Real Righteousness
Going to the Extreme in Righteousness
19. Whoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven: but whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
20. For I say to you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Matthew 5:19-20
Why do we need to be Righteous?
Motivation is not just about doing the right thing but more so about purpose. If a person is motivated by righteousness, they will see the need to act right, to live right, and to honor that which is right. They fulfill the essence of righteousness.
Noah was a righteous man. Abraham and Sarah were righteous before God. They possessed the righteousness as defined by God. It was righteousness that looked beyond “what’s in it for me” but instead looked to God and depended on God. Why do we need to be righteous? Our eternity depends on righteousness. In this verse, Jesus declares that without real righteousness none shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
What is so special about this “righteousness?” For starters, righteousness is more than a character trait; righteousness is the very character of God. God is perfectly righteous. Why should it surprise us that God expects His children to be righteous? Psalm 116:5, Gracious is the Lord, and righteous, yes, our God is merciful. Psalm 119:137, Righteous are You, O Lord, and upright are Your judgments. Jeremiah 12:1, Righteous are You, O Lord, when I plead with You … God, Himself is righteous, and that means God is just, perfectly right, and eternally good. There is no error or wrong in Him at all. So, God is righteous.
The second attribute is that righteousness is the gift of God. Righteousness cannot be earned, developed, or attained by human acts. Here is where we make the distinction between true righteousness and the false. Righteousness is God’s gift that he bestows on those He loves. In this verse, Jesus talks about the Scribes and the Pharisees. Who are these people and what kind of righteousness did they possess or better yet, what did they practice? Jesus said to His followers, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. The scribes and Pharisees had the kind of righteousness that could not get them into Heaven. So what kind of righteousness was that? It was the kind based on their appearance, their actions, and their association. They wore long robes (clothing) that made them appear to be holy. Their righteousness dictated to them that you must look pious and maintain a certain wardrobe. These scribes and Pharisees also lived by certain rules of do’s and don’ts that were added to the Law of God. According to Bible.org, there were 613 commands practiced and preached by these “religious leaders;” 248 of the commands were considered positive (things to do), and 365 were negative commands (things not-to-do). They included everything from hand washing to how to give to what not to eat and how to eat it. The bad thing about these “righteous laws” is that they were the laws of man that often contradicted or outright denied the Law of God.
On one particular law of giving, Jesus called the Pharisees out. God’s Law commanded that children honor their father and mother, but the law of corban denied God’s Law. Children (under man’s law) could dedicate their gift to the Temple rather than give to honor their parents. Jesus would go on to condemn their practices altogether in His discourse in Matthew 23. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves, neither do you allow them who are entering to go in. Matthew 23:13
Jesus drew the line between righteousness claimed by man and righteousness as the gift of God. Whoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven: but whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. Man will tell you that it’s alright to do certain things, but God declares those same certain things to be sin. Man will tell you to join a certain group and you will be righteous, but God says obey me and I will give you righteousness. Why would people be deceived in following man if God gives us righteousness as a gift? The reason has to a lot to do with human pride.
Where did you get your Righteousness?
Jesus said, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Notice the term, “your righteousness.” We can either attempt to earn it or we can receive it as a gift.
The Apostle Paul writes that the righteousness of man is due to a lack of knowledge about the righteousness of God. Romans 10:2-3, I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge … for they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the Righteousness of God. Paul goes further to reveal that Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Romans 10:4.
Just to be clear on this. I can go about trying to be righteous like the scribes and Pharisees and miss Heaven or I can receive God’s Righteousness and enter Heaven. If I am wise, I would choose to receive God’s Righteousness.
The Bible speaks of Abraham as receiving righteousness from God. What did Abraham do? Genesis 15:6, and he (Abraham) believed in the Lord; and He (God) counted it to him for righteousness. Abraham believed. If you and I are to receive God’s gift of righteousness, we too must believe God. That is real righteousness. Notice, this real righteousness is defined by God. It justifies the believer before God. This real righteousness does not depend upon the approval of man. It is from God Almighty.
Real Righteousness is a path that God uses to lead us through life. Psalm 23:3, He restores my soul, He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His Name sake. There are those who are wandering through life and living aimlessly, but the righteous are led in the path of righteousness by God. Abraham was led by God, from his homeland to the land of Promise. Some say that Abraham did not have a roadmap. Yes he did, the roadmap was God’s path of righteousness. Everyday, God would tell Abraham where he needed to go and Abraham would obey. Real righteousness is the pathway that God leads His people.
Real Righteousness gives us with deliverance in the time of trouble. Psalm 34:17, the righteous cry, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. Be sure that we will all face troubles in this life, yet God is committed to the righteous and will deliver them out of all those troubles. This assurance leaves no room for frustration and anxiety over struggles. This too shall pass as we cry out to God. That is the blessing of real righteousness.
Real righteousness makes us well known to God. Psalm 1:6, For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of ungodly shall perish. This is a wonderful assurance to those who sometimes wonder if God knows what they face in life. When a believer receives the righteousness of God as a gift, God knows that person and never takes His eye off of them. The Bible says, God watches over the little sparrow so that not one of them falls to the ground without God knowing it. God watches over the righteous so that He knows their every move. His eye is on the sparrow.
Real righteousness means that God hears our prayer. Psalm 34:15. The Eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His Ears are open unto their cry. The believer should never be concerned whether their prayer is being heard. For God Almighty holds the righteous near to His heart and listens to their prayers. What great assurance we have to know that we are righteous before God. This righteousness does not depend on our effort. This righteousness assures us that we are always welcomed in the presence of God. This righteousness goes to the extreme because it is righteousness that came from the Heavenly Father.