Jesus Christ Improves Against The Law JSS2 Christian Religious Studies (CRS) Lesson Note

JESUS CHRIST IMPROVES UPON THE LAW

In the Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Matthew chapters 5-7, Jesus gave one of His most famous and important teachings. In this sermon, Jesus explained what it truly means to follow God and live righteously. A major part of this sermon focused on the Old Testament law that God had given to the Jewish people through Moses.

Jesus began this section by making a very important statement: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). Jesus was not throwing away God’s law or saying it was wrong. Instead, He was showing its deeper meaning and fuller application.

Jesus then said something shocking: “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). The Pharisees were known for being extremely religious and strictly keeping the law. How could anyone be more righteous than them? Jesus was teaching that true righteousness is not just about external obedience to rules. It is about the condition of the heart.

Throughout this teaching, Jesus used a repeated pattern. He would say, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago…” and then quote an Old Testament law or a common interpretation of the law. Then He would say, “But I tell you…” and give a deeper, fuller understanding of what God really requires. Jesus was not contradicting God’s law. He was revealing its true meaning and showing that God cares about our hearts and attitudes, not just our outward actions.

Let us examine five specific areas where Jesus improved upon the people’s understanding of God’s law.

1. Jesus’s Teaching on the Law
2. Murder (Matthew 5:21-26)

What the Old Law Said:

Jesus began: “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'”

This was the sixth commandment from the Ten Commandments that God gave to Moses: “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13). The Jewish people understood this commandment in a straightforward way: Do not kill another person. If you did not physically kill someone, you were keeping this law. Murder was punished by the courts – the person who murdered would face judgment and could be executed.

Most people felt good about keeping this commandment. They thought, “I have never killed anyone, so I am keeping God’s law.”

What Jesus Taught:

“But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”

Jesus was teaching that God’s command goes much deeper than just the physical act of murder. God is also concerned about the anger, hatred, and contempt in our hearts that lead to murder. Murder begins in the heart long before it results in a physical act.

When we are angry with someone, when we insult them, when we call them worthless names, when we have hatred in our hearts toward them – all of this breaks God’s law. Jesus said that being angry with someone makes us guilty before God’s judgment, just like murder does. Calling someone “Raca” (a term of contempt meaning “empty-headed” or “worthless”) or “fool” makes us guilty and in danger of hell’s fire.

This does not mean that all anger is the same as murder in terms of earthly punishment. But in God’s eyes, the hatred and contempt that lead to murder are serious sins. God sees our hearts. He knows when we have destructive anger, when we wish harm on others, when we devalue other people with our words.

The Practical Application:

Jesus then gave practical instructions about how to deal with broken relationships:

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”

Jesus was teaching that our relationships with other people affect our relationship with God. If we have wronged someone, if there is conflict between us and another person, we need to make it right. We should go to that person, apologize, seek forgiveness, and restore the relationship. Only then should we come to worship God.

God does not want our worship if we are holding onto anger, refusing to reconcile with others, or living in conflict. Relationships matter to God. We cannot claim to love God while hating our brother or sister.

Jesus also taught: “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”

This teaches us to resolve conflicts quickly rather than letting them grow worse. When we have disputes with others, we should seek peace and reconciliation immediately, not allow bitterness to build up.

The Lesson:

Murder is not just the physical act of killing. It includes the anger, hatred, and contempt in our hearts. God cares about our thoughts and attitudes, not just our actions. We must control our anger, speak with respect to others, and actively work to maintain peaceful relationships. True obedience to “do not murder” means having a heart free from hatred and full of love for others.

Adultery (Matthew 5:27-30)

What the Old Law Said:

Jesus continued: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.'”

This was the seventh commandment from the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:14). Adultery means having sexual relations with someone who is not your spouse. It is a serious sin that breaks the marriage covenant. Under Old Testament law, adultery was punished severely – both the man and woman caught in adultery could be put to death (Leviticus 20:10).

Most people understood this law simply: As long as you do not physically have sex with someone who is not your spouse, you are keeping the law. They felt good about themselves if they had not committed the physical act.

What Jesus Taught:

“But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Jesus revealed that adultery, like murder, begins in the heart. God does not only care about the physical act. He also cares about our thoughts, desires, and what we allow our minds to dwell on.

Lust means looking at someone with strong sexual desire, imagining sexual acts, or dwelling on impure thoughts. When we look at someone who is not our spouse and think lustful thoughts, we are committing adultery in our hearts. Even if we never physically act on these thoughts, our hearts are impure before God.

This teaching was shocking because it meant that many people who thought they were pure were actually guilty of adultery in God’s eyes. It also showed that true purity requires controlling not just our actions but also our thoughts and what we look at.

