A Righteousness That Exceeds That Of The Pharisees

Jesus is not merely addressing the need for a superior “positional” righteousness (justification). He is also speaking to the need for a superior “progressive” righteousness (sanctification). In other words, Jesus is not saying, “The Pharisees have a meticulous outward righteousness, but inwardly, their hearts remain corrupted. Therefore, you merely need to receive the superior inward righteousness of Christ by faith.” Instead, Jesus is saying, “The Pharisees are not truly righteous in any sense of the word, neither inwardly nor outwardly. They are hypocrites! The problem with the Pharisees is not merely a failure to obey from the heart, but rather, they possess a willingness to twist the Scriptures so that even their outward obedience falls utterly short of what God commands. Therefore, you must be justified inwardly by faith, and also sanctified outwardly by holding faithfully to the Scriptures, without twisting and perverting them, and seeking to obey them by grace.”