These two Biblical and Spiritual words of God are often being confused and used interchangeably to mean the same thing. This is inappropriate and could lead to confusion in our understanding of the word as they are not the same.  Although there are many similarities and characteristics in both, a redeemed person can have and manifest both, in fact, it is a major condition required to make us conform to the image of Christ. 

Our heavenly Father and God is righteous (just), so also is Jesus Christ who is the righteous (just) one. 

The Father through the Son and in the Spirit, gives the gifts of righteousness(justice) to repentant sinners for salvation, so that through this, such believing sinners are declared righteous(just) by the father through the Son. 

Our justification through the righteous one- the Lord Jesus Christ, confers on us His righteousness, and make us the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ. 

What then is righteousness? 

Paul said, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the  righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor.5:21 NKJV). 

The word righteousness is the Greek word dikaiosune which means: State of Him who is as he ought to be,  that is condition acceptable to God. It is a state of: integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling , and acting. 

The vines Expository dictionary defines righteousness as; “that gracious gift of God to men whereby all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ are brought into right relationship with God. This righteousness is unattainable by obedience to any law, or by any merit of man’s own, or any other condition than that of faith in Christ. The man who trusts in Christ becomes ‘ the righteousness of God in Him.’ He becomes in Christ all that God requires a man to be, all that he could never be in himself.” 

It, therefore, translates to the fact that our righteousness is a gift of God, and not a result of any work or deeds that can earn us, or make us righteous.