Matthew 5:20-48
Life is a gift. No one can choose to be born and very few choose when they will die. However, we are all required to make a choice during our lifetime which has eternal consequences.
Jesus says in Matthew 5:20
“For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
The Pharisees were an impressive people, but we are told to beware of them by Jesus, because they didn’t understand and correctly apply the God given Law.
They wanted to be noticed and praised by others for their practices and believed God was impressed with their self righteousness.
Jesus states in Matthew 6:1
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”
The Pharisees self righteousness failed to achieve the standard required for entering Heaven.
What is needed, is a far greater righteousness than those who simply practice law keeping.,
The Pharisees misunderstood the intention of the law and Jesus had to explain that it wasn’t good enough to just ‘not murder’ or ‘not commit adultery’, for we must not even hate or lust. Hatred is the seed that leads to murder and lust is the seed that leads to committing adultery.
The only righteousness that is acceptable to a perfect, holy God can’t come from within us.
It is a righteousness that can only be given to us from God by his Spirit through trusting in his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.