Is the Christian righteous or unrighteous?

A simplistic yes or no answer to this question is misleading, because it's a tricky question

that calls for theological care, and it's a question we have received from a listener

named Jason.

Pastor John, I have recently been listening to your old sermon, Our Hope, Righteousness.

In it you mention that full and perfect righteousness lies in the future.

It is our hope, not our possession.

This is in reference to Galatians 5-5, for through the Spirit by faith we wait for the

hope of righteousness.

Can you clarify for me what it means to be righteous?

I thought it meant right standing, in placing my faith in Jesus does that make me righteous

at the time of my profession?

Or does righteous mean perfect?

And that's why we're not righteous now.

Can you clarify for me?

The various stages of righteousness in the history of a believer.

Oh, I will love to try, because this is just so close to the heart of what the gospel

is and who Christ is to us, and getting this distinction is right at the heart of the

gospel, right at the heart of Reformation, discoveries 500 years ago.

So here we go.

Let's try.

Even though there are particular passages about righteousness, which are unclear to me,

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