True New Covenant Righteousness
We have seen how the apostle Paul went from consenting unto murder and making havoc of the church to stating that God's law was holy, just, good and spiritual; and that he served that law with his mind. Paul goes on to explain that we must receive God's Holy Spirit, and let it perform the miracle of changing us from human nature to DIVINE NATURE (God's nature). Once God's nature is in us, it will produce in us fruit that produces character changes that start us toward God's DIVINE NATURE.
"But the FRUIT of the Spirit is:
love (tender, passionate affection for people; feeling of warm personal attachment; affectionate concern for the well-being of others; have a strong liking for others; tenderness; fondness, warmth; suffers long with others; is kind; is not jealous of others; is not easily upset or provoked; thinks and speaks the best of others and not evil; rejoices in truth but is saddened by lawlessness; willing to bear evil treatment; love believes, hopes and endures everything)
joy (the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something good or satisfying; keen pleasure; delight; expression or display of glad feelings; state of happiness)
peace (a state of harmony among people or within yourself; freedom from disorder; state of tranquillity; calmness; quietness; security)
LONGSUFFERING (long and patient endurance of injury or trouble)
GENTLENESS (kind disposition; mild - not severe; not violent; easily handled or managed; polite, refined; peaceful, soothing; humane; merciful; meek; submissive spirit in the face of insult or injustice; temperate; courteous)
GOODNESS (quality of being good; moral excellence; virtue; kindly feeling; generosity; implies conformity to recognized standards of right conduct; something steadily maintained in spite of temptations or evil influences)
FAITH (confidence of things hoped for, based upon evidence)
MEEKNESS (humbly patient or submissive; tame; gentle; kind; soft; mild)
TEMPERANCE (moderation or self-restraint in action; self-control; not extreme in opinion): against such there is no law (Gal. 5:22-23).
The apostle Peter was inspired to record additions to the fruits of God's Spirit that will ultimately complete the righteousness of the New Covenant. The change from human nature to the DIVINE NATURE of God is the righteousness of the New Covenant. "Whereby are given unto us exceeding and precious promises: that by these ye might be PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith VIRTUE (moral excellence; refinement of God's law to the smallest point in our lives; conformity in life and conduct to the moral and ethical principles of Jesus Christ; inherent power to produce right effects in our lives): and to virtue KNOWLEDGE (acquaintance with facts, truths or principles from study or investigation); and to knowledge TEMPERANCE; and to temperance PATIENCE (bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune or pain without complaint, loss of temper or irritation; an ability or willingness to suppress annoyance even when confronted with daily; quiet perseverance; composure; calmness or tranquillity; fortitude, courage under temptation; moral strength; tolerance, a fair and objective attitude toward opinions and practices that differ from my own; endurance); and to patience GODLINESS (conforming to the laws and wishes of God; devout; showing a dutiful spirit of reverence for God or an earnest wish to fulfill religious obligations); and to godliness BROTHERLY KINDNESS (friendly feeling; generosity; sympathy for; benevolent); and to brotherly kindness CHARITY (love discussed above). For if these (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, virtue, knowledge, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness) things be IN you, and ABOUND they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (II Pet. 1:4-8,11).
Summation
The righteousness of the New Covenant is recognizing that all evil comes from the arch enemy of all humanity and God-Satan the devil through deception and the environment he has created through that deception. It is further recognizing that Satan's character developed in all humanity must be rejected, repented of, and be circumcised in heart and mind by God's Holy Spirit. Once God's Spirit puts the DIVINE NATURE of God into us, we must strive daily to reject the works of the flesh and develop love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, virtue, knowledge, patience, godliness and brotherly kindness, which IS THE DIVINE CHARACTER of God. Just think, if the whole world adopted the divine character of God, peace and happiness would break out worldwide. God speed this unfinished revolution started by Jesus Christ of developing the divine character of God under the New Covenant.