accept the truth that God makes us righteous as a gift and simply believe God and it is done.

The Father put our wrongs, sins, and depravity on Jesus Christ. God in human flesh made Himself sin for us. God did that so that we might become the very righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. He knew no sin, took our sins, and made believers approved, acceptable, and righteous by His grace and goodness.

Do not frustrate the grace of God. Don’t throw it away. If you could be righteous, make yourself righteous, follow enough rules, and do enough good stuff, then Jesus Christ died in vain. Do not treat God’s grace like it isn’t essential. Avoid defeating or destroying the very purpose of the cross. Do not set aside what Jesus did. Quit trying to invalidate the work of Jesus. Grace saved you, so do not go back to the rule-keeping and man-pleasing religion. Instead, live in the sweet relationship with God made possible by that grace.

God’s grace, birthing us, giving us His righteousness, will produce fruit in us. The new life in you will show itself.

We were born into a new family. Our Father shows in us. Our righteousness doesn’t come from self-effort but from His work in us.

Do you realize God is working on you? He puts righteousness on our account, but that doesn’t mean we live up to everyone’s expectations. It is about a gift, not behavior. This is a hard verse because we would never believe that Lot was just or righteous, but God said He was in the family, even though he wasn’t acting like it. That is GRACE!