Plus, we’ll revisit the “are we in the end times” conversation. It’s impossible for us to know for sure, so how should we respond when events seem threatening?
We’ll also consider what can be done about all the violence directed against Christians. Shouldn’t someone stop it? What’s God doing about it?
Pastor Rick Stevens can be heard Saturday and Sunday at 8 am ET on the iHeart Radio Network. Find all the Faith is…with Pastor Rick Stevens episodes also available on the America Out Loud Podcast Network.
Transcript Summary of this podcast episode ⤵Full Transcript (Auto-Transcribed)
Righteousness is a word many people hear often and understand only partly. We usually imagine it as personal flawlessness, a kind of spiritual perfection reserved for the rare and the remarkable. But Scripture points us in a different direction. Righteousness is not chiefly about religious performance. It is about covenant faithfulness.
That matters. In Deuteronomy, righteousness is tied to careful obedience to God’s commands. The idea is simple enough. If God has spoken, faithfulness means listening, trusting, and living accordingly. Righteousness is not self-congratulation. It is loyalty. It is the steady choice to stay aligned with the Lord who brought His people out of bondage and taught them how to walk with Him.
That old covenant exposed a problem we all know too well. No one keeps God’s law perfectly. We fall short, and we know it. That is why the coming of Jesus is not a small adjustment to religion. It is the center of hope. He entered human life, took our place, and fulfilled what we could not. He carried the penalty sin deserved and opened the way to a new covenant, one marked by grace and love.
This is where everything comes into focus. Jesus did not erase obedience. He fulfilled it with a deeper heart. Love God with all you are. Love your neighbor as yourself. That is not easier than the law. It is better. Love reaches farther than rule keeping ever could. It changes motives, not just habits.
The world still wants simpler answers. We want headlines, timelines, and quick fixes. But the call of God is more direct than that. Be faithful. Be loving. Be ready. Trust the One who keeps His covenant when we cannot. That is righteousness, and it is still the road home.
Righteousness is a word many people hear often and understand only partly. We usually imagine it as personal flawlessness, a kind of spiritual perfection reserved for the rare and the remarkable. But Scripture points us in a different direction. Righteousness is not chiefly about religious performance. It is about covenant faithfulness.
That matters. In Deuteronomy, righteousness is tied to careful obedience to God’s commands. The idea is simple enough. If God has spoken, faithfulness means listening, trusting, and living accordingly. Righteousness is not self-congratulation. It is loyalty. It is the steady choice to stay aligned with the Lord who brought His people out of bondage and taught them how to walk with Him.
That old covenant exposed a problem we all know too well. No one keeps God’s law perfectly. We fall short, and we know it. That is why the coming of Jesus is not a small adjustment to religion. It is the center of hope. He entered human life, took our place, and fulfilled what we could not. He carried the penalty sin deserved and opened the way to a new covenant, one marked by grace and love.
This is where everything comes into focus. Jesus did not erase obedience. He fulfilled it with a deeper heart. Love God with all you are. Love your neighbor as yourself. That is not easier than the law. It is better. Love reaches farther than rule keeping ever could. It changes motives, not just habits.
The world still wants simpler answers. We want headlines, timelines, and quick fixes. But the call of God is more direct than that. Be faithful. Be loving. Be ready. Trust the One who keeps His covenant when we cannot. That is righteousness, and it is still the road home.
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