but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness – for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.

Slaves to righteousness

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!

Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey – whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?

You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.

When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.

But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.

Israel’s unbelief

What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;

but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal.

Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.

Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: ‘The person who does these things will live by them.’

But the righteousness that is by faith says: ‘Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?”’ (that is, to bring Christ down)

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;

Warning against idolatry

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

As it is written: ‘They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures for ever.’

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.

It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.