God declares believers to be righteous by placing on their records what?

In the context of Christian theology, particularly within the teachings of the Church of God, believers are declared righteous through the imputed righteousness of Christ. This means that when God looks at a believer, He does not see their failures or sinfulness, but rather sees the perfect life and righteousness of Jesus Christ. This is foundational to the doctrine of justification by faith, which asserts that it is through faith in Christ and not through one's own works or merits that a person is justified before God.

The perfection of Christ's life is essential because it underscores that righteousness is not something that humans can achieve on their own; rather, it is a gift received through faith in the sacrificial work of Jesus. This concept is deeply rooted in passages like 2 Corinthians 5:21, which states that God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

In contrasting this with the other choices, faithfulness of believers, obedience to the law, and acts of kindness are important aspects of the Christian life, but they do not serve as the basis for a believer's righteousness before God. Faithfulness and obedience stem from a relationship with Christ; however, they do not earn justification, as righteousness is