TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS GOES BEYOND RELIGIOUS DUTIES

 



By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi
 Matt 5:20 KJV  “ 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.”
      Scribes (Greek  ‘grammateís’) which means "lawyers,"  where  those trained in the application of the Torah(Matt 22:35 , Mark 12:28 ) they are described as "teachers of the Law," In old testament times they took down prophet’s dictations (Jer 36:4,18) “The importance of scribes (in the basic sense of those trained to read and write) goes back to the first use of writing in the ancient centers of civilization, Babylon and Egypt. Clearly these skills automatically made the scribe both a necessary and an influential members of society. The ruling class depended on the scribes for a great variety of practical matters, and gradually scribes evolved from mere copiers and recorders to being members of the government and representatives of the king”
       The Pharisees were a Jewish sect or party whose members voluntarily took upon themselves a strict regimen of laws pertaining to purity, Sabbath observance, prayer, and tithing.  The first-century Hellenistic-Jewish historian Josephus; a student of the  Pharisees ;in  his writings  described them  as  "the most accurate interpreters of the law" (BJ ii.8 .14 [162]) and "experts in their country's laws" (Vita 38  [191]). They excelled the rest of the nation in observing religious customs (BJ i.5 .2 [110]). (from International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, revised edition, Copyright © 1979 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. All rights reserved.) 
    The scribes and the Pharisees were simply the best authority in matters of Jewish laws and customs , yet Jesus in Matt.5:20 declared  their righteousness insufficient to give a person access to heaven.  From this we see three types of righteousness practiced in the church. The first , is the righteousness of Moses , obtained by the strict observance of the six hundred and thirteen laws of Moses , which no man could fulfill , not even Moses .Secondly , the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees , they had an oral interpretations of the laws of Moses (Halakah) which included human traditions .  Thirdly , there is the righteousness by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and his redemptive work for the salvation of mankind on the cross. This is the same faith by which Abraham was declared justified by God in the absence of the written laws of Moses (Rom4:1-13).
                Jesus said no one can have access to heaven through the first and second kinds of righteousness . The prophet Zechariah prophesied about Jesus Christ and salvation by grace in  Zech 12:10 KJV “ And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son,…”  We are saved by the spirit of grace and supplication. Our hope is on Jesus Christ who was pieced on a cross for our redemption.       Unfortunately, some church leaders promote hatred using the laws of Moses “They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. ..the law is good if one uses it properly….” 1 Tim 1:7-11  NIV   that law is made not for the righteous. They are for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine of the glorious gospel of the blessed God and by the observance of the laws shall no man be justified before God because failure in one of the 613 laws is equal to failure in all and results in a curse ( Deuteronomy 27:26) Not being able to memorize and recite the laws of Moses is a sin .How many christians know the law by heart ? Thank God for grace.
Prayer : Heavenly Father forgive me of my sins against you I believe Jesus Christ died and was raised again for my salvation I receive him as lord and saviour and receive the Holy Spirit and freedom from guilt and condemnation in Jesus name.   
  Free prayer/counseling +2348098536911,+2348035536911, email:michaelbensonajayi@gmail.com

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