1. A Better Righteousness.
Firm Foundations
A Better Righteousness.

2. Divine Righteousness vs Self- Righteousness.
The Bible reveals that there are two kinds of righteousness. There is a righteousness that comes through personal performance at keeping the law – self-righteousness.
The other righteousness comes through faith that what Jesus did is good enough to make me perfect before God, so that I may stand in His presence free from all condemnation, guilt and shame and without anything hindering my approval in His eyes – the righteousness of God.

3. More Righteous Than The Religious
Matthew 5:  "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 23:  "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. 26  "You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.

4. Self Justifiers
Luke 16:  And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.

5. A Zeal Without Knowledge
Romans 10:  Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. 2  For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. 3  For not knowing about God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

6. The Stumbling Stone
Romans 9:   What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; 31  but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. 32  Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,

7. No One Is Perfect By The Law
Hebrews 7:  (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
Outward forces will never make for inward changes.

8. Mediator Of A Better Covenant
Hebrews 8:6 6  But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.

9. Better Sacrifice
Hebrews 9:  Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

10. Made Perfect For All Time
Hebrews 10:  For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

11. God Is The One Who Justifies
Romans 8:  Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; 34  who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

12. Paul’s Achievements In The Flesh
Philippians 3:   circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 6  as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

13. Righteousness By Faith
Philippians 3:9 9  and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

14. By One Act Of Righteousness
Romans 5:  So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19  For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

15. In Adam Or In Christ
1 Corinthians 15:  For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22  For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.

16. He Became To Us Righteousness
1 Corinthians 1:  But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,

17. God Made Him To Be Sin
2 Corinthians 5:  He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

18. No Flesh Justified By Works
Romans 3:  because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. 21  But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22  even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;

19. The Lord Our Righteousness
Jeremiah 23:6b 6  “…And this is His name by which He will be called, 'The LORD our righteousness.'

20. God Our Righteousness
Job 33:  Then he will pray to God, and He will accept him, That he may see His face with joy, And He may restore His righteousness to man.
2 Corinthians 3:9 9  For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory.
Romans 8:1 1  There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

21. Christ Didn’t Die Needlessly
1 John 4:  By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.
Galatians 2:  "I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly."

22. Not Merely Outward But Inward
Matthew 23:  "Even so you too outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Romans 2:  But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.

23. A New Heart
Ezekiel 36:  "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26  "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27  "And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

24. Partakers Of The Divine Nature
2 Peter 1:4 4   For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

25. All Glorious Within
Psalm 45:  The King's daughter is all glorious within; Her clothing is interwoven with gold.
2 Corinthians 5:  Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.