Christ, Our Perfect Righteousness
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:17–20
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Christ, Our Perfect Righteousness
Jesus did not come to discard God’s Word, but to fulfill it completely. The Law reveals God’s holy will and exposes our sin. Like the Pharisees, we can be tempted to measure righteousness by outward behavior while ignoring the sinful heart beneath it. But God’s standard is not merely outward conformity; He demands perfect righteousness. That leaves us with a problem: our righteousness will never be enough. Even our best works are stained by sin. The righteousness that exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees cannot come from ourselves. It comes from Christ. Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Law in our place. He loved God perfectly, loved His neighbor perfectly, and then bore the punishment our disobedience deserved upon the cross. There, the One who fulfilled the Law became the sacrifice for lawbreakers. Therefore, do not look to your works for confidence before God. Look to Christ. His perfect righteousness is credited to you by faith, and in Him you stand forgiven.
Matthew 5:17–20
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Christ, Our Perfect Righteousness
Jesus did not come to discard God’s Word, but to fulfill it completely. The Law reveals God’s holy will and exposes our sin. Like the Pharisees, we can be tempted to measure righteousness by outward behavior while ignoring the sinful heart beneath it. But God’s standard is not merely outward conformity; He demands perfect righteousness. That leaves us with a problem: our righteousness will never be enough. Even our best works are stained by sin. The righteousness that exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees cannot come from ourselves. It comes from Christ. Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Law in our place. He loved God perfectly, loved His neighbor perfectly, and then bore the punishment our disobedience deserved upon the cross. There, the One who fulfilled the Law became the sacrifice for lawbreakers. Therefore, do not look to your works for confidence before God. Look to Christ. His perfect righteousness is credited to you by faith, and in Him you stand forgiven.
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