RIGHTEOUSNESS BEFORE GOD.

I am very sure that at any point in time, every human being must have thought about
, and especially righteousness before God.
The whole idea and process of defining and seeking righteousness before God has led to difference in belief systems and altitude toward God, and even the way of worship.
Now by definition righteousness before God is the state of blamelessness and of no condemnation before God. It is having sins forgiven.
Of the major school of thoughts, some think that before God righteousness is by someone's efforts and works. So, they strive to do whatever that is possible to make themselves meet the standards that they think they account them to be righteous before God.
Others think that it is the faith that is supplemented by deeds that accounts for their righteousness before God.
Others believe that righteousness by faith so they think that when they just have faith, regardless of their works, then they are righteous before God.

Now as we are going to look on then way of righteousness before God, we have to understand that God is one, and therefore there is one-way through which a person becomes righteous before him, and now the scriptures clearly tell the way of Righteousness before God.

Bible’s definition concerning righteousness before God

Habakkuk 2:4
"See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright- but the righteous will live by his faith’’

This makes it clear to us that as long as it is righteousness before God, then the one that is righteous shall live by faith.
Scriptures also have insisted this in Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38.

Now it is not faith in everything that gives you righteousness before God but it is faith in Jesus Christ, as said in Romans 3:20-22

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference.

Therefore, as long as God is concerned , righteousness is not from the deeds of the law, but from faith in Jesus Christ.
The same is also explained in Galatians 2:16

Now it is not every information about Jesus Christ that credits righteousness to you, but only faith in his death and resurrection, as said in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

From here we get clarity that as long as being righteous is concerned, that is exemption from sins, then what has to be believed is death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, as long as righteousness before God is concerned, we get it by faith in death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and not by our deeds.
Galatians 2:16

knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

Now these scriptures have made clear all the arguments that righteousness in neither by someone’s deeds, nor faith supplemented by deeds, but only by faith in death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Confession to receive righteousness before God.

Thank You God because of your love, which was manifested by Jesus Christ dying for me while I was yet a sinner. Now I believe in death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for My sins. Through this faith I receive righteousness before you forever. Thank your heavenly father for this righteousness I have received .
Amen

Role of our deeds/works

From this understanding it is easy for someone to think that as long as the righteousness is received through faith, then someone can do anyhow, as his/her deeds is not what is giving them righteousness.
Bible says that faith without deeds is dead.
James 2:17

Thus, also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Now we have to be keen to understand this. Here deeds are what you do after you have faith. Deeds is not what you do to get faith, but the impact of your faith in the way you do things, and responds to situations. So, deeds of faith are the one that are done in coherence to faith and faith is what gives righteousness.. They are the proof of faith and not the source of faith.
Therefore, if I say that I am righteous before God, and then I allow condemnation to dominate my soul, then that is not a deed of faith. Means my faith that I am righteous before God will seem dead because my deeds are not coherent to it, that is to say what I have believed has not come alive in me, because my deeds are not responding to it. That is to say faith is dead. But if I say that I am righteous before God because I believe in death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and I allow no condemnation in my soul, then my faith is alive because my thoughts and actions/deeds have become consistent to it.
The same is when I have faith that I have received the love of God by faith in death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and then someone has a challenge that is in my ability to solve, let say he is hungry and then I didn’t feed him for whatever reason, then my faith will be dead. But if I feed him/her my faith is alive. Means what I say I believe is the reality to me. (James 2:14-19)

That is what Ibrahim and Rahab did, that after they believed God, they acted in consistent with their faith. That proved their faith to be alive. If they just claimed themselves that they believe in God and their action are not aligning to what they were saying, then they could have had dead faith. It is not that faith is not there, but faith is not alive.(James 2:21-26)

Therefore, to whoever believes in righteousness through death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, has to live righteously, not in order to get righteousness, but to make that righteousness alive in him. Only believing and not acting accordingly is therefore of no profit to that person.
Therefore, faith profits when deeds are consistent to it, that is faith being alive.
Therefore deeds are measure of the extent to which faith is alive.

Confession to live the deeds of faith

Thank you God because of faith that by your Grace I have received through Gospel of Jesus Christ. Now I know that this faith is alive by I practicing it daily. I pray and declare that I start thinking, speaking and acting according to my faith in the name of Jesus.
Amen

Let us end up here for now, and put this into action.

Keep rejoicing in the Lord

You are blessed