Question:
Concerning the Sermon on the Mount. What Jesus is saying seems to be much stricter than even the O.T. I don’t think anyone can actually live by this code. Are we supposed to? I’ve read that Jesus is talking about how life will eventually be in Heaven and earth. If this is the case,what proof do we have that he was talking about that period of time and not about how we should be living our lives now?
Answer:
Jesus is telling us that the requirement for heaven is perfection. “Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ Also, ‘For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in NO CASE ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. The only way we could become that righteous is to have it credited to your account. See Romans 4:5, ‘But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith (in Christ) is counted for righteousness.’ Trust Christ and God sees you righteous in Christ. See Phillipians 3:9.