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The last thing that Jesus points out is that unless our righteousness exceeds that of the experts and Pharisees that we couldn’t even get into heaven.
That would appear to create a real problem for most of us. I do not claim to be as knowledgeable about the law as an expert or a Pharisee. Then how will my righteousness exceed theirs? This is where we need to look at grace.
From the book of Ephesians we find; 2:7 to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 2:8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 2:9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast. Grace allows us some latitude in the way of the commandments. Every time we disobey a commandment, God forgives us through the blood of Christ. This is great for us because most of us need lots of forgiveness.
The determining factor to get into heaven is based on what Jesus did and our belief that it is so. When we make Jesus the sacrifice for sin, all the sins we
have committed in the past, as well as the ones we will commit in the future
are made as white as snow. That is the only way our righteousness can exceed the Pharisees.
Paul asks the question, “Should we sin so that grace may abound?” To that he replies, “God forbid!” Since sin is disobedience of the law, it is obvious that Paul was not in favor of purposely violating the law. There is no way that we can obey all the law. Therefore it became a schoolmaster as to our need of Jesus.
To sum up what we have seen let me say this: The law is a good thing. It teaches us how to get along with God and our neighbors. Jesus put it this way: Loving God with all your heart, soul, and might and loving your neighbor sums up all of the law. Nowhere does he say that we are saved by obeying the law. This doesn’t give us free reign to disobey the law. For we ought to obey the law because God gave it to us and it does benefit us. But, salvation comes through believing in Christ.
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