Righteousness

Day 17 of 49

Righteousness

Some Christians ignore the Old Testament, believing that since Jesus came, the Old Testament is no longer valid and have denied themselves a look at the rich heritage that is in Christ. 

The Old and New Testaments are chapters of the same narrative, “The Story of God’s Plan for Redemption”. When first century Christians studied the Scripture, they studied the Law and the Prophets.  Over and over we see God’s plan unfold from Genesis to Revelation.

We find stories of great faith and examples of immense failure. We read about miracles where God intervenes and struggles when God seems far away. Every book includes the hope of a coming redeemer who will take upon himself the penalty for sin and open the door for a restored relationship with the Lord God. 

The words and works of Christ are foretold in the OT, and they enrich our understanding of the Lord, his love, his purpose, his provision, and his faithfulness and mercy towards us.

“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. 

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. 

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. 

For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 

Mt 5:17–20.

Jesus said he did not come to destroy the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfill them. It’s true we no longer offer animal sacrifices for our sins, Jesus shed his blood on the cross as that sacrifice. Studying about the sacrifices and the Passover Lamb helps us to understand just how seriously God takes sin. He loves us and he knows our sinful nature, that there is no way for us to come into the presence of a holy God on our own. He intentionally provided ways for the Israelites to enter his presence, and through Jesus Christ he provided a way for us.  

He speaks that not an iota or a dot will be removed from the Law. In Hebrew it says, not the smallest letter or stroke (kotz) will be removed until all fulfilled. The smallest letter in Hebrew is the yod, ( ׳ ) and yes, that apostrophe is what a yod looks like. The stroke (kotz) is the part of a Hebrew letter that completes the letter, such as the little upward line in a mem, ( מ )or the tag on a tav ( ת ). 

It’s important for us to engage the entire Word of God, not just the sections we like. I admit, some passages are hard to understand and raise more questions than answers, but continuing to interact with the Scripture brings clarity to the character of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. 

Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. 

Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast. 

Ps 119:89–90.

Consider how I love your precepts! Give me life according to your steadfast love. 

The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. 

Ps 119:159–160.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. 

Is 40:8.

Jesus then told the people that obedience to the Word is essential in the Kingdom of God. Then he adds, “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never see the Kingdom of heaven.”

Every listener would be wondering how anyone could enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The Pharisees had the reputation of being very holy and righteous. They held to a strict adherence to the Law, tithing on even their smallest crops. They had an appearance of holiness, but Jesus called them white washed tombs because their hearts were far from God (Mt 23:27). 

When it comes down to it, our best works with perfect motives are just dirty rags. Our only hope for righteousness is that righteousness provided by Jesus Christ. When we accept that we need an advocate in order to stand before the Lord, then it is Jesus’ righteousness that covers us. He took our sin and shame and replaced it with his righteousness.

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 

Ro 3:21–25.

Lord, thank you for providing Jesus Christ to be righteousness for us. You knew we could not approach you on our own, so you made a way for us through the cross. Thank you for paying the penalty for our sin, and then rising again to give us hope of a future resurrection where we will see the Kingdom of Heaven in all its glory.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 

 2 Co 5:21.

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 

Php 3:7–11.