Words From The Word Of God
A topical, and expositional study from the Word of God, in order to Glorify and Exalt our Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; that we may reach the world with the Gospel, and grow in the Grace and knowledge of Him.. Grace and Peace to all, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.(Isaiah 52:7) "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!"(Isaiah 55 10-11) 10) "For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:"11) "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."(John 3:16)“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”(John 14:1-7) 1)"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me."2)"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."3)"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."4)And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know."5)"Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?"6)"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."7)"If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him."(Romans 10 :9-10;13) 9)"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."10)"For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."13)"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
All Done For The Glory Of God and To Exalt Jesus Christ The Lord!!!
Words From The Word Of God
The Righteousness That Exceeds All Human Effort
Standing on a hillside in Galilee, Jesus delivers a teaching that would forever change humanity's understanding of righteousness. In one shocking declaration, He tells the crowd their righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees—religious leaders whose rule-keeping was unmatched—to enter the kingdom of heaven.
This powerful message from Matthew 5:17-20 explores Jesus' revolutionary claim that He came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it. Far from lowering God's standards, Christ elevates them beyond human capacity, exposing our desperate need for a righteousness we cannot achieve through our own efforts.
The sermon draws striking contrasts between the old covenant established at Mount Sinai and the new covenant Jesus institutes through His blood. While the Pharisees focused on external compliance with hundreds of regulations, Jesus pierces through to the heart, demanding transformation from within. Their righteousness, impressive as it appeared, was merely "whited sepulchers"—beautiful facades hiding spiritual death.
Why does Jesus set the bar impossibly high? To direct our eyes to Himself as the only source of true righteousness. Through powerful connections to Romans, Hebrews, and the prophets, this message reveals how Christ fulfilled every jot and tittle of the law, offering His perfect righteousness as a gift received by faith alone.
For anyone struggling with religious performance or wondering if their efforts are enough, this teaching offers liberating truth: salvation comes not through works but through surrender to Christ. The narrow gate isn't found through rule-keeping but through repentance and faith in the One who fulfilled what we never could.
Join us as we discover the profound simplicity of the gospel—that our righteousness must exceed the Pharisees' not through greater striving, but through the transformative power of Christ's finished work on the cross.
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
If you haven't received Jesus Christ by Faith, as your personal Lord and Savior; I strongly encourage you to do so before it is eternally too late!!!
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Hello and welcome back to this another edition of Words from the Word of God. Thank you so much for joining us after so long of a pause. Between broadcasts. We've been dealing with some health issues and just by the grace of God and sufficient and all sustaining grace, we're back with you and thank God for that, that we're able to join back with you and share words from the Word of God Today as we enter into our study. From the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 5, as we left off there, we'll be picking up here in verse 17, down through verse 20, for the purpose of the message today, through verse 20, for the purpose of the message today, and just ask that you would follow along with us for this most wonderful blessing that we receive from the Lord Now understand.
Speaker 1:Much meditation, much prayer and study has went into the preparation of this message, because how do you teach something that the Lord, jesus Christ, teaches? Because, as it said in Matthew, chapter 7, around there, verse 28 and 29,. If you'll turn over there with me, let's read that right quick. And this is as jesus finished uh, speaking, there he's. It says right here. And it came to pass when jesus had ended these sayings. The people were astonished at his doctrine where he taught them as one having authority and not as one as the scribes. Jesus' teaching with authority, divine authority, so with his teaching in divine authority. We can not add to it, and we're warned not to add to the teaching of the word of God or anything of the word of God, nor are we to take anything away. So it's my position that we need to be very careful and approach this with all reverence, because this is the Lord, jesus Christ, god himself, incarnate in the flesh in the person of Jesus Christ, teaching, teaching. And, as the setting finds us, we are on a hillside in Galilee, above Capernaum, and Jesus has seen the multitude coming to him, and this is in context. He sees the multitude, he goes up onto the mountain and was set and his disciples came unto him. That's not exactly the 12, but that is the disciples that wanted to hear his teaching and follow him, and they went up to hear from the Savior great teachings, no doubt bringing a shocking realization to the minds of the Jewish people that he taught there, on this mountainside.
