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Pastor Lud Golz
Pastor Lud Golz

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  Home | Transcript Archive | July | July 07, 2015

Tuesday, July 07, 2015

As we continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 let’s consider what Jesus said in Matthew 5:17-20. He points out, “I have not come to abolish (the Law and the Prophets) but to fulfill them.” God’s Word will stand until everything it says is accomplished. This high view of God’s Word should cause all who follow Jesus to take seriously what it says and live their lives accordingly. The punch line of this section is verse 20: “I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” The Pharisees and teachers of the law presented themselves as meticulously keeping all the details of the law publicly. They looked down on ordinary people as inferior in the category of righteousness. Jesus raises the bar by emphasizing that unless their righteousness surpasses that of these religious leaders they are disqualified from entering the kingdom of heaven. For them this was an impossible standard. But if you consider this statement through the prism of the impact word “secret,” meaning that which God sees taking place in your heart and mind, you see something more here. The religious leaders were concerned with public recognition and honor. Their righteousness was surface and shallow in nature. Jesus then explains what He meant by considering the difference between trying to keep the law publicly vs internally realizing God knows what is going on inside of you – in secret. In the light of this internal standard, all of us come short and need a Savior.

 

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