The Totally Depraved with Total Inability Ungodly sinner,
Under the instramentality and the Holy Spirit using the means
of "the Gospel (message as it) was preached to Abraham" (for one example)
that Ungodly sinner is Enabled to Spiritually understand and
is Granted Repentence and Given Faith (I will win this one)
AND SPIRITUALLY REGENERATED in the New Birth.
They have been Given the Ability to Believe Jesus Paid their sin debt
And that God Accepted Jesus' Payment for them, AND their sin is Pardoned.
Along with this Pardoning of their sins,
they have Jesus Righteous Imputed/Credited to them.
That is the Righteousness that was Jesus' that He had Earned under the Law,
That HAS NOW BECOME THE PARDONED SINNER'S RIGHTEOUSNESS.
God sees 'their' righteousness, now, as them being without sin,
And with no guilt charged to their Account and so, GOD JUSTIFIES THEM.
"
WHOM HE CALLS THEM HE ALSO JUSTIFIES"
That Newly Saved soul's FAITH they had been Given
Was In The Person and Work of Jesus,
The Newly Saved soul's FAITH was in The Object of their Faith, Jesus,
And it is the Object of their Faith, JESUS, Who's RIGHTEOUSNESS
THAT HAS NOW BEEN CREDITED TO THEM,
For having Faith on Him,
FAITH ON JESUS, JESUS WHO POSSESSED RIGHTEOUSNESS,
THEN, ONCE JESUS' RIGHTEOUSNESS BECOMES THEIR RIGHTEOUSNESS,
Again, it is then THEIR VERY OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS,
THEN,
"THEIR FAITH IS COUNTED UNTO THEM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS."
It is the Righteousness of the Object of their Faith (they have been Given),
AND THAT WAS Jesus' Righteousness (that had also been Given to them)
that is "
counted to them for righteousness".
It is not faith or righteousness that Originated with the sinner.
It's their faith they were Given.
And yet, it's their righteousness, too, all right.
After God Imputes Jesus' Righteousness to them.