“For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)

Many people today — and sadly, more and more within the church — have re-defined biblical concepts to fit their own human perspectives. Like the scribes and the Pharisees, they know they can’t match God’s righteousness, so they simply change the definition of holiness. A prime example from Old Testament times is how the Jews re-interpreted God’s command, “Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44). They turned this from a call for inner holiness into a requirement to perform certain rituals.
The godly person will never rely on self-centered, re-defined righteousness. Instead, he will focus on the kind of holiness Jesus taught. He will be broken about sin and mourn over the evil bent of his heart. Such people long only for the righteousness God can give through His Spirit. They will never rely on their own strength or wisdom for what they can do spiritually.
God has always been focused on inner righteousness. When Samuel was ready to anoint David’s oldest brother, Eliab, to succeed King Saul, God told him, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him, for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). And that inner righteousness must be perfect: “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). To be truly qualified for entrance into Christ’s kingdom, we must be as holy as God Himself through His righteousness!

Ask Yourself:
Being broken over sin is certainly a crucial part of dealing with its appeal and presence in our lives. But be sure you’re not choosing to remain in perpetual inactivity and introspection. How well is your grieving over sin being translated into renewed obedience?