The Radical Solution:

Jesus then gave a dramatic illustration of how seriously we should take this sin:

“If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”

Jesus was not literally telling people to cut off body parts. He was using strong, shocking language to make a point: We must take drastic action to avoid sin. We must be willing to give up anything – no matter how valuable – if it leads us into sin.

If looking at certain images causes us to lust, we must stop looking at them. If going to certain places leads us into temptation, we must stop going there. If certain friendships or activities cause us to sin, we must end them. Nothing is worth more than our relationship with God and our eternal destiny. We must be radical and serious about removing temptation from our lives.

The Lesson:

Adultery is not just the physical act of unfaithfulness. It includes the lustful thoughts and desires in our hearts. God sees our thoughts and judges us for what we think about and desire, not just what we do. We must guard our hearts, control our thoughts, be careful what we look at, and take drastic action to avoid sexual temptation. True purity means being faithful not just in action but also in mind and heart.

Oaths and Swearing (Matthew 5:33-37)

What the Old Law Said:

Jesus continued: “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.'”

The Old Testament had laws about making oaths and vows. An oath is a solemn promise, often made in God’s name. God’s law said that when you make a promise or take an oath, you must keep it (Numbers 30:2, Deuteronomy 23:21-23). Breaking an oath was a serious sin because it involved using God’s name falsely.

By Jesus’s time, people had developed a complicated system of swearing and making oaths. They would swear by heaven, by earth, by Jerusalem, by their own head, and by many other things. They had decided that some oaths were more binding than others. If you swore by God’s name directly, you absolutely had to keep your word. But if you swore by other things, you could find ways to break your promise without technically breaking your oath.

This system allowed people to be dishonest while appearing to be keeping the law. They could make promises they did not intend to keep by using the “right” formula. It was a way of lying while claiming to be truthful.

What Jesus Taught:

“But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”

Jesus was teaching that we should be so truthful and trustworthy that we do not need to swear oaths at all. Our simple “yes” should mean yes, and our “no” should mean no. People should be able to trust our word without us needing to make elaborate promises.

Jesus explained that all these things people swore by were connected to God anyway. Heaven is God’s throne, earth is His footstool, Jerusalem is God’s city, and we do not even control our own hair color. Everything belongs to God, so any oath ultimately involves God, whether we mention His name or not.

The need to constantly swear oaths and make promises comes from a culture where people cannot be trusted. If everyone told the truth all the time, no one would need to swear oaths. The fact that we feel we need to swear by something to be believed shows that our normal speech is not trusted.

The Lesson:

We should be people of absolute integrity and honesty. Our word should be completely trustworthy. When we say yes, we mean yes. When we say no, we mean no. We do not need to make elaborate promises or swear by things to convince people we are telling the truth. Instead, our consistent truthfulness should make our simple word completely reliable. True righteousness means being honest in all our speech, not finding clever ways to make promises we do not intend to keep.

Retaliation (Matthew 5:38-42)

What the Old Law Said:

Jesus continued: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'”

This law came from Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, and Deuteronomy 19:21. It was called “lex talionis” – the law of retaliation. It meant that the punishment should fit the crime. If someone knocked out your tooth, they should lose a tooth. If someone injured your eye, they should have their eye injured.

This law actually limited revenge. Without it, people would escalate violence. If someone hurt you slightly, you might kill them in revenge. The “eye for eye” law said that punishment should be proportionate – no more than equal to the harm done.

However, by Jesus’s time, people were using this law to justify personal revenge. They thought, “The law gives me the right to get even. If someone wrongs me, I can wrong them back equally.” They were taking a law meant for judges and courts to use and applying it to personal relationships.

What Jesus Taught:

“But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”

Jesus was teaching a completely different response to being wronged: Do not seek revenge. Do not retaliate. Instead, respond with grace, generosity, and love.

Let us understand these examples:

“If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” A slap on the right cheek (when most people are right-handed) would be a backhanded slap – an insult more than a physical injury. It was a way of showing contempt and disrespect. Jesus was saying that when someone insults you or treats you with contempt, do not strike back. Do not return insult for insult. Instead, be willing to endure more insult rather than seeking revenge.

“If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.” If someone takes you to court to get your inner garment (shirt), give them your outer garment (coat) too. Be generous even to those who are taking from you unjustly.

“If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” Roman soldiers had the legal right to force civilians to carry their equipment for one mile. This was humiliating and burdensome. Jesus said that if you are forced to go one mile, volunteer to go a second mile. Do more than what is demanded.

“Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” Be generous. Help those in need. Do not turn away people who ask for help.

The Lesson:

Jesus was teaching that followers of God should not seek revenge or retaliation. Instead of “getting even,” we should respond to evil with good, to insults with grace, and to demands with generosity. This does not mean we should allow evil people to continue hurting others without consequences – that is what government and law enforcement are for. But in our personal lives, we should not be motivated by revenge. We should be willing to suffer wrong rather than seeking to hurt those who hurt us. True righteousness means responding to evil with love and breaking the cycle of revenge.

Love of Enemies (Matthew 5:43-48)

What the Old Law Said:

Jesus concluded this section: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'”

The first part – “Love your neighbor” – came from Leviticus 19:18. This was a genuine command from God. However, the second part – “hate your enemy” – was never commanded by God. This was a human addition to God’s law. The Jewish teachers had decided that if God commanded them to love their neighbor (meaning fellow Jews), then it was okay to hate their enemies (meaning Gentiles, Romans, Samaritans, and anyone who opposed them).

This interpretation allowed people to be selective in their love. They could love people like them – their friends, family, and countrymen – while hating people who were different or who had wronged them. This made the command to love much easier and more comfortable.

What Jesus Taught:

“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Jesus taught that God’s standard is much higher: Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you. Do good to those who hate you.

This is revolutionary and difficult teaching. Our natural response when someone hurts us is to hurt them back or at least to avoid them and wish them harm. Jesus says we should love them instead. We should pray for their good. We should want God to bless them.

Why Should We Love Our Enemies?

Jesus gave several reasons:

1. To Be Like God: God is our Father, and we should act like Him. God shows kindness to both good people and evil people. He makes the sun shine on everyone – both righteous people and wicked people. He sends rain to water the fields of both believers and unbelievers. God is generous and kind to all people, even those who reject Him and rebel against Him. If we want to be God’s children, we should imitate His character by loving everyone, even our enemies.
2. To Do More Than Others: Anyone can love people who love them. Even tax collectors (who were hated as traitors and sinners) loved their friends. Even pagans (who did not know God) were kind to people in their own group. If Christians only love people who are easy to love, we are not doing anything special. We are no different from people who do not follow God. Jesus calls us to a higher standard – to love even those who are difficult to love.
3. To Be Perfect: Jesus said, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” This does not mean we will never make mistakes. It means we should be complete and whole in our love, just as God is. We should not have selective love – loving some people but hating others. Our love should be complete, extending to everyone, even those who wrong us.

How Do We Love Our Enemies?

Loving our enemies does not mean we have warm feelings toward them or enjoy spending time with them. It means:

We wish good for them, not harm

We pray for their wellbeing and salvation

We speak kindly about them rather than gossiping or slandering them

We help them when they are in need

We forgive them for wrongs they have done to us

We do not seek revenge

We treat them with respect and dignity

The Lesson:

True righteousness means loving without limits. We should love not just people who are easy to love but also people who wrong us, hurt us, and oppose us. This kind of love is only possible through God’s power working in us. It reflects God’s character and shows that we truly are His children. When we love our enemies, we demonstrate a love that is supernatural and can draw others to God.

1. Differentiate Between Civil and Religious Laws

To understand Jesus’s teaching more fully, we need to understand the difference between civil law and religious law.

Civil Law

Definition: Civil law refers to the laws made by the government to govern society. These are the laws of the state or nation that apply to all citizens, regardless of their religion.

Purpose: Civil laws maintain order in society, protect citizens from harm, punish criminals, resolve disputes, and organize how the community functions.

Examples in Jesus’s Time:

Roman laws about taxation

Laws about property rights

Laws about contracts and business dealings

Criminal laws against theft, assault, murder, and rebellion

Laws about citizenship and travel

Laws enforced by Roman governors, courts, and soldiers

Who Makes Civil Laws: Government authorities – kings, emperors, governors, and legislative bodies – create civil laws. In Jesus’s time, the Roman Empire made and enforced civil laws throughout their territory, including the land of Israel.

Authority: Romans 13:1-7 teaches that civil government has authority from God. Christians should obey civil laws and respect government authority because God has established government to maintain order and punish evil.

Application Today: Civil laws include traffic laws, tax laws, criminal laws, business regulations, property laws, and all other laws that our national and local governments create and enforce.

Religious Law

Definition: Religious law refers to the laws given by God to govern the spiritual and moral life of His people. In Jesus’s time, this meant the Law of Moses given to the Jewish people.

Purpose: Religious laws teach people about God’s character, show them how to worship Him, reveal what is right and wrong, demonstrate the need for forgiveness, and prepare people for the coming Messiah.

