What does the Bible teach about righteousness?

Righteousness is a gift received by faith in Jesus Christ. The first Adam brought sin and death, but the Last Adam, Jesus Christ, brought righteousness and life (1 Cor. 15:45-50). Through spiritual birth, believers become part of the new creation, but the full expression of this relationship awaits Heaven when all believers will be released from their sin natures and given bodies like the resurrection body of Christ (John 14:2-3; 1 Cor. 15:20-57; Rom. 8:23). Justification is God's declaration that we are legally righteous, not based on our works but on the righteousness of Jesus Christ received by faith (Rom. 5:1-2; 2 Cor. 5:21). Imputation is the act of charging or attributing something to a person, and in the work of reconciliation, God imputed our sins to His Son on the cross, while imputing His righteousness to us. Human efforts to earn righteousness are unacceptable to God (Rom. 7:18; Heb. 6:1-2), but faith produces good works (Eph. 2:8-10). The substance of spiritual power is living out the character of Christ, demonstrated by love, joy, peace, and other virtues that express our relationship with God, others, and ourselves.