Matthew 5:20
~3 min read
“…they are acceptable by God into His kingdom…”
Some people think they are very holy and as such, they are acceptable by God into His kingdom. But Jesus said, 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 meticulous in their observance of the law, even to the extent of adding unto the law. Here, Jesus was saying that God’s standard was perfect, which exceeded the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees which might be commendable to men.
Jesus went on to cite the example of God’s perfect standard. For example, the commandment not to kill and anyone who committed the sin of murder is in danger of His judgment. In men’s eyes, it was all about the physical killing, but in God’s eyes, it was more than that. If a man was angry with his brother, or called him “Raca” (empty) which the Sanhedrin council forbade, or called him a fool (moron), that person in God’s sight was guilty of hell fire. According to God’s perfect standard and justice, he would be sent to the eternal lake of fire.
Dear children, which one of us has not been angry, or called our brothers and sisters degrading names? God’s standard of righteousness is perfect, and in His eyes, we have all sinned. That is why we need a Saviour who has kept the laws of God perfectly, and He is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. A Saviour who is perfect in His speech, thoughts and deeds!
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