It has been said that the value of something is determined by the price someone is willing to pay for it. If that is true, what does it say about humanity that God did not spare His only begotten Son as the price for our ransom? How humbling—and terrifying—to be the subject of such a transaction. Should we not then elevate ourselves to match this level of acquisition in reciprocity for the precious price offered on our behalf? Has God no right to reap where He has sown? How long must He defer to garner the wages of His labor and the price of His travail?

Yet in too many of our churches, the enthusiastic offering of grace is no longer balanced with an equally passionate call to righteous living. Gone are the days of humanity’s infancy. And as the times draw to a close, may we no longer bless ourselves, declaring: “I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart” (Deuteronomy 29:18).

There must come a time when we selflessly abandon our willful disregard and clothe ourselves with the robes of righteous acts.

Thou Shalt Be Righteous is not a call to condemnation, but to self-reflection. It offers a roadmap to where grace, faith, and righteousness find balance in our love for God and neighbor. May these pages lead us to an unyielding pursuit of the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).