Philippians 3:8 “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9 ¶ And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.”
To have been “righteous” under the Mosaic Law Service, was to have been perfectly and fully obedient to the Law in every respect. But, even if it were possible for a person to be flawlessly obedient under the Law, “he hath whereof to glory; but not before God” (Romans 4:2); that is, this practical “righteousness” still doesn’t cleanse a person from the gilt and penalty of the Original Sin (Genesis 3:6); for, “by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). So, as “sin” is imputed to all mankind by the act of “one man” (Adam), it is also true that “by one man’s [Adam’s] disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one [Christ’s] shall many be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19). Those who are righteously fit for Eternal Heaven are those who are “righteous” “through the faith of Christ”; for, God the Father “hath made [Jesus Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (II Corinthians 5:21); that is, He faithfully came into this present world to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21); and He perfectly, fully, and finally “finished” (John 19:30) everything necessary to make every one of His people perfectly “righteous”; thus, saving them “from their sins”. That is, He imputed the “righteousness of God” to everyone of His Children, making them instantaneously fit for Eternal Heaven; thus, it is by Grace and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-10). When the Lord gives a person Spiritual Birth (Life), they then have this imputed “faith” to know and greatly rejoice in “the righteousness which is of God”; thus, we are “found in him, not having [our] own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ”. Peter addressed his second Epistle “to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (II Peter 1:1). Thus, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” (Isaiah 61:10)!