Today  we  are  going  to  look  at  the  subject  of  righteousness  by  grace.  Romans  3:21-23  says, “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 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 [distinction]: For all have sinned, and come [fall] short of the glory of Godâ€ (brackets mine).
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Notice  that  this  scripture  says,  “But  now  the  righteousness  of  God  without  the law  is  manifested.â€ I once asked a man, “What do you think you have to do in order to go to heaven?â€ He responded that he should keep the Ten Commandments, be faithful to his wife, live a moral life, plus a number of other things. 
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I said, “Do you know what you have to do in order to go to heaven, to be in God’s presence or in His kingdom? You would have to have a righteousness that equals God’s righteousness.â€ He said, “I beg your pardon? There is no one who can have a  righteousness  that  equals  God’s.  Only  one  man  had  such  righteousness,  and  that  was  Jesus  Christ!â€ 
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I said, “You have the point! That is exactly right! None of us in our own selves have ever kept the Law or commandments perfectly, outwardly or inwardly, but we need a righteousness that equals God’s in order to be acceptable before Him.â€
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That  is  exactly  what  is  said  in  verses  21-22,  “But  now  the  righteousness  of  God  without  the law  is  manifested...even  the  righteousness  of  God  which  is  by  faith  of  Jesus  Christ unto all and upon all them that believe.â€ The kind of righteousness that God offers you and me is a righteousness that is “through faith in Jesus Christ,â€ and it’s unto all and upon  all  who  believe.  
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There  are  two  kinds  of  righteousness—the  righteousness  of  man  and the righteousness of God. The righteousness of man is a person’s very best behavior and  the  good  works  they  do,  but  that  can’t  make  you  acceptable  before  God.  You  need  a  righteousness that equals God’s, and He is offering it to you—the righteousness of God that is without the law.
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In  the  Greek,  there  is  no  indefinite  article,  which  means  that  this  text  is  really  saying  God is offering His own righteousness without Law. A righteousness that is according to Law is  a  righteousness  of  doing,  earning,  and  achieving  in  order  to  be  accepted  before  God.  All  the world religions today think you have to do, earn, and achieve in order for God to accept you. 
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The word “Gospelâ€ means “good news,â€ and the good news of the Gospel is that God is offering His very own righteousness and acceptance to all who will believe in what Jesus Christ provided—His death on the cross for our sins, imputing to us the righteousness that equals the Law. 
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This is the righteousness of God that is apart from the Law, without us doing, earning, and achieving; and it comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
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Notice in verse 22 that it is the righteousness of God that is through faith in Jesus Christ unto  all  and  upon  all.  Why  is  God  offering  His  righteousness  to  everyone?  “For  there  is  no  difference  [no  distinction]:  For  all  have  sinned,  and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  Godâ€  (brackets  mine). 
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You have sinned, I have sinned, and we all come short of God’s standard or perfection. Because  of  our  sin,  the  greatest  thing  we  need  is  acceptance,  right  relationship,  and  right  standing with God...and God has offered this not through the works of the Law but through faith in Jesus Christ. 
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The righteousness of God doesn’t come by your working, your trying, your earning, or your attempts to achieve; it comes through faith, dependence, and reliance upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
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How  was  Abraham  (the  Jewish  forefather)  saved?  The  Bible  says  he  believed  God—believed the promise God gave him—and then righteousness was imputed to his account. The fact  that  Abraham  was  declared  righteous  before  God  through  his  faith  was  not  just  for  him  alone. 
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We read in Romans 3:21-22 that a man is declared righteous through his faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible says that because of the payment Christ made on the cross when He shed His blood for our sin, righteousness (right standing) will be imputed to any person’s account who simply believes upon Christ.
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 Romans  5:17  says,  “For  if  by  one  man’s  offence  death  reigned  by  one;  much  more  that  which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christâ€  (emphasis  mine).  God  is  offering  you  a  gift  of  righteousness,  a  gift  of  right  standing  before Him. 
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A gift does cost something but not to the person who receives it. If you gave me a gift and asked me to pay for it, it wouldn’t be a gift, but it did cost you something. God made righteousness  available  to  you  and  me  as  a  gift,  and  this  gift  of  righteousness,  acquittal,  and  right standing before God comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
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Scriptures: Titus 3:5 Romans 3:22 Philippians 3:9 Galatians 2:21 Romans 5:17
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Questions:
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1. Read Titus 3:5 . Is the righteousness that we need a righteousness that we can produce?
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2. Read 2 Corinthians 5:21 . What kind of righteousness do we need?
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3. Read Romans 3:22 . How do we receive this righteousness?
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4. Read Philippians 3:9 . What is the righteousness of the Law ?
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5. Read Galatians 2:21 . How could we frustrate God’s grace?
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6. Read Romans 5:17 . The righteousness of God is received as what?
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Answers:
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1. Read Titus 3:5 . Is the righteousness that we need a righteousness that we can produce?<br>→ No
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2. Read 2 Corinthians 5:21 . What kind of righteousness do we need?<br>→ The righteousness of God (that comes through Christ)
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3. Read Romans 3:22 . How do we receive this righteousness?<br>→ Through faith in Jesus Christ
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4. Read Philippians 3:9 . What is the righteousness of the Law ?<br>→ A righteousness belonging to me - a works righteousness that I can produce
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5. Read Galatians 2:21 . How could we frustrate God’s grace?<br>→ We could frustrate God’s grace by trying to be saved by our own good works instead of trusting Christ and His death for us for our salvation
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6. Read Romans 5:17 . The righteousness of God is received as what?<br>→ A gift
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