Demand #25: Your Righteousness Must Exceed That Of The Pharisees, For It was Hypocritical And Ugly

For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. — Matt. 5:20

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. — Matt. 23:27-28

For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person. — Mark 7:21-23

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. — Matt. 5:8

(Reminder: if you do not have the book, you can download it and the workbook free of charge at the link provided on right)


From the workbook:

- What does “out-Pharisee the Pharisees” (pp. 190–195) mean?

- Why do you think the elder son in the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32) wanted to remain in the position of a “deserving servant” rather than a “freely loved son”? What light does this shed on the tendency of the human heart?

- Why do you think money, the praise of man, and illicit sex are some of the most common pitfalls people fall into and the dangers that Jesus warns of most often?

- Why is it that people who are greedy, arrogant, and sexually promiscuous can still look religious?

- How have you participated in hypocrisy? Consider some areas in your life where you have acted or are acting hypocritically. What goes on in your heart at these moments? What are you trusting in and what are you pursuing in being hypocritical? How can you battle this sin in these specific areas?