The righteousness of God refers to God's own perfect righteousness and to his righteous saving action revealed in the gospel. In Paul, the phrase is especially important for explaining how God remains just while justifying sinners through Christ.
A major Pauline phrase about God's righteousness, especially in Romans.
The righteousness of God is a biblical and theological expression, especially prominent in Paul's letters, that points to God's own perfect moral character and to his righteous work in accomplishing salvation. In Romans 1:16-17 and 3:21-26, Paul shows that the gospel reveals how God deals truly and justly with sin while providing justification for sinners through faith in Jesus Christ. Some interpreters emphasize God's righteous character, others his saving activity, and others his covenant faithfulness; these ideas overlap in important ways, though not every proposed nuance should be treated as identical. The safest conclusion is that the phrase declares that God is perfectly righteous in himself and that in the gospel he acts righteously to save all who believe, without compromising his justice.
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