Examples in Jesus’s Time:

The Ten Commandments

Laws about worship and sacrifice

Laws about ceremonial purity and cleanliness

Laws about festivals and holy days

Laws about moral conduct

Laws about treatment of others

Teachings from the prophets and wisdom literature

Who Gave Religious Laws: God Himself gave the religious laws through Moses and the prophets. These laws were recorded in Scripture. In Jesus’s time, religious leaders (priests, Pharisees, scribes) taught and interpreted these laws.

Authority: Religious law comes directly from God and reveals His will for how people should live. It has ultimate authority over all believers because it comes from our Creator.

Application Today: For Christians, the moral law (like the Ten Commandments) still applies, teaching us right from wrong. The ceremonial laws about sacrifices and rituals have been fulfilled by Jesus Christ. The New Testament, especially the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, guides Christian belief and practice today.

Key Differences

1. Source: Civil law comes from human government; religious law comes from God.
2. Scope: Civil law applies to all citizens in a territory; religious law applies to God’s people who follow Him.
3. Penalties: Civil law is enforced by police, courts, and government punishment; religious law is ultimately enforced by God’s judgment.
4. Purpose: Civil law maintains social order and justice; religious law guides us into relationship with God and holiness.
5. Flexibility: Civil laws can change as society changes; God’s moral law is eternal and unchanging (though the ceremonial aspects of Old Testament law were fulfilled by Christ).

Can They Conflict?

Sometimes civil law and religious law can appear to conflict. For example:

A government might pass a law that contradicts God’s commands

Religious laws might require something that civil law prohibits

There might be tension between obeying government and obeying God

When this happens, Christians follow the principle in Acts 5:29: “We must obey God rather than human beings.” If the government commands us to sin or forbids us from obeying God, we must obey God even if it means facing punishment from the government.

However, such direct conflicts are rare. Most of the time, Christians can obey both civil and religious law. We can be good citizens while also being faithful followers of God.

III. Jesus’s Attitude Toward Civil and Religious Laws

Jesus’s attitude toward civil and religious laws was balanced and wise. He showed us how to honor both while keeping our priorities straight.

Jesus’s Attitude Toward Religious Law

1. Jesus Honored God’s Law

Jesus had complete respect for God’s law. He said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). Jesus perfectly obeyed every command God had given. He never sinned. He kept the moral law completely.

2. Jesus Revealed the Deeper Meaning

Jesus went beyond surface-level obedience to reveal what God really intended with His laws. The examples we studied show this clearly:

The law said “do not murder,” but Jesus taught that God cares about anger in our hearts

The law said “do not commit adultery,” but Jesus taught that God cares about lust in our minds

The law said “keep your oaths,” but Jesus taught that we should be truthful in all speech

The law allowed proportionate retaliation, but Jesus taught non-retaliation and generosity

The law said “love your neighbor,” but Jesus taught us to love even our enemies

Jesus was not contradicting God’s law. He was showing its full meaning. The law had always been about the heart, but people had reduced it to external actions only.

3. Jesus Fulfilled the Law

Jesus perfectly fulfilled everything the law required:

He kept the moral law without sin: Jesus never broke any of God’s commandments

He fulfilled the ceremonial law: The sacrifices and rituals pointed forward to Jesus’s ultimate sacrifice on the cross

He accomplished the law’s purpose: The law was meant to reveal sin and point to our need for a Savior – Jesus came to be that Savior

Because Jesus fulfilled the law, believers in Jesus are not under the ceremonial requirements of the Old Testament. We do not need to offer animal sacrifices or follow dietary restrictions. However, God’s moral standards (love God, love others, live holy lives) still apply.

4. Jesus Rejected Man-Made Additions

While Jesus honored God’s law, He strongly rejected the human traditions and additions that the Pharisees had created. He challenged their interpretations when they:

Made the law more burdensome than God intended

Focused on external rituals while ignoring the heart

Used traditions to contradict God’s actual commands (like Corban)

Created loopholes to avoid God’s real requirements

Made the law about their pride rather than about loving God and others

Jesus showed that we must distinguish between God’s actual commands and human interpretations. We honor Scripture but must test all traditions and teachings against God’s word.

