TUESDAY February 25, 2020
Impossible Perfection
“For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:20
When Jesus taught, He spoke with authority, “I say unto you…” He made it plainly understood to His listeners that no one can be saved by their own righteousness. In His Sermon, He seriously warned those who considered themselves to be righteous,“…you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” This same warning is given elsewhere by Jesus.
Israel had missed the point; they thought they could be saved by the Law. Not so! The Scribes and the Pharisees were self-righteous. They would walk down the street with a mat, and when it was time to pray, they would roll it out. In prayer they would say, “Lord, I thank you so much I am not a Gentile.” The Pharisees thought they were better than anyone else, as indicated in a parable given by Jesus (Luke 18:10-14).
The Pharisees were self-righteous. They did things to be noticed by men (Matthew 23:5). Jesus drew His disciples’ attention to a humble widow. She placed two little mites into the offering. It was all she had. The widow gave more than all those hypocrites. It was not the amount; it was a matter of the heart (Luke 21:1-4).
When Jesus taught the Sermon on the Mount, He spoke about a person who discovers and appropriates the truth of righteousness and manifests the character and qualities that are described in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12). I like that! When we accepted Him, we became righteous––as He is righteous.
Many people want to be saved by their own righteousness, but they cannot. Our righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). It is not about you and me––it is about Jesus Christ.
We have to find Christ, not a mask that conceals our face, but an entire wardrobe of clothing, which is His righteousness.
~R.C. Sproul~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!