by Bruce Mackay | Download PDF | Purchase Hardcopy

Jesus continued to teach from the mountainside. As soon as He had finished teaching on the nine attitudes for true happiness, He moved right onto the subject of how to be right with God so that we can enter the kingdom of heaven. Everyone wants to go to heaven! We all hope we will make it. But how? By what means? What is the criteria? Do all roads lead to heaven?

Many people have opinions. Some say to just do the best you can; God understands that He can't ask for anything more than your best effort. Others say you must be baptised; while others insist that you must belong to a certain religion. There is an old song about getting to the pearly gates where Peter says something to this effect: 'It'll be right, mate. You're a good bloke. Just come on in.' Nice thought, but is it true? Who is right? How do we know? Where is heaven? What is it like? Can anyone be certain about going to heaven?

In this article, we will examine what Jesus, the Son of God, said about entering into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus clearly taught how to have God's life abiding in us now, and how we can dwell in the presence of God now and for eternity.

Our own Righteousness

'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.' Matt 5:20.

This statement of Jesus challenges us and provokes serious consideration. To enter heaven, our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. The scribes and Pharisees were the most law-abiding group of people living at that time. They were fanatical about keeping the smallest detail of the law. Their whole existence was to do what was right. How could anyone match them, let alone exceed them in moral goodness? What did Jesus mean? Was He excluding everyone from heaven? If the answer to that was on the basis of moral goodness, then yes, Jesus was excluding everyone from heaven. Because as the wisest man to ever live said, 'There is not a just person on earth who does not sin'. The Bible also says there is none righteous, no not one, and that all have sinned and all people have fallen short of God's holy standard.

When Jesus said that to enter heaven, our righteousness must exceed the highest moral standards ever set, He was saying two things. Firstly, we cannot enter heaven because of our own goodness. No one is good enough. Secondly, He was showing us that there is a righteousness that is not according to our laws and moral goodness. There is a righteousness that is of God. Jesus was setting us free from the shame and condemnation of sin and failure. He knows our weaknesses; He knows that we fail and He knows our sin. Jesus was saying, 'I am not judging you on the basis of good and bad or right and wrong'. Jesus didn't come to condemn us. He came to save us.

A great example of this is when these scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman they had caught in the very act of adultery. These crusaders for moral righteousness, these who boasted of their good works, were the very ones of whom Jesus said, that if we are to enter heaven, our righteousness must exceed. This event teaches us what Jesus meant by our righteousness exceeding theirs.

If Jesus was asking for moral goodness from the law, then He had no choice but to stand with these men and condemn this sinful woman. On the other hand, if He was talking about a righteousness from God that is apart from the law, which is motivated by love and doesn't condemn, then what was He to do? Let us join this most interesting event in the life of Jesus.

The Righteousness from God

'Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?" This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first". And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more". Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."' John 8:3-12.

We see from this event that being accepted by God is not on the basis of good and bad. We have all sinned and Jesus is able to forgive us our sins. He is the only one who can forgive us. More than forgive us, He is the light that keeps us from going back into the darkness. When we, by faith, receive Christ as Lord of our life, we have light and we have eternal life. We no longer live by shame, guilt and condemnation. The Bible says that the righteousness of God is not according to the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the righteousness of God. When we believe from our heart that Christ died for our sins and receive Him as Lord and Master of our life, we then receive the righteousness of God that exceeds the righteousness of our own moral goodness.

When Christ is our righteousness, we don't become lawless. In the same conversation on the mountainside, He said that He didn't come to remove the law but to fulfil it. When He is our light and our life, we are able to do His works by His life and ability. God has prepared a way of living for each individual. Christ will enable us to live this way and do His will so that we fulfil all righteousness.

Salt of the Earth

When Jesus said, 'You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavour, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men', He was saying that when we do the works that He has prepared for us, His righteousness permeates our society, just like salt flavours and preserves food. But if we stop doing His will, if we return to try to live our life by our own righteousness, or if we turn back to wilful sinning, we are like flavourless salt – useless, tasteless and of no value. I am sure we have all had the experience of thinking that a little salt would really enhance this meal. We pick up the salt shaker and nothing comes out. Perhaps the moisture has got in and no matter how many times you bang that shaker on the table, or poke it with a fork, it is useless. No salt. It is only good manners that stop us from throwing the shaker out the window!

When we receive Christ as our righteousness, we are free to live the way God purposed for us. We are free to be and do His righteous works. We are the salt of the earth. If we do not continue in this way, we are like useless salt.

Light of the World

Jesus also said, 'You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.' Jesus taught us how we can continue to walk in the light that comes from His life.

When we receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our righteousness, it is like a lamp being lit. I am sure we have all been camping at some point in our life, when the night is cloudy and there is no light from the moon or the stars. Light a lamp; and we find that we don't have to keep falling over everything. We know how to negotiate a safe path. So it is with our life. We receive Christ and we have light. Nothing has changed, except that we know where to walk so as not to stumble into sin. But how do we keep it that way? How do we continue to proceed and negotiate the obstacles that everyday living throws at us? How do we know we are making the right decisions? What do we say 'yes' and 'no' to?

Jesus gave us the answer. It's where you place yourself. You are now the light in the lamp. Jesus said, 'Put yourself on a lampstand and not under a basket'. The Bible explains what a basket is. It is a woven implement that was used for measuring commodities. The Bible also explains what a lampstand is. It was made of pure gold and, symbolically, means the church.

Revelation 1:20 says, 'The seven lampstands are the seven churches'. Jesus said to place yourself right in the church. Don't allow your life to be covered by the woven, measured ways of man that filter the light, like from under a basket. These are man's religious systems that don't allow each person to express the fullness of Christ's life. But when we place our life in a true expression of the church, it is like our lamp is on a lampstand. We can know the will of God and we can live in the light with every other member of the church. In such relationship and fellowship, we can navigate through life without ending up in situations we regret – not only for ourselves, but for our whole households.

Parents, let us keep the words of Jesus. If we want our children to live godly lives, then let us also see them established with us in a church fellowship that lives in the love of God. There is righteousness that is apart from the law. It is the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ. When we live by this righteousness, we will not be lawless, but we will be like salt and light.

The need to turn to Christ

Let us go back to our story of the woman caught committing adultery, and the scribes and Pharisees. Who walked away forgiven? Who had light and life for living? The scribes and Pharisees didn't stay, they left knowing they had sin. Despite their good righteous efforts, they did not find forgiveness and continued on, stumbling in the darkness of their own righteousness that is from the law. The sinful woman didn't need any convincing of her sin. She needed light and life from heaven so that she could be free to live the life that God had planned for her. She found this reality through believing the words of Jesus.

Jesus says to all of us, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: "I desire mercy and not sacrifice". For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.'

Is your righteousness and expectation of entering heaven based on what you believe is right and good? Or, have you realised that you are in need of a heavenly 'doctor' who is able to forgive and give to you the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ?

Author: Bruce Mackay | Citywide Christian Fellowship - Cairns | CCFC
Published by Vision One at Toowoomba Christian Fellowship | TCF
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