Our Exceeding Righteousness (Part 1)

INTRODUCTION

The world has a standard of righteousness but it is a standard that continually moves its boundaries so that what is UNRIGHTEOUSNESS TODAY could actually become RIGHTEOUSNESS TOMORROW or what is WRONG TODAY can become RIGHT TOMORROW.

While the world continually FLIP FLOPS on their STANDARD, the standard of the RIGHTEOUSNESS of a Christian is not only STABLE, it FAR EXCEEDS the STANDARDS and EXPECTATIONS of the WORLD. It is NOT ONLY a STANDARD that is FAIR and JUST, but it is a STANDARD of RIGHTEOUSNESS that is willing to SACRIFICE ONE’S RIGHTS for the sake of GOD’S HIGHER PURPOSES.

BODY SERMON

These thoughts could be GLEANED from our passage which could be broken into TWO NEAT PARTS:

I. The Requirement of the Law for Injury v. 38

II.The Righteousness of the Oppressed vv. 39 – 42

CONCLUSION

The point of these passages is to UNDERCUT PERSONAL SELFISHNESS. He goes to the extreme and uses hyperbole to show what HEARTS we should have. We should perform DEEDS of SELF-DENIAL that show the law of UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.

This indeed is a FAR EXCEEDING RIGHTEOUSNESS that will draw attention to the NEW LIFE we have in Christ and bring GLORY to our Lord and Savior.