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There used to be a saying that "close, doesn't really count in anything other than horseshoes.... and tossing hand-grenades." Being "close" in doing heart surgery will leave a lot of dead bodies. Being "close" in landing the F-14 "Tomcat" on the carrier deck will leave a spectacular fireball.

"Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven." So spoke our Lord in His "Sermon on the Mount." He is speaking Law. He's reiterating the two Tables: "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength." and "love your neighbor as yourself." From the very lips of God: "Be Perfect!" He says as much at the end of chapter 5: "Therefore you are to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." [v. 48]

When God told the Israelites to obey. He meant it: "So you shall keep My commandments, and do them: I Am the Lord." [Lev 22.31] He requires of His covenant people that they keep the terms of the covenant: "Now then, If you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant then you shall be My own possession." [Ex 19.5] Keep them, not think about them, do them, not know about them. Meaning well doesn't count. Doing your best gets you nothing. "And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment" writes the Prophet. [Is. 64.6] There is the immutable perfect will of the Triune God saying be perfect, be what I made you. Adam willfully rebelled even knowing the Word of His Lord: "For in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die." [Gen. 2.17] Talk about effrontery, arrogant pride and downright cussedness. Our first parent was evil in his rebellion. So are we. Adam threw his righteousness away. We were born without any righteousness: feather-less, fur-less, naked and dead. Close doesn't count. Luther once stated, "try telling the magistrate 'your honor, I really tried, I tried really hard all day long not to steal the goose... before I did. I guess you won't punish me then?" Try telling the judge today, "Your honor, I really meant not to steal that car. I came close to not murdering that man" Yeah, that'll work...not!

"Truly I say to you, you shall not come out of there, [OUT OF WHERE? condemnation; being sentenced to hell] until you have paid up the last cent."

Oh who will save us from this body of death? Righteousness, being right with our Father Who art in heaven, being right with God because we Love Him perfectly, and love our neighbor as ourselves, being fully restored to communion with our creator-Father because we are perfect as He wills. How? You've got no "last cent" to pay anyone. You have no inner righteousness, only death.

Well, Whose "Righteousness" "surpasses that of the Scribes and Pharisee?" Who is the only truly "Righteous One?" Jesus the Christ: "For Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to everyone who believes." [Rom 10.4] Abraham was given to believe the Word, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and it was credited to him as Righteousness. This is the great "rediscovery" of the pure Gospel which Luther was enabled by the Lord to make. This is the pure preaching of Christ Crucified which animated Paul's ministry. This is what King David writes much of his poetic Psalms about. Being "Right" with God isn't something we do; it's something which is given us. Righteousness isn't something we cultivate, expand, bring to the fore, develop, exercise, chose or use to our fullest potential. Righteousness is Jesus GOD. Being "Right" with God comes about by being "IN" the perfect, just, righteous Savior. Being "Right" with God means being covered by the Lamb's Blood, washed in the Rock's water, and fed with the Shepherds' own body which is the bread of heaven.

You, who would otherwise be called damned sinners, are now declared by God's Grace, to be forgiven sinners. You, who would be unrighteous, are now declared by a forgiving God to be RIGHTEOUS because you have faith in your Righteous Lord. Bathed with Him you are crucified with Him. His death on the tree for your trespasses counts for your new innocence and freedom. Hearing His word and being filled with His actual Body and Blood---the Body and Blood of Righteousness Incarnate---You are now the Righteous ones, the brothers and sisters of Righteousness, the sons and daughters of Righteousness.

You and Jesus are the "Righteous Brothers" not because you've got "that loving feeling," but because you've got the Loving Lord.