4 x 6 Plan | Read: Matthew 5:17-32 & Romans 3:1-8
“But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven! (Matthew 5:20)
Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m a good person, so I don’t need God”? It’s a common belief that being a good person is enough to earn eternal life. But in Matthew 5:20, Jesus says that our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, who were known for their strict adherence to the law. How can we possibly do that?
The answer is that we can’t. No matter how hard we try, we will always fall short of God’s perfect standard. But that’s where grace comes in. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we can be declared righteous, not by our own works, but by His perfect sacrifice on the cross. This doesn’t give us license to sin, but rather motivates us, not out of fear or obligation, but out of love and gratitude for what He has done for us. Because He loves us so much, we now get to love others the same! So let us strive to live a life that reflects His love, knowing that it is only by His grace that we can be made truly righteous.
The “Great” News of the Gospel | Romans 3:1-8
Romans 3:1-8 reminds us that we are all under sin, and no one is righteous before God. We are all guilty, and the law can only condemn us. But the good news is that God’s righteousness is given to us through faith in Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose again. This means that we can be justified and made right with God, not by our own works or efforts, but by faith in Jesus Christ. We are saved by grace, through faith, and not by our own works, so that no one can boast.
This is the heart of the gospel: that we are all sinners, but we can be made righteous through faith in Jesus Christ. It’s not about what we can do for God, but about what He has done for us. This is good news for everyone, because no matter how much we may have failed or fallen short, we can always come to Jesus and find forgiveness, healing, and new life. We don’t have to earn our salvation or try to be good enough on our own; we can simply receive it as a gift of grace from God. And that is truly good news!
Action Steps
Bible: What is God showing me? What am I going to do about it?
Bless: Serve one person through word, action, or gift today.
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