More Pious Than A Pharisee?

Verse: For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 5:20)

 So wait! Does this mean that we can earn our way to heaven? I thought that salvation is a gift from God and that we can't earn it by our own merits. At first glance, it looks like Jesus is saying that we have to earn our way to heaven, but in actuality he is merely saying that if you wanted to TRY to earn your place on your own you would have to be even MORE pious than the pharisees. Now that's a tall order!

 The pharisees were all about acting pious and had rules and religious traditions for almost every facet of life. If you were looking for an example in piety, you could find no better example than the pharisees. Jesus never condemns them for their religious devotion but for their empty actions. They may have acted pious but in reality their hearts were far from God. God wants our actions to come out of a heart of love and obedience to Him and not purely out of obligation. Even the pharisees in all their piety missed the mark of perfection. If it was up to our own efforts none of us would have a home in heaven. Which is why all of us require the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, the only one to live a perfect life.

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus- Thank you for your example on how to live a life that is pleasing to the Father. Help us to always remember that our motives are just as important as our actions. In Jesus name, amen.