For
I say to you that unless your righteousness shall exceed that of the
scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of Heaven. – Matthew 5:20 MKJV
Well, RIGHTEOUSNESS can come in
one of two ways, never both ways, it must be one or the other... by THE LAW OF
MOSES or by GRACE THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST.
Romans 9:31 But Israel, who followed after a LAW OF RIGHTEOUSNESS did not arrive at a law of righteousness.
Romans 9:32 Why? Because IT WAS NOT OF FAITH, but as it were by the WORKS OF THE LAW. For they stumbled at that Stumbling-stone
You see the children of Israel (Jacob) followed after a righteousness that came by the Law of Moses… and rightly so in their own dispensation. Some were pretty good at it too and were quite righteous. Consider a Pharisee named Saul…
Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision who worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh;
Philippians 3:4 though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other thinks that he has reason to trust in the flesh, I more.
Philippians 3:5 I was circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews. As regards the Law, I was a Pharisee;
Philippians 3:6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; REGARDING RIGHTEOUSNESS IN THE LAW, BLAMELESS.
Philippians 3:7 But whatever things were gain to me, those I COUNTED LOSS FOR CHRIST.
Philippians 3:8 But no, rather, I also count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them to be DUNG (FAECES), so that I may win Christ
Here we see that Paul was “BLAMELESS” regarding the LAW as a Pharisee… this means that as far as the Law of Moses was concerned he was SINLESS. But all these things… being a Hebrew of Hebrews… being circumcised on the 8th day… being of the tribe of Benjamin… being a Pharisee and being perfect in the law… he counted it all to be like FAECES! Why? Why would a righteous-according-to-the-Law guy consider his righteousness as nothing but LOSS compared to finding Christ? And he didn’t want to even MIX Christ with his own old righteousness. It is because after the shedding of the Blood of Christ the dispensation had completely changed!
Hopefully this illustration will help clear things up…
Romans 9:31 But Israel, who followed after a LAW OF RIGHTEOUSNESS did not arrive at a law of righteousness.
Romans 9:32 Why? Because IT WAS NOT OF FAITH, but as it were by the WORKS OF THE LAW. For they stumbled at that Stumbling-stone
You see the children of Israel (Jacob) followed after a righteousness that came by the Law of Moses… and rightly so in their own dispensation. Some were pretty good at it too and were quite righteous. Consider a Pharisee named Saul…
Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision who worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh;
Philippians 3:4 though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other thinks that he has reason to trust in the flesh, I more.
Philippians 3:5 I was circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews. As regards the Law, I was a Pharisee;
Philippians 3:6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; REGARDING RIGHTEOUSNESS IN THE LAW, BLAMELESS.
Philippians 3:7 But whatever things were gain to me, those I COUNTED LOSS FOR CHRIST.
Philippians 3:8 But no, rather, I also count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them to be DUNG (FAECES), so that I may win Christ
Here we see that Paul was “BLAMELESS” regarding the LAW as a Pharisee… this means that as far as the Law of Moses was concerned he was SINLESS. But all these things… being a Hebrew of Hebrews… being circumcised on the 8th day… being of the tribe of Benjamin… being a Pharisee and being perfect in the law… he counted it all to be like FAECES! Why? Why would a righteous-according-to-the-Law guy consider his righteousness as nothing but LOSS compared to finding Christ? And he didn’t want to even MIX Christ with his own old righteousness. It is because after the shedding of the Blood of Christ the dispensation had completely changed!
Hopefully this illustration will help clear things up…
Let’s say you have an old 100
Shillings note of the old Tanzanian currency… yes it is money… yes it had
value… yes it was issued by the Tanzanian government… but the SAME government
that had issued it has also rescinded it and pulled it out of circulation. Now
it is ILLEGAL to pass it for legal currency even though it was once money. The
same thing has happened to righteousness that comes by the Law of Moses… the
same One who issued it has rescinded it and pulled it out of circulation… it is
now ILLEGAL to try and pass it on as a legal guardian of mankind… now the
Spirit of Grace is the legal “currency”.
Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the LAW FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS for everyone who believes. (MKJV)
This verse is very much self-explanatory. Christ is the end of the Law FOR righteousness. This means that the Law can no longer be used for or to bestow righteousness. So now how do we become righteous?
Galatians 5:3-5 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do all the Law, you who are justified by Law are deprived of all effect from Christ; you fell from grace. For we through the Spirit, wait for the hope of RIGHTEOUSNESS OUT OF FAITH.
Philippians 3:9 and be found in Him; NOT having my own righteousness, WHICH IS OF THE LAW, but through the faith of Christ, the righteousness of God BY FAITH,
Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the GOSPEL OF CHRIST, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God is revealed from FAITH TO FAITH, as it is written, "THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."
So now righteousness is by FAITH IN CHRIST ALONE… with NO additions from the Law of Moses whatsoever! This is the sufficiency of Christ!
Now, the Pharisees (like Saul) were a pretty meticulous bunch in the Law. But our righteousness far surpasses and exceeds theirs because it is of Jesus Christ Himself who conquered the Law totally and completely and killed it in His own body on the cross. So when you and I have faith in Him – we automatically have His righteousness…
2 Corinthians 5:21 For He has made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM.
So IN Christ we are the righteousness of God… even though we are not meticulous in the Law of Moses at all… Christ’s meticulousness has been IMPUTED to us FREELY when our faith is in His PERFECT sacrifice! This is the only way your righteousness can exceed that of Pharisees… BY FAITH!!
Blessings!
Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the LAW FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS for everyone who believes. (MKJV)
This verse is very much self-explanatory. Christ is the end of the Law FOR righteousness. This means that the Law can no longer be used for or to bestow righteousness. So now how do we become righteous?
Galatians 5:3-5 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do all the Law, you who are justified by Law are deprived of all effect from Christ; you fell from grace. For we through the Spirit, wait for the hope of RIGHTEOUSNESS OUT OF FAITH.
Philippians 3:9 and be found in Him; NOT having my own righteousness, WHICH IS OF THE LAW, but through the faith of Christ, the righteousness of God BY FAITH,
Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the GOSPEL OF CHRIST, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God is revealed from FAITH TO FAITH, as it is written, "THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."
So now righteousness is by FAITH IN CHRIST ALONE… with NO additions from the Law of Moses whatsoever! This is the sufficiency of Christ!
Now, the Pharisees (like Saul) were a pretty meticulous bunch in the Law. But our righteousness far surpasses and exceeds theirs because it is of Jesus Christ Himself who conquered the Law totally and completely and killed it in His own body on the cross. So when you and I have faith in Him – we automatically have His righteousness…
2 Corinthians 5:21 For He has made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM.
So IN Christ we are the righteousness of God… even though we are not meticulous in the Law of Moses at all… Christ’s meticulousness has been IMPUTED to us FREELY when our faith is in His PERFECT sacrifice! This is the only way your righteousness can exceed that of Pharisees… BY FAITH!!
Blessings!
This article is in response to a question on Matthew 5:20. I’ve only edited
out the name of the person the author was responding to and done a couple of
other minor changes without altering the content. The author is Daniel J.
Musokwa of NEW TESTAMENT MINISTRIES, TANZANIA. (https://www.facebook.com/groups/The.NT/)
AMEN! We are no longer trying to be made righteous by keeping the OT Law of Moses...as if we can... we are made righteous by BELIEVING IN JESUS who fulfilled the Law and did away with it for our sake. Again, Amen!
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