Yes—being clothed with righteousness means God imputes His own righteousness to the person who believes the Gospel with the heart.
Scripture pictures God clothing Adam and Eve with coats of skins, Isaiah rejoicing in garments of salvation and a robe of righteousness, and Romans teaching that righteousness comes upon all who believe. Les Feldick explains that these all refer to the same imputed righteousness of God, a covering that God places on the believer so He sees Christ instead of human sin.
Genesis 3:21 — This is the first clothing of righteousness in Scripture: God makes coats of skins and clothes Adam and Eve after the sacrificial blood is shed.
Isaiah 61:10 — Isaiah rejoices that God has clothed him with garments of salvation and covered him with a robe of righteousness—God's own righteousness.
Romans 3:22 — Paul says the righteousness of God comes upon all who believe, connecting the Old Testament clothing picture to New Testament salvation.
The Bible describes salvation as being clothed by God. In Genesis 3:21, after the promised sacrifice, the LORD God made coats of skins and clothed Adam and Eve. Isaiah 61:10 carries the same picture: "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness." In the New Testament, Romans 3:22 shows that this righteousness is not something people manufacture: "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe." Romans 10:9-10 ties the clothing of righteousness to confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in the heart that God raised Him from the dead. The garment is always God's own righteousness, placed upon the believer.
Les Feldick teaches that being clothed with righteousness is the imputed righteousness of God—a spiritual garment given at salvation. He shows that the same thing happened to Adam and Eve in Genesis, to Isaiah in Isaiah 61, and to every believer in Romans 3. The blood of sacrifice covered their sin, and then God clothed them with a covering of His own righteousness. Les emphasizes that this is entirely God's doing. There is nothing a person can do to earn it; the only response is to believe with the heart—an attitude of the heart rather than something accomplished with hands or feet. He also notes that when people try to use the word "saved," the reality is that believers have been "imputed righteousness." God looks at the believer and sees Christ in His righteousness, not the believer's own works. Les also connects Romans 10:9 to this clothing. He teaches that confession with the mouth should be verbal and audible, and that faith is a heart attitude that trusts that what Christ did on the cross was done personally for the believer.
God's act of clothing is consistent throughout Scripture. In Genesis, after the animal sacrifice, God clothed Adam and Eve. In Isaiah 61:10, God clothes the prophet with garments of salvation and covers him with a robe of righteousness. Romans 3 uses the same language of righteousness coming upon those who believe. Les Feldick teaches that when God clothed Adam, when He clothed Isaiah, and when He clothes a believer in Romans 3, it is all the same thing—the imputed righteousness of God.
No. Les Feldick teaches that there is nothing we can do for salvation but believe it. The righteousness is God's own, given as a gift. He says, "We just have to keep our hands off." The believer cannot manufacture righteousness or present any personal merit to God. Even of himself, Les says he would never dare stand in God's presence on his own merit. The clothing is entirely God's provision.
Les Feldick teaches that the righteous covering is not visible to the world around us. Other people cannot look at a believer and see God's righteousness. But God sees it. When God looks at a believer, He does not see the believer's own name or failures; He sees Christ in His righteousness. Les says, "He sees Christ in His righteousness. And that's the beauty of it." This is the believer's assurance before God.
Les Feldick teaches that Romans 10:9-10 shows salvation includes both audible confession and heart belief. Confession with the mouth is meant to be verbalized, not merely assumed. He says the believer should actually audibly say, "Lord, I want you to save me. I believe that what you've done, you've done on my behalf." Belief is described as an attitude of the heart, trusting that God raised Jesus from the dead.
Confession and Heart Belief
Les explains that Romans 10:9 requires a verbal confession that Jesus is Lord and a heart belief in the resurrection; believing is an attitude of the heart, not something done with hands or feet.
One Righteousness in All Three
Les teaches that when God clothed Adam, Isaiah, and the Romans 3 believer, it is all the same imputed righteousness of God.
Adam's Imputed Righteousness
Les shows that Adam and Eve received an imputed covering clothing of God's righteousness, just as Isaiah later described.
Salvation as Imputed Righteousness
Les suggests that instead of only saying "saved," believers have been imputed righteousness; God clothed Adam and Eve with skins after blood sacrifice.
Isaiah's Garments of Salvation
Les highlights Isaiah 61:10, showing that God clothes with garments of salvation and covers with a robe of righteousness—God's own righteousness.
Believing Leads to the Spiritual Garment
Because Adam believed God, blood was shed and God clothed him with a spiritual garment that hid Adam under the imputed righteousness of God.
God Sees Christ's Righteousness
Once a believer, the person is covered with God's righteousness; the world cannot see it, but God looks at the believer and sees Christ in His righteousness.
His Righteousness, Not Ours
The robe is God's righteousness, not the believer's. God sees His own imputed righteousness, leaving the believer with nothing to do for salvation but believe.
Genesis 3:21: Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
After the first sacrifice, God Himself clothes Adam and Eve—showing the beginning of the clothing-with-righteousness picture.
Isaiah 61:10: I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
The prophet rejoices because God has personally clothed and covered him with salvation and righteousness.
Romans 3:22: Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
Paul explains that God's righteousness is placed upon all who believe—the New Testament equivalent of the Old Testament clothing.
Romans 10:9: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
This verse connects the heart belief and confession that bring the believer into salvation.
Romans 10:10: For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Belief in the heart is directly linked to righteousness, matching the teaching of being clothed with God's righteousness.
No. Les Feldick teaches that the robe of righteousness is God's own righteousness, not something we can produce. He says there is nothing we can do for salvation but believe it; God does the clothing.
God clothes a person when they believe the Gospel with the heart. As Romans 3:22 shows, the righteousness of God comes upon all who believe. Les Feldick says this is the same imputed righteousness God provided for Adam and described through Isaiah.
Les Feldick teaches that God does not see the believer's own name or failures. He sees Christ in His righteousness, because the believer is covered with the imputed righteousness of God.
Watch the Teaching: How Can You Know You're Saved? The Plan of Salvation in Scripture