20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus. Matthew 5:20. Hi, it’s Nathan, and this is Day 4 of 30 Days of Growing. When it comes to personal improvement, growth, we want real, substantial transformation—not a cover-up or some artificial decoration. We want more than skin deep—we want real. This is Jesus’ point in calling out the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees: it was completely artificial. All show, no substance. Worse, it was a shrewd cover-up—pure social deception, masking dark, sinister hearts with a slick paint-job. Don’t go for the superficial stuff. Come clean. Own your failures and short-comings and seek deep, true change—not the facelift. In the end, residents of God’s kingdom—and those anticipating the brand new world to come—must make the decision to go deep, not shallow.
