Episode 205: Matthew 5 Part 3 Head Knowledge or Heart Service?

What is the purpose of the law? What was the purpose of the prophets? Paul tells us in a couple of places the law was given so we would know what sin is. What is sin? Anything that goes against the will of God. The main purpose of the law and the prophets were to reveal the fact that we need a Savior...we need Jesus. As Jesus begins to teach his disciples about living a life pleasing to God he tells them that if their righteousness doesn't exceed that of the religious leaders and the Pharisees, they will not enter heaven! These are people who knew the law like the back of their hand. They looked the part, played the part, and people respected them greatly, but not Jesus. He saw their true nature, he saw their hearts. They may have been fooling the people around them but they didn't fool Jesus and he called them out, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far fro me." They head knowledge about the scriptures but their heart was far from God! What would Jesus say about us?