As Christians, understanding righteousness under the new covenant of grace is an important component of spiritual maturity. We no longer have to work to be right with God like the people did under the law; righteousness is now a gift from Him when we have faith in Jesus and in His finished works. We cannot be like God without God; we are righteous in His eyes only when we rely on Him and acknowledge our need for Him in every area of our lives. Our right-standing with God is not based on anything we do, but on our trust in Christ and in what He did on the cross. Our genuine belief in our identity as the righteousness of God is strong enough to change our bad behavior. When the enemy attacks, this is what we must cling to. A fruitful, abundant life is only possible when we depend on Jesus.