Righteous

Did you know the Pharisees were righteous? Jesus said they were. He told his disciples that unless their righteousness exceeded that of the Pharisees they could not enter the kingdom of heaven. Does that mean there are degrees of righteousness?
Mike Cope has an excellent book on this called Righteousness Inside Out. I think he hits the nail on the head by the way he describes their righteousness. The Pharisees looked good, they followed the law, they did everything right for the wrong reasons. They did it because they had to. No joy, no purpose, just duty.
We, on the other hand can and should be righteous because it's the right thing to do. Because our hearts want to serve God. When serve God because He is holy, because He is good, because He is I AM, then our whole demeanor changes. We serve because we want to. Then it becomes a joy to live and to serve. Big difference!
Where are you on this journey? Do you grit your teeth and serve God. Or do you relax and allow His grace to fill your heart? It's your choice. Righteousness always looks better from the inside out. Have a great day! JW