This was a tremendous list of assets from a man's point of view. But the day came when Paul recognized that these things were worthless in the sight of a just and holy God. It was the day that he met Jesus. Before this happened he thought that he had attained righteousness by keeping his conception of God's law. Afterwards he knew that all of this righteousness was as dirty in God's sight as filthy rags. He had once said, "As touching the righteousness that is in the law I am blameless." He now said, "I am the chief of sinners."
There is a fourth reason why human righteousness is unacceptable to God, and it is most important. Human righteousness is actually a different kind of righteousness from that which God requires. God asks for divine righteousness, and human righteousness is not divine righteousness at all.
The second reason why Jesus was critical of the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees is that this external righteousness actually whittled down the standards of the law and therefore nullified it in many important points.
Jesus' words were also difficult, however, because he was not saying that in order for a man to get to heaven he must have a slightly higher degree of the same kind of righteousness that the scribes and Pharisees had been accumulating. The first part of the Sermon should have dispelled any thought of that. He was saying that if a man was to get to heaven he must somehow have a different and better righteousness than these men were showing.
The statements of the Sermon on the Mount are the righteous foundation of all God's dealings with men, and when they are accepted they drive a man to the Lord Jesus Christ where alone he finds salvation. On the other hand, if they are not accepted, they will turn a man from Jesus and they will cause a man to hate him and despise his teachings.
