photo #6517188

The Problem With Mankind’s GoodnessMatthew 5:20 - “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” The greatest hindrance to a person being saved is not his badness but his goodness. Man will never be good enough to get to heaven. Here are two people groups, the scribes and Pharisees, who went to the house of God, prayed, tithed, kept the law of Moses, read Scriptures, copied Scriptures, and recited Scriptures. Yet Jesus told us except our righteousness exceed that kind of righteousness we would not enter into the kingdom of heaven. How can a person’s righteousness exceed the righteousness of good works? The Scriptural answer is given in Romans 10:9-10 - “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Mankind’s goodness will never be good enough to get him or her to heaven. The only way to heaven is through the righteousness of Christ which comes by faith in the Gospel. How wonderful it is to know that I am saved not by my good works but by the grace of God that comes through faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 - “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”