Then once more you will see that I make a distinction between ¹  the righteous and the wicked, between the one who serves God and the one who does not.

For I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law ¹  and the Pharisees, ²  you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood!” But they said, “What is that to us? You take care of it yourself!”

Now ¹  there was a man in Jerusalem ²  named Simeon who was righteous ³  and devout, looking for the restoration ⁴  of Israel, and the Holy Spirit ⁵  was upon him.

Jesus ¹  also told this parable to some who were confident that they were righteous and looked down ²  on everyone else.

Now this is the will of the one who sent me – that I should not lose one person of every one he has given me, but raise them all up ¹  at the last day.

He ¹  jumped up, ²  stood and began walking around, and he entered the temple courts ³  with them, walking and leaping and praising God.

Paul looked directly ¹  at the council ²  and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life with a clear conscience ³  before God to this day.”

I have ¹  a hope in God (a hope ²  that ³  these men ⁴  themselves accept too) that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁵ 

For the righteousness ¹  of God is revealed in the gospel ²  from faith to faith, ³  just as it is written, “The righteous by faith will live.” ⁴ 

But they are justified ¹  freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

This was ¹  also to demonstrate ²  his righteousness in the present time, so that he would be just ³  and the justifier of the one who lives because of Jesus’ faithfulness. ⁴ 

He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, ¹  who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

When any of you has a legal dispute with another, does he dare go to court before the unrighteous rather than before the saints?

Now it is clear no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous one will live by faith. ¹ 

so that you may live ¹  worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects ²  – bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God,

but of ¹  the Son he says, ²  “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, ³  and a righteous scepter ⁴  is the scepter of your kingdom.

But my righteous one will live by faith, and if he shrinks back, I ¹  take no pleasure in him. ² 

and make straight paths for your feet, ¹  so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but be healed.

Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to conduct ourselves rightly in every respect.