Be Righteous
Matthew 5:20 For I
tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the
teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
MY experience has been that when people see the word “righteousness”
they seem to be uncertain of its meaning. I think a good way to see “righteousness”
is in these words from Moses. “And if we
are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded
us, that will be our righteousness.” (Deut 6:25) Righteousness is simply
this: obeying God’s commands.
Jesus, the Son of
God and the Living Word of God, of course taught very directly, “Obey God’s
commands.” And he taught to his people that their righteousness, their
obedience of God’s commands must exceed that of the Pharisees and teachers—men the
culture held as people who were very righteous.
But, in fact, they
weren’t. The evidence of Jesus other teachings point to the Pharisees and many
teachers of the law as being quite disobedient. Yes, they may have worked hard
to show obedience on the outside, but they had a lack of the law on their
hearts. He even says to them, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees,
you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are
full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of
the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” (Matt 23:25-26)
These men needed
to obey this law: “Love the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy
6:5). They missed the heart part. True obedience to God begins in your heart.
LIFE Link: Live the commands in love of the Lord Jesus and
be righteous.
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