A HIGHER RIGHTEOUSNESS

A HIGHER RIGHTEOUSNESS

Matthew 5:19a, 20

Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least of these commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven……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.

No person can break the commandments and get away with it. But we cannot keep them in our own strength either.

The only way they can be kept is by coming to Christ Jesus, for salvation, power and strength.

The commandments are not meant as a way of salvation but as a means to guide us to the way of salvation- that comes only through the acceptance of the completed work of Christ Jesus.

What then are the commandments being referred to in Matthew 5:19?

The ones we find are emphasized by Jesus as “my words” in chapters 5, 6, and 7 of Matthew.

Matthew 7:24-27

The call made was to obedience. John 14:15,21,23; and 1 John 5:3

Does the Christian need to attempt to keep the law? The fact is that the law is still the standard; it reveals to us that we cannot measure up to Gods holy standard. This directs me to the cross of Christ. The hope we have of fulfillment of the law is by accepting the only One who could ever fulfill them, His name is Jesus Christ.

Jesus became our sacrifice and shed His own sinless blood on our behalf. He offered Himself once for all for the sins of all mankind, as a free gift to those who would truly believe. Hebrews 7:27, 9:12, 26, 28, 10:10, and 1 Peter 3:18

Everything was fulfilled in the moments before Christ death on the cross He uttered the word ”tetelestai” it means paid in full. John 19:30

The second way that Christ fulfilled the Law is that He taught and commanded what Gods will under the New Covenant would be for those who will enter the Kingdom of God.

He gave us a new set of rules. Paul said that they were Christ’s Law. Some of those were the same as the Old Testament Law. Many were changed, but most of the Old Testament Law was not included at all in Christ’s Law.

For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Romans 10:4