Matthew 5:20 How is your righteousness?

Good morning all! Happy Valentine's Day to you! God is good all the time, all the time God is good. TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!

Last session we talked about the least in the Kingdom of Heaven and who will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 5:20 "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."

The necessity of righteousness as a requirement to enter heaven, Jesus declared that their righteousness should exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. Why? Because the scribes and Pharisees were exacting and scrupulous in their attempts to follow their laws. So how could Jesus reasonably call us to greater rightousness than theirs?

The Pharisees' weakness was that they were content to obey the laws outwardly without allowing God to change their hearts or attitudes. They looked pious, but they were far from the Kingdom of Heaven.

God judges our hearts as well as our deeds, for it is in the heart that our real allegiance lies.

What the scribes and Pharisees gave was an outward show of self-righteousness. What the Saviour demands is a kind of righteousness that is so godly that it cannot be the product of human effort, but must be the gift of God.

Our righteousness must: (1) come from what God does in us, not what we can do by ourselves; (2) be God-centered, not self-centered;
(3) be based on reverence for God, not approval from people, and (4) go beyond keeping the law to living by the principles behind the law.

We should be just as concerned about our attitudes that people don't see as about our actions that are seen by all. Christ established this righteousness in His life and death which is made available to us as God's free gift. This is the rightousness that would exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees.
Love you all.
Tell someone you love them today and happy valentines day.

In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny