righteousness – Three Minute Bible

July 7, 2026July 8, 2026

1 Timothy 5:23 – Water or Wine?

A river's edge with a frog and bugs around the water (Grok)

Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

Summary: Paul’s advice to Timothy about food provides surprising insights about righteousness before God.

Throughout Paul’s letter to Timothy, we have presumed that the “Author behind the author” is God. What we mean by that is that the Bible is not just a collection of words and letters written by people about God, but rather that it is a collection of words curated by God specifically because they have meaning for all people throughout all time.

October 31, 2025October 31, 2025

Philippians 3:16 – Attainment

a picture of a giant cross rising from a barren hill. Behind the cross, the sky is dusky. At the foot of the cross, looking up, kneels a man. Compared to the cross he is small, perhaps one tenth of the size. (Grok)

Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Summary: Paul challenges us to ponder what it means to know Jesus.

Oddly, Paul has just told us all the things he has not yet obtained (vs. 12). Yet, in this passage, he points to things “we” have already attained.

October 18, 2025October 19, 2025

Philippians 3:9c – Son Glasses

A pair of sunglasses on the beach with the ocean in the background. (Pixabay)

… but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

Summary: How we see things can change everything.

Have you ever noticed how polarized sunglasses cut out the glare? It is really quite amazing! The effect is most noticeable on water.

May 19, 2025May 26, 2025

Philippians 1:11a – Herding Cats

… filled with the fruit of righteousness…

Summary: In this passage, Paul answers the question, “Are we righteous because of what we do or because of who we know?”

As we near the end of Paul’s prayer, it is good to step back and look at the whole thought before diving into our passage for this meditation. Paul writes:

February 8, 2025February 9, 2025

Colossians 3:8a – Deeds and Weeds

But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: …

Summary: Do we really have to “rid” ourselves of the things on Paul’s list of bad habits? The answer to that question leads us to a deeper understanding of God’s will for us. In the end, we discover that spiritual growth involves work, but this work is a response to God’s grace, not a means of earning salvation.

Our last meditation discovered an interesting link between our Lord’s parable about the kingdom of heaven and how we are to live our lives as believers. In our passage for this meditation, Paul doubles down on that discovery.

What was that discovery, you ask?

Simply this: God expects us to work for his kingdom while we are here.

June 12, 2024June 12, 2024

Galatians 5:5 – Waiting in Faith and Hope

For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.

Summary: Once again Paul points us to the truth that there are reasons we wait, have faith, and hope.

March 14, 2024March 14, 2024

Galatians 3:6 – When God Says, “Jump!”

So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Summary: The whole point of believing in Jesus is so we can be clothed in his righteousness when our time comes to be judged. In this passage, Paul begins talking about what that means.

November 8, 2023November 8, 2023

Ephesians 6:18a – Doing What Is Right

And pray in the Spirit …

Summary: If we are to pray in the Holy Spirit, we need to have the Holy Spirit in us. How that happens is a simple process, but “simple” is not always easy.

October 21, 2023October 21, 2023

Ephesians 6:14b – The Righteousness That Saves

… with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

Summary: Turning to the breastplate of righteousness, we discover that the word “breastplate” is a bit of an understatement.

August 24, 2023August 24, 2023

Ephesians 5:15a – So What?

Be very careful, then, how you live —

Summary: Once again, we are confronted by the question of “works.” Paul tells us to be careful how we live, yet we know that we are justified by faith and forgiven by the blood of Jesus (Ephesians 1:7-8). So what’s the big deal?