Righteousness & The Way of Salvation

Can my relationship with God be good if my good works outweigh my bad? Do I really need salvation if I keep the law? These questions and more are all answered within the scriptures. They have been made available here and in the printable PDF. Though not exhaustive, the scriptures presented will greatly increase one's understanding of how righteousness is obtained.

Righteousness & The Way of Salvation.pdf

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Introduction to Righteousness

Definition of Righteousness

(most prevalent)

• Strong’s Hebrew 6664 - צֶדֶק tsedeq; from 6663; the right (naturally, morally, or legal); also (abstract) equity or (figuratively) Prosperity

• Strong’s Hebrew 6666 - צְדָקָה tsedâqâh; from 6683; righteness (abstract), subjectively (rectitude), objectively (justice), morally (virtue) or figuratively (prosperity)

• Strong’s Greek 1343 - δικαιοσύνη dikaiǒsunē; from 1342; equity (of character or act); specially (Christian) justification

Psalm 7:17 KJV - "I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high."

Psalm 71:19 KJV - "Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!"

Psalm 92:15 KJV - "To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him."

Romans 9:14 KJV - "What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid."

God's standard of righteousness is his own state of uprightness and there is no one like him. To have a relationship with God and continue in his grace, mankind must be made righteous through God's way of obtaining righteousness. 

Obtaining Righteousness In Scripture

Self-Righteousness Is Unattainable (Job 14:4, Psalm 116:12, Jeremiah 2:22, Ezekiel 33:12-13, Mark 10:26-27, Romans 3:20, 7:24, 10:3, 11:35, Hebrews 9:22)

“Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one." Job 14:4 KJV

“What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?"

Psalm 116:12 KJV

“For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD." Jeremiah 2:22 KJV

“12 Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. 13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it." Ezekiel 33:12-13 KJV

“26 And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? 27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." Mark 10:26-27 KJV

“Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." Romans 3:20 KJV

“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Romans 7:24 KJV

“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." Romans 10:3 KJV

“Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?" Romans 11:35 KJV

“And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission." Hebrews 9:22 KJV

God's Righteousness Brings Salvation (Isaiah 45:22, 59:16, Acts 4:12, Romans 3:25-26, 27-28, 10:4, 2nd Corinthians 1:9-10, Galatians 5:4, Ephesians 4:8-9, Philippians 3:9, Titus 3:5) 

“Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else." Isaiah 45:22 KJV

“And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him." Isaiah 59:16 KJV

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12 KJV

"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 3:25-26 KJV

“27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." Romans 3:27-28 KJV

 "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." Romans 10:4 KJV

“9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: 10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;"

2 Corinthians 1:9-10 KJV

“Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." Galatians 5:4 KJV

“8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV

“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:" Philippians 3:9 KJV

“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;"

Titus 3:5 KJV

God's Way of Salvation Imputes Righteousness (Isaiah 55:7, John 10:9, 14:6, Romans 1:16-17, 10:9-13, Hebrews 2:3)

"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Isa 55:7 KJV

“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." John 10:9 KJV

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6 KJV

“16 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. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." Romans 1:16-17 KJV

"9 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. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 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. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:9-13 KJV

"How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;"

Hebrews 2:3 KJV

"But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they." Acts 15:11 KJV

"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:" Romans 3:24 KJV

"Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all," Romans 4:16 KJV

"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."

Romans 11:6 KJV

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;" Ephesians 1:7 KJV

"Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” Ephesians 2:5 KJV

“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:7 KJV

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:" Ephesians 2:8 KJV

"Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began," 2 Timothy 1:9 KJV

"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." Hebrews 2:9 KJV