Heart Before Habit

Jesus’ statement in Matthew 5:20 would have been shocking. The Jews said that if only two people made it to heaven, one would be a pharisee and the other a scribe. Jesus said their personal righteousness (credentials, outward perfection, etc.) was insufficient. Righteousness is not manufactured — it is a gift to be received by faith in Jesus Christ — and trust in the sufficiency of His sacrifice to make us whole. So, Jesus calls for something deeper — a life embodied in transformation. If righteousness is a gift, what does it look like to live it? How do we live a righteousness that reflects our king?