Greek dikaiosune, righteousness / justice / justification, the principal NT term for righteousness and one of the most theologically loaded words in the entire NT lexicon. The term covers three distinguishable but integrated meanings: (1) God's own righteousness as His attribute — His just and faithful character (Romans 3:5, 21-26); (2) the righteousness reckoned to the believer by faith in Christ — the doctrine of justification (Romans 4:3-6, 11, 13, citing Genesis 15:6, Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness; Romans 5:17-19, the imputed righteousness of Christ; Philippians 3:9, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith); and (3) the righteous character and conduct in which the believer is being progressively conformed to Christ — the doctrine of sanctification (Romans 6:13, 18, 19; 14:17; 2 Corinthians 6:7; Ephesians 4:24, put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness). The Reformation-recovered doctrine of justification by faith alone through Christ alone (sola fide) rests on the precise NT teaching that dikaiosune in the forensic-justifying sense is freely reckoned to the believer through Christ's imputed righteousness, not earned by works. The patriarchal-Reformed reader holds the three meanings together: God's own righteousness, the believer's imputed righteousness, and the believer's progressive sanctifying righteousness, each integral to the doctrine.