Speaker 1:But as we approach this again, let's do it in reverence and let's pray that the Holy Spirit will open the eyes of our hearts and minds to be receptive as to what he is revealing to our hearts. Now, this is what's been revealed to me and this is how I will teach it. I will not change what Christ has said and I make that plain right now. I will not change it. However, I will reflect on other scriptures in the word of God and throughout the Word of God to establish what is taught here, what I believe and what's being revealed to me. So just pray for me as we go through this and let's just join together and have a good time in the Lord and bring praise and honor and glory to Him and exalt him throughout the earth. And let's just listen to his words here and let them speak deeply to our hearts.
Speaker 1:And as we pick up here again, in verse 17 of Matthew, chapter 5, he says think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets, that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy but to fulfill, for verily, that is surely or truly. I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass one jot or tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled. Wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled. Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach men, so he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. The same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 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. I think it's very interesting.
Speaker 1:As we look at this, we have to remember Mount Sinai, exodus chapter 20, where God established his covenant with the children of Israel after delivering them from the bondage of Egypt. And I think, can't help but think of the Passover lamb when I think of that law being set and that covenant being made with Moses and the children of Israel, and comparing it to and somewhat contrasting it here with Christ now standing on another mountain reaffirming the law. Notice I said reaffirming. He says he wants them to understand and he wants us to understand. He has not come to set the law aside, he has in every way come to fulfill the law, and that's what we want to look at as we go through. As I said, we're going to shine the light of other scriptures to see how the New Testament as well as some Old Testament scriptures reveal that Christ indeed came not to set the law aside but to fill it in every way, in every capacity, but Christ standing on this mountain reaffirming the law and setting forth a new covenant in himself by his precious blood.
Speaker 1:We have the Holy Bible in front of us. It has an Old Testament and a New Testament. That word testament in the greek is covenant and it is in the old old. So we can say we have the old covenant set forth with the children of israel on mount sinai, and the new covenant which is established and beginning to be established here by Jesus Christ in himself, and he will make it known by his blood. As we go along in this message, his words, the words of Christ here point the Jews and this is very significant to me, you know, because they did not have the New Testament, they could only be pointed to, and as the Old Testament points us to and it pointed them to and Christ's teaching here points them to an event that was coming and that was his cross at Calvary he is pointing them in that direction and he is letting them know that there must be a righteousness established that goes beyond works, that goes beyond simple rule keeping. It is a righteousness that will only come through faith in him and his finished work on Calvary's cross. Now he is pointing them and beginning to point them to it. However, we have the established new testament and we know that he is bringing us back to, he's calling us back to his cross, establishing a covenant that demands a transformed heart, a covenant that demands a transformed heart.
Speaker 1:Exodus, chapter 20, verse 1 and 2, turn over there with me. We're not going to turn to every scripture, but we will speak about the what the scriptures tell us as we go through. But I want to read this. Exodus, chapter 20,. It says and God spake all these words saying I am the Lord, thy God, which hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Let's go ahead and read this. This is something, lord, I don't want to heart. I wasn't going to read it, but let's read it.
Speaker 1:Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or likeness of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them, for I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of lord thy god in vain, for the lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Remember the sabbath and keep it holy sick day. Six days shalt thou labor and do thou all thy work, but the seventh day is the sabbath of the lord thy god. In it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservants, nor thy maidservants, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gate. For in six days the lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day, wherefore the lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it. Honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord, thy God, giveth thee.
Speaker 1:Thou shalt not kill. Notice this. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.
Speaker 1:And the noise of the trumpet and the mountain smoking. And when the people saw it, they removed and stood afar off and they said unto Moses, speak thou with us and we will hear. But let not God speak with us again, lest we die. That's basically what they're saying. But my point here is God established and declares his covenant here and sets forth his law here with the children of Israel, as he brought them up, as he said, out of the bondage of Egypt, jeremiah. However, in Jeremiah 31, chapter 31, verse 31 through 33. Turn there with me, right, quick. We're going somewhere with all this. So just bear with me. Jeremiah, chapter 31 turn there with me, right, quick, and I know if you have to have. Pause the broadcast and then catch up with us. Uh, as we go through. That's fine, you do it as the lord lays it on your heart, but I prefer you listen right now.
