Monday, March 22, 2010

Getting It Backwards

Jesus tells the crowd of people that surrounded him, “I came not to destroy the law but to fulfill the law.” He then admonishes them, “I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot of one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called last in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven (Mt 5:17-19).

Why then don’t we make animal sacrifices and teach everyone else to do the same? We don’t because Jesus was the final and perfect sacrifice. The animal sacrifice never could take away sin. They were only meant as a picture of the coming sacrifice, the Lamb of God (Hebrews 10:1-4).

The scribes and Pharisees crossed every “T” and dotted every eye of the law. Why then did Jesus say to the crowds “For unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven”? Didn’t he just say people should keep the commandment? Wasn’t that what made the Scribes and Pharisees righteous?

Yes, and that is the point. They were counting on their own righteous acts to save them and it is impossible to be saved by righteous acts. Good works never produces righteousness. Salvation comes first, God making us righteous and in turn produces good works.

The law was never meant to produce righteousness. Our righteousness is in Christ alone (Romans 1:17, 4:3; 1 Cor 1:30-31, Gal 2:21, Heb 11:7).