5. Jesus Emphasized Love as the Foundation

When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus summarized all the law: Love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40). Every law God gave was ultimately about love. The teachings in the Sermon on the Mount show how love should govern all our relationships:

Love means controlling anger, not just avoiding murder

Love means purity of thought, not just refraining from physical adultery

Love means being truthful, so our word can be trusted

Love means not seeking revenge, even when wronged

Love means blessing even those who hurt us

6. Jesus Called for Heart Transformation

Jesus taught that true righteousness is not just about behavior modification – trying harder to keep rules. It is about heart transformation. Only when God changes our hearts can we truly love as He commands. We need new hearts that hate sin and love righteousness. This transformation comes through faith in Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Jesus’s Attitude Toward Civil Law

1. Jesus Submitted to Civil Authority

Jesus lived under Roman occupation. The Roman government ruled over His country. Yet Jesus submitted to this authority:

He paid taxes, even though as God’s Son He could have claimed exemption (Matthew 17:24-27)

He did not lead a political rebellion, even though many people wanted Him to overthrow the Romans

He showed respect to government officials, including Pontius Pilate

He taught His followers to respect government authority

2. Jesus Taught Obedience to Government

When asked whether Jews should pay taxes to Caesar (the Roman emperor), Jesus said, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s” (Matthew 22:21). This teaching showed that:

Christians have civic duties and should fulfill them

We should pay taxes and obey laws

We can serve both God and government when we keep proper priorities

Our ultimate loyalty is to God, but we honor government as God’s appointed authority

3. Jesus Distinguished Between God’s Kingdom and Earthly Kingdoms

When brought before Pilate, Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). Jesus was not trying to establish an earthly political kingdom. His mission was spiritual – to save people from sin and establish God’s eternal kingdom in people’s hearts.

This teaches us that:

Christianity is not primarily about politics or earthly power

We can be good citizens while our ultimate citizenship is in heaven

We participate in civil society but remember that our true home is with God

We do not put our hope in political leaders or governments but in God

4. Jesus Showed When God’s Law Takes Priority

Although Jesus respected civil authority, He showed that obedience to God comes first. When religious leaders told the apostles to stop preaching about Jesus, Peter responded, “We must obey God rather than human beings” (Acts 5:29).

This principle means:

If government commands us to sin, we must refuse

If government forbids us from obeying God (like worshiping Him or sharing the gospel), we must obey God

We should be willing to face consequences for obeying God rather than unjust laws

However, we should do this respectfully, not rebelliously

5. Jesus Modeled Respect Without Compromise

Jesus showed that we can respect authority while maintaining our convictions. He was respectful to Pilate while still speaking truth. He paid taxes while teaching that God deserves our ultimate loyalty. He did not rebel against Rome while also not compromising His mission.

This teaches us to:

Be good citizens who contribute to society

Respect leaders even when we disagree with them

Speak truth respectfully

Not use religion as an excuse to break just laws

Stand firm for truth while being gracious in manner

Conclusion

Jesus’s teaching in Matthew 5:21-48 shows us that true righteousness goes far beyond just keeping rules. God cares about our hearts, not just our actions. The law was always meant to reveal God’s character and lead us to love God and love others.

Key Lessons from Jesus’s Teaching:

1. External Obedience is Not Enough: We cannot just avoid committing physical acts of sin while our hearts are full of hatred, lust, dishonesty, and revenge. God sees our hearts and judges our thoughts and attitudes.
2. We Need Heart Transformation: Jesus’s teaching shows us that we desperately need God’s help. We cannot keep these standards on our own. We need new hearts that love what God loves and hate what God hates. This transformation comes through faith in Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.
3. Love is Central: All of God’s law is fulfilled through love – love for God and love for others. When we truly love, we will not murder or hate, commit adultery or lust, lie, seek revenge, or treat enemies with cruelty.
4. We Must Distinguish Between God’s Law and Human Traditions: Religious laws that come from God deserve our full obedience. But we must test all human traditions and interpretations against Scripture and reject those that contradict or add burdens to God’s actual commands.
5. We Can Honor Both God and Government: As Christians, we should be excellent citizens who obey laws, pay taxes, and respect authority. But our ultimate loyalty is always to God. When civil law conflicts with God’s law, we must obey God.
6. Jesus Fulfilled the Law for Us: The good news is that Jesus lived the perfect life we could not live. He kept all these standards perfectly. When we trust in Him, His righteousness is credited to us. We are not saved by keeping the law perfectly but by faith in Jesus who kept it perfectly for us.
7. We Are Called to High Standards: While we are saved by grace through faith, God still calls us to live holy lives. We should strive to control our anger, maintain purity of thought, be truthful in all circumstances, respond to evil with good, and love even our enemies. This is possible through the Holy Spirit’s power working in us.

May we learn from Jesus’s teaching to pursue true righteousness – righteousness that comes from a transformed heart, expresses itself in love, honors both God’s law and civil authority, and reflects the character of our Heavenly Father who is perfect in love, justice, and mercy.