Speaker 1:But the word of god tells us here in jeremiah, chapter 31 verse. Starting in verse 31 he says behold, the days come, say of the lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of israel and with the house of judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which my covenant they break, although I was a husband unto them, saith the Lord. But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in the inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people. He will write his law upon their hearts. He will establish his covenant in Christ in the hearts of men. That's why I said this covenant demands heart transformation. If you will notice there.
Speaker 1:Turn back over to Matthew, chapter 4 again. Let's go back over there. Take me just a second. Get my place back. Give me just a second. I know you've got a turn there as well, but let's read down here. It says pick up there in verse 21.
Speaker 1:Ye, have heard that it was said by them of old time. Notice, jesus didn't say you have heard it said of God from Sinai. No, he's referring to the scribes and the Pharisees who had changed and added to so many delineations to those Ten Commandments that it was unreal that anyone could keep it. But Christ here is establishing that there would be a heart transformation, because he's setting the bar so high, so high that no one, just as the law that God set forth there on Sinai and that old covenant, that no one. The law was not meant to save anyone.
Speaker 1:What it was to do is to reveal that there is no way that man in themselves can live up to God's holy standard and righteousness. There's no way we can keep that. That's why Christ says I've not come. Think not that I've come to set the law aside. I've not come. But there is a righteousness that goes beyond that of works, a righteousness that goes beyond that of works, a righteousness that goes beyond that of the scribes and Pharisees, which was an outward show with no inward change. Because he would say this people honor me with their lips and with their mouth, but their hearts are far from me. He would speak of their hypocrisy in Matthew chapter, chapter 23, which we'll look at here in a little bit.
Speaker 1:But what christ is doing here is setting forth the heart change. He is talking about the intent of the heart. It goes beyond an outward show. He says you have heard it said that it was said by them of old time thou shalt not kill. Now listen to this. Remember what the law said, what God said thou shalt not kill, period. Thou shalt not commit murder. But he says right here, jesus said they've added to that Ye have heard that it was said of them, of them of old times thou shalt not kill, and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of judgment. God did not say that and he said, but I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without cause shall be in danger of the judgment, and whosoever shall say to his brother Then go back down here to verse verse 27,.
Speaker 1:He says ye have heard it that it was said by them of old times thou shalt not commit adultery. And that's what the law says, what God put into the old covenant, that was one of the commandments. But he, jesus, says, but I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already. Then if you look at verse 38 of the same chapter. He said Ye have heard that it hath been said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you that ye resist not evil, but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. What he's saying here and what he's putting into effect is the intent of the heart, not an outward rule obeying righteousness, and that's what the scribes and Pharisees were doing. And he exposes their hypocrisy there in chapter 6, as we begin to read it, and we'll get into that in later messages.
Speaker 1:But what he's establishing here? He is affirming that, no, he has not come to set the law aside, but he's come to establish a new covenant that would demand a heart transformation and that covenant could not that's still that righteousness could not be attained by anyone. He sets it so high, the bar so high, that no one can attain it. You must understand. In the Jewish mind, the scribes and the Pharisees, there was an old saying, as historical records show. They had a saying that if any two men would go to heaven, it would be a scribe or a Pharisee, and that was highly made known throughout the Jewish nation at that time and throughout the Jewish people and in their minds. So when Jesus said, lest your righteousness succeed that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no way enter into the kingdom of heaven, he is setting the bar. He is setting the righteous bar so high, and he says it here in these four verses, that we, no one, not just the Jews, nor us today, can attain it of our own. But it deals with a heart transformation. These are the thoughts and intents of the heart and that's what he's saying.
Speaker 1:He has come to provide that righteousness that exceeds outward shows of works, that exceeds outward shows of works, and that righteousness that exceeds rule obeying and so on and so forth. And all the delineations. I mean they had the scribes and pharisees had 40 different delineations of keeping the sabbath. They had 40 different things that you had to do and couldn't do on the sabb. So how hard was it to surpass that righteousness? And Jesus would tell them they're not keeping it themselves because they're hypocrites. And he exposes that in Matthew, chapter 23.
Speaker 1:But he's setting forth to us as he affirms the law. He affirms that he's not here to set the law aside but to establish the law, reaffirm the law, reestablish the law and set it forth in him and him alone. And this is where he begins to point them to his cross, to his perfect sacrifice, to his perfect righteousness, as he would claim over and over again that he was in fact the son of God and that we know through scripture, as it is revealed through the gospels, that it teaches us because we already have it. They didn't have it at that time, so this was a major transition for them to understand. But we understand it better because there's other scriptures that are made known to us and we have those for our benefit today, such as Hebrews 8, verse 6 through 10.
