There are people who want to enjoy a more intimate fellowship with God but find themselves hindered from the very closeness they desire.  This happens oftentimes because people, as a general rule, are ignorant of the fact that we achieve right standing with God by faith alone.

The word “righteousness” is an old English word used often in the Bible that simply means “right standing.”  God has provided a way for man to be restored back into right standing or right relationship with Him.  Failure to understand God’s plan for righteousness has been a major stumbling block in the lives of many Christians; preventing them from achieving peace in a close relationship with Him.

How does man become righteous?  Notice what Jesus said in Matthew 5:20, “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”  This was a radical statement that Jesus made.  It was drastically opposed to the Jewish thinking of the day.

The Jews had come to believe that the only way to become righteous was to fulfill as much of the law as was possible and offer the prescribed sacrifices.  Theirs was a totally performance-oriented theology which caused men to work for the approval they hoped to receive from God.  Jesus told a short parable in Luke 18:9-14 that gives us some insight into their mentality:

“Also, He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.   The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.   I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’   And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’   I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other…”

Notice the outward standard of holiness that the Pharisee relied upon.  He did not cheat, steal, or commit adultery.  As a Pharisee he was one of the most religious people of the day.  He gave tithes of everything he possessed, and he fasted twice a week!  He thought it was his good works that caused him to be justified in God’s sight!

Jesus exposed this as self-righteousness that was based solely upon his performance.  Jesus went on to say it was the tax collector who humbled himself that was justified in God’s sight.

My friend, I want you to know that in order to receive justification and right standing with God we must not trust in what we can do.  We must put our faith entirely in what He (Jesus) has already done for us!  Again, I refer you to Matthew 5:20 (quoted above), where Jesus said, “unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees…” 

This verse reveals God requires a righteousness that is greater than man can produce on his own.  Jesus isn’t teaching that you must fast twice a week to go to heaven.  He is teaching that God looks at the heart.  The Pharisees put all the emphasis on physical acts of compliance, but in their hearts, they were still of their father the devil!  Their righteousness was nothing but self-righteousness.

It is possible for a person to make the outside of himself clean, but on the inside to be full of hypocrisy, uncleanness and iniquity (see Matthew 23:25-28).  Genuine righteousness and justification with God comes from the inside and is received by faith alone.

It is important to live holy lives and do good works, but they must not be trusted in to provide favor or justification in God’s sight.  God has made a way through Jesus’ sacrifice for us to be totally forgiven of all our sins and be restored back into right standing with Him.

Finally, I leave you with one last thought.  We were totally incapable of living holy enough to please God before being saved and we are incapable of living holy enough to please Him after being saved!  Only faith alone will fully please Him (see Hebrews 11:6).  Romans 3:28 sums it up for us, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.”  Now that’s good news!

©Mike McComb Ministries  2026