How can someone be declared righteous before God?

The concept of justification is crucial in understanding how one can be declared righteous before God. The preacher highlights that it is through faith in Christ, who is the epitome of righteousness, that a believer is justified. Romans 4:5 explicitly states that to him who does not work but trusts in God who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness. This means that our righteousness before God depends entirely on Christ's obedience and sacrificial death, rather than any merit or behavior of our own. Such a truth is liberating, demonstrating that our standing with God is secured through grace alone.