Speaker 1:We're not going to read that for the sake of time, but it basically says Christ is the mediator of a better covenant, fulfilling the law. You know, we must see right here where he says for verily, I say unto you till heaven and earth pass one jot or one tittle, shall no life pass from the law till all be fulfilled. Jesus here affirms the enduring nature of God's law, declaring that not even the smallest letter or stroke in the Hebrew language will pass away until it is all fulfilled Again. It was never meant to say nor to be discarded, but rather to point to one who would fulfill it perfectly. So you see how it wonderfully and interestingly forms here in his teachings that he's beginning to point them to him and him alone in his sacrifice. And this will play out as we go through the gospels.
Speaker 1:You know the law and the prophets, the entirety of the Old Testament anticipated the coming of Christ. So when he comes and declares himself to be the Messiah, he is the fulfillment of those Old Testament scriptures that foreshadowed him. And the law and the sacrificial system and the priesthood, all of that foreshadowed him. Not only that, but the prophecies that foretold of his coming, his virgin birth in Bethlehem where he was born, that he was eternal and that he was the eternal Messiah, the eternal promised Messiah. You know, jesus declares in Luke, chapter 24, verse 44, that all things written in the law and the prophets and Psalms concerning him must be fulfilled. And he was the only one that could fulfill it because he was, is and will always be the eternal son of God, our savior. Come to save all from their sins.
Speaker 1:You know, romans, chapter three, verse 21, basically establishes that the righteousness of God is revealed apart from the law, yet it is still witnessed by the law and the prophets and that speaks of Christ, none other than Jesus Christ. He is the righteousness of God, revealed apart from the law but the self-abiding rules that the Pharisees and scribes opposed upon the people. That was so difficult to keep. Christ is telling them that that is no longer acceptable. There is a righteousness that must be attained that you cannot do of your own. I must fulfill the law. I will fulfill the law. I will die at a place called Calvary, as he would reveal later on to his disciples as he was headed to Jerusalem. He set his face like a flint to go to Jerusalem when his time, his hour, had come.
Speaker 1:But Christ was to fulfill. He was for the fulfillment, not the abolition of the law. The fulfillment, not the abolition of the law. It's very significant that we understand that because Christ establishes a new covenant. It is a new promise from God that any that and the New Testament tells of this and it just gives it to us so beautifully that it would be revealed in Christ. In that faith, you know that righteousness that exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees can only be established by the perfect life of Christ, the sinless life of Christ and his sinless and blemish-free sacrifice, and by his blood, the blood of the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world, and he is the only way that we can ever attain the righteousness that is acceptable to God the Father, through Jesus Christ, god the Son, christ did not set aside the law, but embodied his perfect righteousness. Galatians 3.24 tells us the law was a schoolmaster. It is our teacher to bring us to Christ, because it tells us there. Just think of the Ten Commandments by themselves, just think of that. There is in no way that we can ever live by the Ten Commandments. We want to, we want to keep them, we desire to keep them, but there is no way.
Speaker 1:The Apostle Paul said I kept every one, but when it come to covetousness, the law slew me, and he wrote a third part of the New Testament. So that righteousness that's set forth is in Christ and Christ alone. The law was not made to save us. It was to bring us to the one who could keep the law and the one that died to pay our sin debt in full. And his sacrifice was satisfied, the eternal punishment that God had upon our sins. He took our sins and bore them on the cross. When he carried his cross, he carried more than a beam. He carried the sins of the whole world. That is why the righteousness is established in him and through in us, is established through faith in him. It is imputed to us. But Romans 10, verse 4, chapter 10, verse 4 says Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. To everyone who believes. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Who believes in what? Keeping every bit of the law? No, he who believes in Christ, and Christ alone.
Speaker 1:Let's look at the new covenant. Just as the old covenant was established at Sinai, christ now establishes the new covenant in his blood, calling for hearts to be transformed by grace. Turn with me, if you will right, quick. We're going to read this scripture because it's very significant. Turn with me, if you will right, quick. We're going to read this scripture because it's very significant.
