RIGHTEOUSNESS
"For I
say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of
the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of
heaven.” -- Matthew 5:20
The
scribes and Pharisees were, in their day, the most highly respected and admired
religious leaders in the world. Everyone stood in awe of them. But our Lord
said to his disciples, "Except your
righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye
shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Those words must have
been astounding to the people who first heard them.
The scribes were
the religious scholars of the day. They were the men who copied and expounded
the scriptures. They gave their lives entirely to this one great work for God
and his people. They consecrated themselves to this one noble work.
The Pharisees
were the strictest sect of the Jews. No one exceeded the Pharisee in outward
morality, obedience to the law, saying of prayers, tithing, sabbath keeping,
scripture memory, personal righteousness and public approval. Yet, our Lord
declares, "Except your righteousness
shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you cannot be
saved.”
Is the Lord
telling us, in this text, that we must do more and be better than the scribes
and Pharisees? Is he saying that we must gain a greater measure of personal
holiness than those men had? Not at all. In fact, he is saying just the
opposite.
The Lord is
telling us that it is utterly impossible for any man to gain favor with God on
the basis of his own, personal righteousness. There never has been a child of
Adam upon this earth good enough, righteous enough, holy enough to inherit or
inhabit the kingdom of heaven, and there never shall be. You and I must get
every thought of personal righteousness out of our minds, and the very word
"good" out of our vocabulary, when we think or speak of any human
being in God' s sight!
We have no
righteousness of our own before God, and no ability to produce righteousness.
If we would be saved, we must have the righteousness of God in Christ imputed
and imparted to us. It is this righteousness that exceeds the righteousness of
the scribes and Pharisees! Do what you may, without the righteousness of God in
Christ, you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Grace Baptist Church of Danville - Grace For
Today Radio Message #771
2734 Old Stanford Road -
Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438
Donald S. Fortner, Pastor -Telephone 606-236-8235 - Email grace@mis.net