BIBLE PASSAGE:
“For 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.”
(Matthew 5:20)
MEDITATION:
Have you ever thought about what happens after we have received
salvation from God? We will develop a new attitude, won’t we? Our
priorities will change and ‘pleasing the Lord’ becomes our top priority.
We will gladly yield our life to the Lord and we will have a new desire
to serve Him. We will want to spend more time with the Lord (through
prayer, worship, and reading the bible).
We will transition from a life of ‘unrighteousness’, to a life of
‘righteousness’. It is a sincere righteousness that is given to us
from God Himself. This righteousness is received through faith
in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God, and all are justified freely by his grace through
the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
(Romans 3:22-24)
The scriptures tell us that we are all sinners and we have fallen
short of the glory of God. However, the arrival of Jesus gave us
an opportunity to change our relationship with God. When He
went to the cross and became a living sacrifice for our sins, Jesus
opened the door for us to change our eternal destiny.
Some ‘think’ they have been saved, but they still have doubts about
their Christianity. It is essential for everyone to be sure they belong
to the Lord. Some will talk and act like they are Christians, but their
lives haven’t been changed in some very important ways.
They are not ‘poor in spirit’
(they have not become humble).
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”
(Matthew 5:3)
They do not ‘mourn’
(they are not grieved deeply about sin).
“Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted”
(Matthew 5:4)
They are not ‘meek’
(they have not developed a gentle spirit).
“Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth”
(Matthew 5:5)
They don’t have a ‘hunger and thirst for righteousness’.
“Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled”
(Matthew 5:6)
As Jesus told us in Matthew 5:20, we need to have a greater
righteousness than those who claim they are believers, but
don’t have a close relationship with the Lord. If we have a
hunger and thirst for righteousness, others can detect it by
the way they see us live our lives.
If we don’t have a ‘hunger and thirst’ to pray, read the bible,
and worship the Lord, then our desire for righteousness is in
question. Jesus says that if the desire is not there, then we will
not enter the kingdom of Heaven.
We cannot redefine God’s standards to fit our personal preferences
and desires. Rather than trying to achieve righteousness in our own
way, we need to follow God’s guidelines which will lead to a natural
desire to do the things He expects of us.
They are not ‘merciful’
(they are not forgiving and compassionate).
“Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy”
(Matthew 5:7)
They are not ‘pure in heart’
(they do not have clean thoughts that are pleasing to God).
“Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God”
(Matthew 5:8)
They are not ‘peacemakers’
(they don’t abstain from arguments and anger).
“Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God”
(Matthew 5:9)
They are not ‘persecuted because of righteousness’
(they don’t experience pressure from others to compromise
their faith and do the things that displease God. Why not?
Because others can see that their faith is weak and insincere,
so there’s no need to pressure them to forsake their faith).
That word ‘righteousness’ appears again. Why? Because
entering Heaven depends on it.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted
because of righteousness, for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven”
(Matthew 5:10)
ACTION:
Before the fall of Rome, there was a lot of talk about religion,
but few practiced it. When God saves us, we begin a new type
of journey that requires many changes. It is all a part of God’s
sanctification process, where He purges us of ‘unrighteousness’,
and fills us with His ‘righteousness’.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just
and will forgive us our sins and purify us from
all unrighteousness.
(1 John 1:9)
It’s not a ‘one and done’ event, but it’s a process that continues
until He calls us home. Some of the changes will be uncomfortable
and possibly painful, because we are required to change from the
words, thoughts, actions, attitudes, and habits we’ve had in the past.
We need to realize that when God is in the process of transforming
us, He may have to include some level of discipline to…
(1) Get our attention, and
(2) Help us to see the areas where we have been in
denial regarding our sinful actions and attitudes.
But many of the changes will be exciting and rewarding as we discover
more about God and His will for our lives. We will have a new purpose
for living and it will encourage us more each day. In addition, we will
discover that God has given us a desire, and the ability to encourage
others, as He transitions us from an attitude of ‘selfishness’ to a new
one of ‘selflessness’. We won’t just think about encouraging others,
we will sincerely look for opportunities to encourage them, and then
do it.
We should ask ourselves:
– How does my Christian life compare with the
requirements listed in the meditation section above?
– Do I have my own definition of righteousness, or do
I follow God’s guidelines for living the Christian life?
– Do I have a new righteousness that I have
fabricated myself, or is it a gift from God?
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, I don’t want to miss out on entering Heaven.
Make me aware of any areas in my life where my righteousness
is not the kind of righteousness You expect of believers. Let me
know if I have not received righteousness from You. Make me
aware of your presence in my life and help me embrace Your
process of sanctifying me so I will be worthy to bear the name,
Christian!”
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