Speaker 1:Turn with me to Matthew, chapter 26, there, and we want to read verse 27 through verse 29, and I want you to read with me here and understand this. And this is Jesus speaking here. He says and he took the cup and this is at the last supper, and he gave thanks and gave it to them, saying drink ye all of it, for this is my blood of the new testament. That word in transliteration is covenant. This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink his forth henceforth of this fruit of the divine until the that day when I drink it new with you in my father's kingdom. Christ had come to set forth the new covenant in himself and by his precious blood and the hearts that he calls for that heart transformation is by grace and grace alone. It is not by work.
Speaker 1:Hebrews, chapter 9, verse 15, tells us that Christ is the mediator of the new covenant. Second Corinthians, chapter 3, verse 6, says the new covenant is the spirit, not the letter. It is in the spirit of transformation. It is not in the letter of the law. It is by the fulfillment of the law in Christ and Christ, but his righteousness being imputed to us. When we accept him by faith and we experience grace, grace and the gospel become a living reality in our hearts and our hearts are transformed as we are born from above, born of the spirit, born experiencing the new birth.
Speaker 1:Christ says here he says as he reveals the heart of the problem and the solution. He says oh, how beautiful that is if you consider it with the light of heaven. Oh, how beautiful that is if you consider it with the light of the New Testament, light of the Old Testament. You know Jesus would be Isaiah 53. He would fulfill.
Speaker 1:Go to Isaiah, chapter 50 and read through Isaiah 53 and see how the cross is foretold, the suffering of his cross is foretold throughout, and that how Isaiah tells us that. You know he died and by his stripes we are healed. You know it's so beautiful that picture. But Jesus says here you know that our righteousness and the righteousness of the Jews of that day must exceed that of the Pharisees who were meticulous in their observance of the Jews of that day must exceed that of the Pharisees who were meticulous in their observance of the law, yet their righteousness was external. Christ exposes the insufficiency of human effort through this and reveals the necessity of a righteousness that surpasses mere rule-keeping, the Pharisaical problem problem outward obedience without inward transformation. Isaiah, chapter 29, verse 13, says this people honor god with their lips, but their hearts are far from them, and christ would repeat this in his teaching. Not only that, but jesus reveals the Pharisees appear righteous outwardly but are full of hypocrisy.
Speaker 1:Turn over to Matthew, chapter 23, verse 27 and 28, with me, right quick 23, verse 27,. He says Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye are like unto white as sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward. Ye are like unto white as sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward but are within full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness. Even so, ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity, the most gross sins of the human heart, the iniquity, he says, verse 29. We would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. And these are the same ones who will cry. As he was going to his trial there, to Pilate, they said crucify him, crucify him, crucify him. That shows you the hypocrisy of their outward deeds. That did not line up with their hearts, their hearts. They honored God only with their rule keeping and their lips, but their hearts were greatly far from them.
Speaker 1:You can do all the works in the world and your righteousness is nothing more than filthy rags, as Isaiah tells us. And Isaiah he says, our works are nothing more than filthy rags before God, and our iniquities have carried us away like the wind, have carried us away. Our righteousness is nothing apart from Christ, and we must understand that, just as we can point our finger all day long at the scribes and Pharisees, because we see their unrighteousness, because of their hypocrisy, but where are our hearts? Where are our hearts? Are our hearts right? Are we trying to get to heaven on works alone, or have we placed our faith, all of our faith, and repented and placed all of our faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross and his precious blood for the washing away of our sins, the divine solution? Christ offers a righteousness that is imputed, not earned.
Speaker 1:Scripture tells us this throughout Romans, chapter 3, verse 22 through 24. Read that with you right, quick. Just want to turn over there, and I know I said we wouldn't cover these for the sake of time, but I feel it necessary for us to read some of these scriptures, just so you know. We know it's not just what I'm telling you, it's what the Word of God says. So let's read it right, quick.
Speaker 1:Chapter 3 of Romans, 22 through 24, says let's go back to verse 20, right here. It says Therefore, by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified. Justified is a very interesting and unique word. It means that we, apart from the law in Christ, all in faith of Christ, are pronounced righteous before God. He pronounces us, it is his judicial ruling that we, and accepting Christ's finished work and being washed in his blood on the cross, he declares us righteous by the fulfilling of the law and the prophets in every way and paying for our sin debt in full, that we are declared righteous in Christ and Christ alone alone.
Speaker 1:So let's pick it up again right here, in verse 20 of romans, chapter 3 therefore, by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh how much flesh? No flesh be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. We cannot claim that we live by every part of the law, because it means nothing without faith in Christ, and it tells us this right here. But now the righteousness of God, without the law, is manifested, being witnessed by none other than the law and the prophets speaking of Jesus Christ. Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe For there is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is, in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth to be the propitiation, through faith in what His blood, to declare his righteousness. Do you hear that? To declare his righteousness, do you hear that there is the definition of justification? To declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God. To declare, I say at this time, his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. The just and the justifier. He is just when he talks about the forbearance. That's God looking past our sins because of the precious blood of Jesus Christ, because he is the sacrifice that satisfied God's holy demand and judgment upon our sin, as he bore all of our sin in himself on the cross. So you see the wonderfulness of Matthew, chapter 5, verse 17 through 20, coming to light as we shine the light of other scripture upon it, how christ has come to not only fulfill the law in every part, not only to die for our sins in every way, but and to pay our sin debt fully. Uh, in him, and him alone, in his stripes, we are healed and not had that we cannot have our own righteousness, but that which is through faith in Christ.
Speaker 1:Philippians, chapter 3, verse 9. Jesus speaks in Matthew, chapter 7. Chapter 7, turn with me there and pick it up in verse 13. Jesus says Enter ye in at the straight gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction. And then he goes on to tell us about beware of the false prophets and how we can recognize a false prophet or a false believer, one who claims to be a Christian or born again believer and lives in the world. We recognize them. We don't judge them so much by what they their actions, but we do judge them and they can be judged according to scripture about their fruit. Because he says right there an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit. Neither can a good tree bring forth evil fruit. It's just not possible.
Speaker 1:But Philippians, chapter 3, verse 9, and Jesus tells us here he sets the bar of righteousness so high that no one can attain it by their own work. It is a narrow way. It's a narrow way and it says few there be. He says few there be that find it Few there be. But you know why? That is Because men strangle themselves at the simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They just believe they in their hearts that it cannot be that easy. There cannot just be one way. No, we got to have the cross plus this or plus that, you got to do this or you got to do that. You got to go to church 50,000 times in your lifetime and you got to have the cross on top of that. No, it is only the cross, it is only the blood of Jesus Christ that justifies the apostle.
Speaker 1:Paul told us that there in Romans, chapter 3. It is by grace, it is not by works, he tells us in Ephesians, chapter 2, verse 8 and 9, for by grace are you saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of god, not of works. Lest any man should boast the narrow way, and men strangle at that, because it just can't be that simple. Something so eternally profound just cannot be that simple. And as far as repenting and going and placing our faith in Christ, it just can't. Many will say it just can't be that simple. There can't just be one way we got to have our hand in it to make ourselves right.
Speaker 1:That is not according to the word of God. In fact, it speaks everything against what Jesus Christ is teaching here in Matthew, chapter five, that our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and the Pharisees. The Jews of that day would have said, as the old saying, if two men go to heaven, it's going to be a scribe or a Pharisee, because they were considered the most holy. How great was it to hear that, the Jewish people, to hear that from the lips of Jesus Christ. How profound was that, that they were not said to go to heaven and that he would go on to talk about their hypocrisy there in chapter six, how they pray and they fast and they give to be seen of men, not of God. He exposes that. He tells them they are like whited sepulchers on the outside, but inside they're full of dead men's bones. That is what a works-based salvation is. It's an outward show with no inward change.
Speaker 1:You say, well, that's harsh. No, that's the truth of God's word. It must be by repentance and faith in Christ and Christ alone. The only way, the narrow way. The word of God would go on to tell us that you know, he alone is the foundation. Read on with me over here. He says and this is a key thing right here, because these are the most tragic words that ever be spoken by our Lord.
