What is the first step in obtaining righteousness, right standing in the sight of God?...

Confessing that Jesus is Lord.

When we bow the knee and accept Jesus as Lord, making a verbal confession, God counts that to us as righteousness. It is God’s intention that Jesus be Lord of all; and every person who receives Christ as Lord of all is held to be righteous by God Almighty.

Woe be to any individual who will not accept the lordship of Christ and attempts to establish himself or someone else as lord! He is held to beunrighteous by the Lord God, and his end is destruction.