Day: April 16, 2026

Thursday, April 16, 2026

“Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (Deuteronomy 9:5 KJV).

May we have the proper perspective of wickedness versus righteousness….

When Messiah Jesus visited Israel in the Promised Land during the time of Matthew to John, He found precious few who had learned the lesson of the Law and were thus willing to confess their sin problem. Instead, Judaism had been transformed—better yet, watered down—into a system of glorified self-righteousness. He therefore cautioned His audience with the following words.

“For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the [self-] righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance [change in mind]” (Matthew 9:13). “When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17). “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). Scan all these contexts to see “goody-goodies” in the land of Canaan being rebuked. Also, mark well Luke 18:9, a summary of their depraved condition in religion: “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:….”

“For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:3). This was lost Israel’s predicament in Matthew to John, and even into latter Acts when the Apostle Paul wrote those words (see Romans 9:31–10:4). Failing to see their sin problem, they saw no need for the Saviour either. How the unbelievers of today’s world repeat that error of so long ago….