Speaker 1:He said not in verse 21 of Matthew, chapter 7. He says not everyone that saith unto me, lord, lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven. You say, well, the will of the Father. Jesus said we must keep these commandments. We can't break or teach to break the least of these commandments. Well, it's all fulfilled in Christ. He fulfilled it all and we can live by accepting him through faith and his righteousness. Because he lived the perfect life. He fulfilled every part of the law. He died the perfect, sinless sacrifice. He paid our sin debt in full and by him and him alone. Him alone is the only way that we can receive the righteousness that is acceptable for God the Father. What is the will of God the Father? That we keep the will of the. He says that doeth the will of my Father. Peter would tell us that the will of the Father is none that would perish, but that all would come to repentance. That's the will of the Father is none that would perish, but that all would come to repentance. That's the will of the Father. The will of the Father was that Jesus Christ would die in our place on Calvary's cross. That was the will of the Father. The will of the Father is that we would accept Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah and the only way that we can be justified, and the only way that we can be justified and the only way that we can receive salvation.
Speaker 1:He says that any other foundation is like building our foundation upon sand. Here he says there. Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock and the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon the house and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man which built his house upon sand and the rain descended and the house upon sand, and the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon the house and it fell, and a great great was the fall of it. Basically, we can build upon no other foundation than jesus Christ and him alone. He is the only way.
Speaker 1:I can keep saying it. I can keep saying it, but I think we get what Jesus is teaching that the only righteousness is. He sets that bar. He says he who breaks the least of these Now he does say will be the least in the kingdom of heaven, and he who teaches them not to do that will be the least to give a. He that does them and teaches men to do so will be the greatest of the kingdom of heaven. But it's still not by works that works are produced, by faith, not. It's not the other way around that works produces saving faith, but it's saving faith produces good work, good fruit, just like that good tree produces good fruit and the evil tree produces evil fruit. And ye shall know a man by the fruits that he bears. That's what he teaches here in Matthew, chapter 7.
Speaker 1:But you know, we have a call to action through all this. The righteousness required is not found in human effort but in complete surrender to Christ, seeing that the believer must abandon self-righteousness, recognizing that no amount of good works can merit salvation. As I said, salvation is by grace, through faith, and not of works. Ephesians, chapter 2, verse 8 and 9. Titus, 3 5 tells us not by works of righteousness, but by his mercy, embrace Christ's righteousness, trusting in his finished work on the cross and that alone the apostle Paul would tell us in Romans, chapter 5, verse 1, we are justified by faith. We have peace with God. There's that word justification.
Speaker 1:Again, remember God declaring us righteous by the blood of Christ, by our acceptance of him and his fulfilling of the law, because what we're saying when we don't accept him is that we don't believe his teaching. Remember what I said at the beginning we must be very careful to understand and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us. To him is that we don't believe his teaching. Remember what I said at the beginning we must be very careful to understand and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us. And I pray that the Holy Spirit has shown you some of this that he's blessed my heart with over the time of great meditation. That was part of the reason why there was such a great distance between broadcast and such a pause, because I meditated upon the scripture and I've prayed over the scripture greatly, because these are the teachings of Christ and there is no other way that's greater than the teachings of Christ. So in a way, I am greatly humbled that I'm able to bring this word from the word of God, but in the same sense I'm very reverent to it, to his teachings, that we cannot change them. It's the truth and we must accept them.
Speaker 1:That's salvation is believing in Christ, in everything he said, everything he did and his finished work on the cross and his resurrection, because we serve a living Savior. Serve a living savior and we're called to embrace the righteousness that's imputed to us from receiving christ by faith. The word of god tells us in uh second corinthians, chapter 5, verse 21, that he made him to be sin for us, speaking of God making Christ to be sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. You know, therefore, jesus called. If you remember, the last message we spoke on was being salt and light in this world, reflecting the transformative power of the righteousness of Christ in our daily life. You know, 1 Peter 2, 2-9 says we are a chosen generation called to show forth his praises, that's his righteousness, how it has transformed our hearts, how our hearts have been transformed. Not only that, but we, as we're closed here, have an invitation to salvation.
Speaker 1:The righteousness required for entrance into the kingdom is not earned, sinner friend, it is given, it is a free gift. Don't let anyone tell you you have to work to be saved. What you have to do is believe and repent, turn from the world and the sin that you're in and place all of your trust and all of your faith turning to God, by placing all of your trust and faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary and his resurrection as the risen son of God. That's what it takes to be saved, not work. You cannot earn it, you can't buy it, you can't work to get to it, you just can't do it. It is all by faith and faith alone.
