This was written to supplement a study in Matthew 5:13-20, where we unpacked what Jesus said kingdom living is like. Here, we further understand how we can be righteous and live righteous lives.
In the "Sermon on the Mount", we see the Lord Jesus' preaching to His disciples of the life and culture of the kingdom of heaven. Where the holy God reigns and rules over His people, people have repented of their old way of life and turned to a new way of living. Jesus says in Matthew 5 that this way of life is marked by perfect righteousness that exceeds the scribes and the Pharisees — the Jewish religious groups of the day who devoted themselves to pietistic perfection and the highest standards of devotion to the requirements of the Law. Thus, nothing less than the perfect righteousness of God can entitle us to become citizens of this heavenly kingdom. D A Carson writes: "The more I read these three chapters — Matthew 5, 6, and 7 — the more I am both drawn to them and shamed by them. Their brilliant light draws me like a moth to a spotlight; but the light is so bright it sears and burns. No room is left for forms of piety which are nothing more than veneer and sham. Perfection is demanded. Jesus says, ‘Be perfect…as your heavenly Father is perfect’ (Matt 5:48).”
How then can we be perfectly righteous? The Bible speaks of two ways to be righteous. One is the Law righteousness of my own merit and effort. By adherence to the Law, by living out what God requires in my life, I attempt to be righteous by my own performance. This is life as we know it without God. Trying to be good, trying to do what is right, applying ourselves to religious and moral requirements, even good religious and moral requirements. But because I am a sinner and my motives are mixed and my performance is always spotty, and because my heart is fundamentally corrupt, I am unable to attain the perfect righteousness that the Law requires. Thus, Law righteousness is doomed to failure.
But thanks be to God there is another way. Romans 3:21 speaks of the non-Law righteousness that has now appeared apart from the Law. This is righteousness that is not achieved by me, but imputed to me by Another. Righteousness that is perfect because He perfectly fulfilled the Law. By taking Jesus at His Word — the promise that He will impute righteousness to me as He takes on my sin, failure and yes, even my spotty righteousness — I receive His perfect merit because I am united with Him. So the Christian is one who understands that we are hidden in Christ and thus "clothed in Christ's righteousness" or are "counted righteous in Christ". Because we are united to Him by faith, I have His righteousness. He credits righteousness to me that I did not earn, merit or win. His perfect righteousness, by faith, is mine. God recognises it as such. Thus we enter into the heavenly kingdom on the merit of another, on the basis of what He does on our behalf. That is the only way we go in.
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come" is the free offer Jesus holds out to those who will turn from their own sins and yes, even their own Law righteousness and turn to Him. We turn away from sin and self, and turn to Him — entrusting ourselves fully to Him. And when we do, He puts His robes of perfect merit around us so that we are dressed in His clothes. We stand in His place, and receive all He receives — the favor and honor and glory of the righteous King and Savior.
So a thousand times a day, we need to say to our hearts when we feel we are not good enough, when we feel we have failed, when we feel undeserving, when we feel we have fallen again: by faith I have turned from my sin and turned Jesus.
By faith I am united to Christ.
By faith He justifies me so I am righteous in Him.
There is no condemnation for those in Christ.
Sin, guilt and shame have no hold over me.
As righteous as He is, so too am I by faith.
Hallelujah!