In the Bible, righteousness means being right with God and living rightly. God Himself is the standard: "The LORD is righteous in all his ways" (Psalm 145:17). No one meets that standard alone, "There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10), so God gives righteousness as a gift to those who believe, "the righteousness which is of God by faith" (Philippians 3:9).
Righteousness can sound like an old church word, or worse, like self-righteousness. But it is one of the Bible's great themes. The Hebrew and Greek words cover both being in the right, as in a court case, and doing what is right, as in fair dealing and justice. People look up Bible verses about righteousness for a sermon or study on Romans, to understand how a holy God can accept ordinary sinners, to teach children about doing right, or because they are tired of trying to earn God's approval. These twelve King James verses show the righteousness of God, the gift of righteousness through faith in Jesus, and the everyday life that grows out of it. For being saved by grace, see salvation; for honest character, see integrity.
The righteous God
1. Psalms 145:17
"The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works."
Psalm 145 is David's last psalm of praise in the Psalter before the closing hallelujahs. Righteous in all his ways means God never acts unfairly or against His own goodness, even when we do not understand what He is doing. Righteousness starts with God's character, not our performance. Every other verse on this page depends on this one: there is a perfect standard, and it is a Person.
2. Psalms 11:7
"For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright."
David wrote this psalm when friends were telling him to run, because the foundations seemed to be crumbling (Psalm 11:1-3). His answer is that God has not left His throne, and that He loves what is right. His countenance doth behold the upright is a promise of His favour: the upright will see His face. When the world feels unjust, the God who loves righteousness is still watching.
3. Psalms 97:2
"Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne."
Clouds and darkness recall Mount Sinai, wrapped in cloud when God gave the law (Exodus 19:16). God is beyond our sight, but what holds up His throne is not mystery: it is righteousness and judgment, that is, right-ness and justice. You may not understand everything God does, but you can know the foundation it all rests on.
4. Romans 3:10
"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:"
Paul strings together lines from the Psalms (Psalm 14 and 53 among them) to make his case: every person, religious or not, has fallen short. This is not meant to crush anyone. It levels the ground, so that no one can boast and no one is beyond help. A few verses later Paul says, "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), and then he announces the good news.
Righteousness as a gift, received by faith
5. Isaiah 64:6
"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."
Isaiah prays as one of his people, not above them: we are all. Even our righteousnesses, our good deeds done to impress God, are stained when they come from proud or mixed hearts. The point is not that kindness is worthless, but that it cannot pay a debt to a holy God. Isaiah's prayer continues with hope: "But now, O LORD, thou art our father" (Isaiah 64:8).
6. Genesis 15:6
"And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness."
This is one of the most important verses in the Bible. Abram is old and childless, and God promises him descendants as many as the stars. Abram believes, and God counted it to him for righteousness, credited it to his account. Paul quotes it in Romans 4:3 and Galatians 3:6, and James quotes it in James 2:23. Abraham was declared righteous by trusting God, years before he obeyed in the hardest test (Genesis 22).
7. Romans 3:22
"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:"
After proving that no one is righteous, Paul announces the righteousness of God given unto all and upon all them that believe. For there is no difference: the respectable person and the notorious sinner come the same way. Theologians call this justification: God declares guilty people right with Him because of what Jesus did, not because of what they did. For more, see grace.
8. Philippians 3:9
"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:"
Paul had an impressive religious record (Philippians 3:4-6), and he calls it loss next to knowing Christ. Not having mine own righteousness is a relief, not a demotion: you no longer have to keep score. To be found in him is to have God see you clothed in Christ's righteousness. Elsewhere Paul writes that God "made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Following after righteousness
9. Proverbs 21:21
"He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour."
Righteousness given as a gift does not make right living optional; it makes it possible. To follow after means to pursue, to chase. Notice the pairing: righteousness and mercy. Rightness without kindness turns harsh, and kindness without rightness turns soft. The person who pursues both finds life, righteousness, and honour, more than they went looking for.
10. 1 John 3:7
"Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous."
John wrote to churches being confused by teachers who said behaviour did not matter once you had spiritual knowledge. His answer is plain: let no man deceive you. A tree is known by its fruit. Righteous living does not earn God's love, but it is the family likeness of those who belong to Him, even as he is righteous. For growing in this, see spiritual growth.
11. Amos 5:24
"But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream."
Amos was a shepherd sent to a prosperous nation that held big worship services while cheating the poor in court and in the marketplace (Amos 5:11-12). God says He does not want their songs until justice flows. Martin Luther King Jr. quoted this verse in his 1963 I Have a Dream speech. In the Bible righteousness is never only private; it reaches the courtroom, the workplace and the way the vulnerable are treated.
12. Psalms 34:15
"The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry."
David wrote this psalm after escaping danger by pretending to be mad (see the psalm's title and 1 Samuel 21). The righteous here are not perfect people but those who trust God and turn to Him. His eyes are on them and His ears are open. Peter quotes this verse in 1 Peter 3:12, so it is a promise for believers today: when you cry out, you are heard.
A short prayer
Righteous Father, You are right in all Your ways, and I am not. Thank You that I do not have to earn my place with You, because You have given me the righteousness of Jesus as a gift. Free me from keeping score and from looking down on others. Make me hungry to do what is right, at home, at work and in how I treat the people the world overlooks, and let justice and mercy flow through my life. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
Study Romans and Philippians slowly with the SOAP Bible Study Journal · Memorize Genesis 15:6 and Philippians 3:9 with Scripture Memory Cards · Download our free SOAP study page
Frequently asked questions
What does righteousness mean in the Bible?
Righteousness means being in right relationship with God and living rightly before Him and others. The Hebrew words (tsedeq, tsedaqah) and the Greek word (dikaiosune) cover both a legal standing, being declared in the right, and a way of life, fairness, honesty and justice. God is perfectly righteous; people receive righteousness as a gift by faith; and that gift grows into righteous living.
How do you become righteous before God?
By faith in Jesus Christ, not by good works. Abraham "believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness" (Genesis 15:6), and Paul says the same righteousness is "by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe" (Romans 3:22). Good works follow as the fruit of a changed life, but they are never the price of admission. See salvation and grace.
What is the difference between righteousness and self-righteousness?
Righteousness looks to God and depends on His gift; self-righteousness looks to itself and compares itself with others. Jesus told a parable about a Pharisee who listed his good deeds and a tax collector who simply prayed, "God be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13), and He said the tax collector went home justified (Luke 18:14). The more someone understands grace, the less room there is for looking down on anyone.
What does it mean to seek first God's kingdom and His righteousness?
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells worried people to make God's rule and God's way of doing right their first concern, and to trust Him for food and clothing (Matthew 6:33). It is a call to put God first, not a formula for getting things. See putting God first and worrying.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Salvation · Grace · Integrity · Identity in Christ · Faith · Obedience · Judgment · The fear of the Lord
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