QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY -- Matthew 5:20 NIV

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

On the surface, this must have been a surprising and confusing statement to Jesus' followers.  After all, no one followed the law more closely than the Pharisees.  They followed it down to the letter, even getting on Jesus' case when He did things they thought were against the law.  Did Jesus mean that people had to be even more meticulous than the Pharisees in following the law?  Not at all.  Take a closer look at the Pharisees.  While they followed the law to the letter, their hearts were not changed.  The quantity of their goodness was great, while the quality of it was infinitesimal.  They were more concerned about what their actions reflected to those around them than how their attitude was judged by God.  They were focused on the letter of the Law �?which will kill you - and ignored the spirit of the Law, which will set you free.

True righteousness does not come from works.  True righteousness comes from Jesus.  Why we do something is as important, if not more so, than what we do.  The changes that occur within us are not due to our own efforts, but due to God working in us to change us to be more like Him.  He judges our hearts, as well as what we do.  It is through allowing Him to change us that we become truly righteous in His sight.

True righteousness is God-centered, not self-centered.  It is righteousness that comes from seeking God's will, God's approval, God's desires �?not seeking our own.

True righteousness is based on reverence for God, not on the approval of others.  It cares not what others think, as long as it is pleasing to God.

True righteousness goes above and beyond the law, seeking to live by the principles behind the law, rather than on the letter of the law itself.

Seek the true righteousness that Jesus spoke of�?seek after God's own heart and follow it closely.  Allow Him to change your heart to be more like His own.  Allow Him to give you His righteousness, which is �?after all - the only true righteousness that exists