The Gospel of Guided Grace:

Righteousness Inside Out

Romans 1:16-17 (NIV) 

    I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. [17] For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

Luke 18:9-14 (NLT) 

    Then Jesus told this story to some who had great self-confidence and scorned everyone else: [10] "Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a dishonest tax collector. [11] The proud Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: 'I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else, especially like that tax collector over there! For I never cheat, I don't sin, I don't commit adultery, [12] I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.'

    [13] "But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, 'O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.' [14] I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For the proud will be humbled, but the humble will be honored."

Righteousness means to be approved, to be accepted and to pass scrutiny

The characteristics of Outside-In Righteousness include:

Finding approval and acceptance through external rules and behavior

Finding approval and acceptance by externally separating and avoiding situations, things and people that represent sin

Finding approval by elevating a preference or neutral issue that we already keep to the level of God’s law that puts us in a better position than others

Matthew 21:31 (NLT)

    …"I assure you, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you (Pharisees) do.

We have to learn to repent of the sins underneath the good behavior. 

Hebrews 2:17 (NIV) 

    For this reason [Jesus] had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

2 Cor. 5:21 (NIV) 

    God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

We have been scrutinized, examined thoroughly and found justified, approved and accepted from the inside out