Speaker 1:Repentance and faith go hand in hand. When I say repent and faith, it is repentance. Jesus tells us in Mark, chapter 1, verse 15, repent and believe. The gospel, his gospel and the word of God assures us that he alone provides the righteousness that exceeds the Pharisees. Because John 6, 37 says whosoever comes to Christ, he will in no wise cast out. As whosoever comes to Christ, he will in no wise cast out. Not only that, but Paul tells us that if we confess with our mouth and believe in our heart that he is Lord and he is risen, he is the risen Son of God, we shall be saved, and whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Therefore, repent and turn from self-reliance and trust in the free gift of God's grace in Jesus Christ. Repent and be converted. Acts 3.19 says repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out. Mark 1.15 again repent. Jesus said repent and believe the gospel.
Speaker 1:Walk the narrow way, enter through the straight gate, for broad is the way that leads to destruction, but narrow is the way that leads to life, and many there be that find that broad way to destruction. Jesus says it. In that day, many will say Lord, lord, didn't we do this and didn't we do that? That's the thing about it. You focus more on what you did instead of focusing on placing your faith in his finished work, and you depended upon your self-righteousness, just as the scribes and Pharisees, to be holy and righteous before God, which the word of God tells us is nothing more than filthy rags, apart from Jesus Christ. It's simple. It is a simple but powerful and profound eternal message. Jesus says strive to enter in at the straight gate.
Speaker 1:In Luke, chapter 13, verse 24. Hebrews, chapter 12, verse 14, says follow peace and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Says follow peace and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord Folks, in closing, jesus did not come to abolish the law, but rather to fulfill it in every part, to lift our eyes beyond mere religious observance and to reveal true righteousness that is found only in him. From Mount Sinai, god gave the law to a nation he had redeemed from slavery. But from the Mount of Beatitudes, as it's called, or the Sermon on the Mount, christ, the fulfillment of that law calls humanity, all of humanity, into a greater covenant, one written upon the hearts of men, established by his blood and received through faith.
Speaker 1:The Pharisees and the scribes clung to external righteous, believing that strict adherence to the law would make them acceptable before God. But Christ shatters that illusion, declaring that unless righteousness exceeds theirs, no man shall ever enter into the kingdom of heaven. He set the bar of holiness high, so high that no human effort could reach it, directing all men to himself, who is the way, the truth and the life, that there is none other name among men given among men under heaven, by which we must be saved. That is an emphatic we must be saved. He is the only way. It is only through him that we are made righteous, only by his finished work that we enter the narrow way that leads to life.
Speaker 1:The choice is set before us today. Will we trust in our works, like the Pharisees and scribes, and fall short of the glory of God, or will we completely surrender to Christ in repentance and faith? I have taken that step and it is the prayer of my heart that, if you do not personally know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, that you will repent, that you will turn from the world, you will turn from the sin that you're so bogged down with and you will turn to God by placing all of your faith, all of your trust in Christ and accept the true righteousness that is imputed to you when your sin record is wiped clean and God declares you righteous before him by the blood of the Lamb, which taketh away the sin of the world. The law pointed forward to Jesus and now, standing at the crossroads of eternity, christ points us back to his cross, where the new covenant in his blood was sealed, inviting all to a life of heart transformation, holiness and eternal hope. But this is just the beginning.
Speaker 1:Christ's Sermon on the Mount does not merely inform, it transforms. It calls us deeper, deeper into challenges and challenges our hearts, and compels us to ask what does it truly mean to live as citizens of his kingdom? As we continue this study, may our hearts hunger for more, more of his truth, more of his grace and more of his righteousness that it is not our own but his holy, all-complete righteousness. Let us press forward, listening as Christ speaks as we continue this study in the Gospel of Matthew, from this Sermon on the Mount, and may his words shape us into what we are always meant to be salt that preserves and light that shines, and souls that are wholly given to Christ and Christ alone. Christ and Christ alone.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for joining me today. I'm sorry I went a little long. I realize I did, but I believe the Lord has spoken and I pray that this message has been a blessing to your heart. If you don't know Christ as your Lord and Savior, I pray that you will repent and give your heart to him today and be completely transformed from the inside out, not the outside in. Thank you again for joining us. I look forward to the next time we can share transformed from the inside out, not the outside in. Thank you again for joining us. I look forward to the next time we can share words from the word of God. God bless you all.
