The scribes and Pharisees weren’t righteous, they were legalistic. They didn’t seek God from their hearts; they sought him on the basis of their performance. Jesus came to show us real righteousness.
In Matthew chapters 5 – 7, Jesus compares what the people had been told by the religionists to what God’s truth would look like when applied the way He actually intended. Until Jesus came the understanding of God came from humans, with a corrupt heart, who turned God’s instructions for walking in love into hard, burdensome, legalistic regimens. That was never God’s intention from the beginning! Jesus took all the Commandments, interpreted and applied them from the motive of love! He said to hang all the law and prophets on loving God, people and one’s self! He is our example of righteousness that springs from love! In the NT, the directive to pursue righteousness is always coupled with the directive to pursue love. One without the other always leads to self-deception!
The problem is we become what we believe and behold. If we believe in an angry, controlling, legalistic God we become angry, controlling, legalistic people. This is righteousness without love as God defines it! If we pursue love without righteousness as God defines it, it leads to corrupt morals.
JOIN ME this week and I’ll show you one of the most powerful keys to discovering righteousness and love.
