6. Righteousness Could Be Attained Only by Faith

After having been acquainted with God’s decision to give us His righteousness, by offering it to us as a gift, we ought to accept this.

The acceptance on our part of his righteousness could be done in only one way: by faith.

What kind of a faith is it about here? The Bible is telling it to us:

”21 But now the righteousness ... is manifested, ...
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe”

(Romans 3.21,22)

As soon as we believe in Jesus, we are considered as being righteous, as though we would be really faultless people, which in reality we aren’t.

But if we believe, God will consider us as sinless, namely righteous. It is said:

”24 Being justified freely by his grace ...” (Romans 3.24)

The here mentioned grace means a favour shown to us by God, for which we do not have any merit; in other words we receive something as a gift, which we aren’t nor could we be worthy of.

The belief in Jesus isn’t a simple consent given on the intellect level. This must be deeply entrenched in ourselves. The Bible makes clear:

”10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness.” (Romans 10.10)

This means to believe with the heart what he said and did.