Fulfilling the Law

Jesus taught his followers, “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” Matthew 5:20 (ESV). To enjoy the reign of King Jesus we must know a righteousness that exceeds our ability to do what is right. Such righteousness is a gift of God received by faith. A humble cabinet maker from London, England came to know and write of this gift. One morning in 1834 as Edward Mote was walking to work, it entered his mind to write a hymn. By the time he got to work, he had the chorus and several verses. One lesser-known verse declares, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; ’Midst all the hell I feel within, on His completed work I lean.” May our hope and confidence rest in the righteousness of Christ received by faith.