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Red Letters:The Elevated Way of the Righteous - Pastor Josiah Elias




Our mission is to culture like Christ and our vision is Jesus. After a great family vacation in

Texas, Pastor and Ashley were glad to be home. Ashley declared,”Be hungry for His presence.” The Red Letters series/season covers Jesus’ words chronologically. Matthew 5 is the “bedrock of our faith.”


In Matthew 5:17-18, Jesus said,


“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish

the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to

accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and

earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will

disappear until its purpose is achieved.” (NLT)


Jesus declared that the purpose of the law was to show how impossible it was to please God; hence He showed the need for the LORD’s saving grace. Even with our best efforts, we would still not measure up to the law. Ultimately we would need a savior, and Jesus came to fulfill the law’s requirements for us, the impossible requirements of the law. To have a standard of righteousness that would make us acceptable to God is to accept Jesus as our Lord. We cannot work our way to heaven. It is easy to teach God’s law. It is a whole other thing to live it. Lots of people know they should love, but do they do it? Lots of people may know what the law is, but do they obey it? Lots of people may know who Jesus is, but do they surrender to Him? Pastor Josiah said,”I would rather hang out with people who know Jesus a little and follow Him wholeheartedly.“ Some places on the planet, people may have only one or two pages of the Word but their dedication and consecration to Him is incredible. To whom much is given, much is required. We have been so much, Faith Chapel, and much will be required of us. May we do much with what we are given.


Further Jesus said,”But I warn you-unless your righteousness is better than the

righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the

Kingdom of Heaven!” Matthew 5:20 (NLT) The religious leaders were externally righteous but internally not. They followed the laws about hand washing and about the Sabbath, but did they care for the poor, the orphans and widows? The religious leaders were so self righteous and power hungry that they planned to manipulate the crowds and the Romans to kill Jesus by whom they felt threatened. Jesus lived the elevated righteous way.


What a contrast Jesus was to the religious leaders who were all about status, power, and

wealth. Jesus was about loving your enemies, and He came as the perfect sacrifice for us.

“Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life to

everyone.” Romans 5:18b (NLT) “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that

we might become righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) Jesus’ blood

covers us, and when the LORD looks at us, He sees the Son’s blood. “You are as righteous as

Jesus or not at all,” stated Pastor Josiah. What a mind-blowing concept!! Thus, may we not only know Him, but may we internalize who He is so we can be more like Him in thought, word, and deed.


May we realize that our sins are not who we are. Behavior is different than identity. You need to know who you are. As a child of God, we are made in His image. We just need to be more like Him and let go of our distractions, our sins, and our whims. Our righteousness cannot get us to heaven, but His righteousness will as we surrender to Him and emulate Him.

The Pharisees were content to outwardly obey the law, but God is after the heart level of

obedience. May we not let our behavior deflect from who we are, but may who we are impact our behavior as the daughter/son of our Abba Father. Greater legal compliance will not get you to heaven. “If we only allow His work to stay external and never get internal, we’ll never live from the heart.”


The way of the righteous:

It starts with what He’s done.

Lives fully aware of the heart

Looks to revere God not man.

Surpasses merely keeping the law and discovers the intention thereof.


“Kingdom access is by an imputed righteousness effective to the deepest part of the

heart.” The righteousness the Lord Jesus gives us is credited to us. Then may it sink into every fiber and cell of our being so that “we culture like Christ.”


Pastor Josiah shared four examples of the “Elevated Way of the Righteous.” The first example was in Matthew 5. Jesus reminded His followers that they were not to murder. However, Jesus stated


“But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject

to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of

being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you

are in danger of the fires of hell.” Matthew 5:22 (NLT)


Jesus raised the standard and pointed out the heart issue. We could excuse ourselves because we did not kill someone, but who has not been angry with another or when driving called the person tailgating you an idiot. Jesus explained that the anger, the name calling and the cursing were sinning. That is a high standard for us to follow.


Another example was about when a person was presenting a sacrifice at the Temple.


“…and you suddenly remember that someone has some-

thing against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go

and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer

your sacrifice.” Matthew 5:23-24 (NLT)


In other words, the Lord Jesus was explaining how important reconciling with another you have offended is. He advised His followers to reach out to someone you have hurt through words, actions, or neglect. Then after clearing the personal relationships, you can honor the LORD. “A greater gift than lifted hands at the altar is humbling yourself and practicing

forgiveness one with another.” Humbling yourself is so hard to do but if we are learning to be more like Jesus, we can remember His washing of His disciples’ feet. The disciples were

shocked but what a lesson for them and us.


The third example was about not committing adultery. Jesus took that issue further and said,


”But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery

with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:28 (NLT) It is one thing to forbid acting out your lust but

another to acknowledge that even looking at a person with lust is sin. Jesus emphasized the

intent of the heart. The court system looks at intent too, and if a person has stored flammable objects and dangerous components, the legal system can convict the person of intent to commit harm.


Therefore, like David stated,


”Search me, O God and know my heart; try me, and know

my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me,

And lead me in the way of the everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24

(NKJV)


May the Holy Spirit search our hearts, minds, souls, and spirits to help us follow Jesus and be

more like Him.


The final example dealt with whatever was causing them to sin.


“So if your eye-even your good eye-causes you to lust,

gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one

part of your body than for the whole body to be thrown into

hell. And if your hand-even your stronger hand-causes you

to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose

one part of your body than for the whole body to be thrown

into hell.” Matthew 5:29-30 (NLT)


Jesus was telling them to examine their lives, figure out what was causing them to sin and

eliminate that from their lives. If the friends you spend the most time like to drink excessively, is your behavior of drinking to be drunk honoring of the Savior? Maybe you need to change friends. If you waste too much time on social media so that you cannot get your tasks completed, maybe you should eliminate Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram. If something or someone has become your idol instead of the Lord Jesus being your master, it is time to evaluate your priorities.


The Paramount Point is “The best way to keep people from going to hell is to live like

Jesus. This is why we’re aiming at Him. This is the way of the righteous.”

“This is the elevated way of the righteous” so that we can be salt and light in this troubled

world.

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