WHAT KIND OF RIGHTEOUSNESS DO YOU HAVE?

Pastor Art Watkins of Coden Bible Church (Coden, Alabama)

October 4, 2016

Matthew 5:20 says: 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.

----1. You must be righteous to enter into the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 6:9: Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? 

----2. We are not righteous.

Romans 3:10: As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

----3. The righteousness of the Pharisees was outward and fake.

Matthew 23:27-28: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, 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.

----4. Because we do not have any righteousness of our own, God must impute His to us.

This is why they were told to seek after the righteousness of God in the next chapter in the sermon on the mount.

Matthew 6:33: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees for their outward righteousness could not get them or us into the kingdom of God. The righteousness of God far exceeds the righteousness of the Pharisees and that is why he told us to seek after the righteousness of God in the same verse he told us to seek to enter the kingdom of God.

----5. The righteousness of God is imputed to us by believing the gospel.

Romans 3:21-22: But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 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:

----6. If you have the righteousness of God imputed to your account you can say with all confidence that your righteousness far exceeds the righteousness of the Pharisees.