In other words, God declares human beings to be righteous in His eyes because of their faith. The words "from faith to faith" likely mean that this declaration of people being righteous is by faith from first to last, from start to finish.
17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
It is God's righteousness through faith in Christ which makes a believer righteous (Rom 3.21-26). God justifies the one who has faith in Jesus (Rom 3.26) and, therefore, with the noun ὁ δίκαιος from LXX Hab 2.4, Paul refers to every believer in Christ.
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17). This verse contains the central theme for the entire book of Romans.
The righteousness of God is all that God is. It necessarily encompasses his holiness, his goodness, his sinless- ness. Thus divine righteousness is the very antithesis of sin. Paul states it in II Corinthians 5:21, “For he made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”.
: acting in accord with divine or moral law : free from guilt or sin. 2. a. : morally right or justifiable. a righteous decision.
Righteousness is not connected to our conduct—you can't earn righteousness with good behavior. It comes only through faith in Jesus Christ and is “for everyone who believes, no matter who we are” (Romans 3:22).
Righteousness is one of the chief attributes of God as portrayed in the Hebrew Bible. Its chief meaning concerns ethical conduct (for example, Leviticus 19:36; Deuteronomy 25:1; Psalm 1:6; Proverbs 8:20). In the Book of Job, the title character is introduced as "a good and righteous man".
The second reason that I am convinced that this is the proper interpretation is at the end of verse 17, when Paul quotes Habakkuk 2:4, “But the righteous man shall LIVE by faith.” This “righteous man” is justified by faith in Christ. That is rightly assumed from verse 16 and the beginning of verse 17.
The benefits of righteousness are inestimable. Righteousness brings a man closer to God, as it enhances fellowship with the Almighty God. Adam enjoyed divine fellowship with God before he fell, because of unrighteousness. There is also power and authority in righteousness, as it gives victory in battles.
God's righteousness is His own total consistency with His own nature and being. Harris, Archer and Waltke describe the standard of God's righteousness “being His own will and nature as the Supreme Being”. God is inherently right by nature.
The righteousness that God demands is one that he provides. Our righteousness can only condemn us, but it's God's righteousness through Christ that saves us. When sinners come to the place of realizing their utter dependence on God in salvation—they turn to Christ and cling to his work on their behalf on the cross.
Righteousness includes covenanting with the Father to obey His commandments. Righteousness includes receiving the ordinances of salvation. Righteousness includes following the example set by Jesus Christ.
“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.” (Psalm 89:14). God is just. It is part of His character, which means He is always just. He cannot be unjust, and He defines and sets the standard for justice.
The point is this: When Paul says in Romans 4:22 (and verses 3, 5, and 9) that "faith is credited as righteousness," he does not mean that our faith is our righteousness. He means that our faith unites us to Christ so that God's righteousness in Christ is credited to us.
The Root of the Righteous addresses how believers should live their lives. Many, many subjects are covered within these 46 chapters. Tozer challenges believers in their complacency, in their laziness. Seek God, seek more of Him always, grow in your faith, don't be satisfied to remain where you are, never settle!
Paul's Letter to the Romans is a powerful exposition of the doctrine of the supremacy of Christ and of faith in Christ as the source of salvation. It is an implicit plea to the Christians at Rome, and to all Christians, to hold fast to that faith.
Lord our God, you have revealed your righteousness to us in the gospel, your righteousness that comes to us through faith and continues in faith. Grant that we may understand your righteousness and live by it even in a crooked generation. Then to our joy the gospel will bear fruit.
The phrase εἰς πίστιν, then, is best taken as 'for the faith' or 'for the benefit of the faith,' which Paul says is future life. So the righteousness of God is revealed from the Christ-faith (ἐκ πίστεως) for the benefit of the members of the Christ-faith (εἰς πίστιν).
Being righteous literally means to be right, especially in a moral way. Religious people often talk about being righteous. In their view, the righteous person not only does the right thing for other people but also follows the laws of their religion. Heroes like Martin Luther King are often called righteous.
To live righteously is to conduct one's life in an upright manner and with moral standards that reflect our relationship with the lord. As representative to the kingdom of God in all that we do, we should mirror his ways. This will mean in the face of evil, do what is right.
Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.
The path of righteousness is to walk by God's side, to be committed to Him, to be loyal and faithful to Him. Covenantal loyalty to God is expressed by the covenant path which is the path of righteousness.
The root of the word ṣadiq, is ṣ-d-q ( צדק tsedek), which means "justice" or "righteousness". When applied to a righteous woman, the term is inflected as tzadika/tzaddikot.
Righteousness is not:
Our goodness. Doing right things instead of the wrong one.