“Righteousness” is a key word in Romans. In this verse it could be taken either as a quality of God or the right standing with God that the gospel gives. Both meanings are true and are related, though the rest of the verse seems to favour the latter meaning being the relevant one here. However, the gospel does reveal the righteousness of God. In 1 John 1:9 it says that God is just and forgives our sins. The gospel is not that God simply overlooks our sins and says forget about them, but through the cross justice is done. The second meaning is that the way in which we are put right with God is revealed. There is a major problem, we are under a sentence of death, we are at enmity with God, and this sentence is what we fully deserve. The gospel reveals how we can be put right with God. And the means of attaining this righteousness is by faith, from beginning to end. Under the old covenant the Law was the all pervading principle, under the new covenant faith is the all pervading principle. Paul then quotes from Habakkuk 2:4.
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