A transformation that starts from within! This week Pastor Joaquin Pardo continued our (RE)FORMATION series from the Sermon On The Mount. 

Matthew 5:17
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

1) Jesus fulfills every requirement we could never meet.

Though humanity failed repeatedly, Jesus came not to abolish the Scriptures but to complete them. He lived the perfect life, bore the weight of God’s mission, and made a way for our restoration. The Sermon on the Mount isn’t about more rules—it’s an invitation to trust in His finished work.

2) Jesus interprets the heart of God perfectly.

Mark 7:8
You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.

Accused by religious leaders of breaking the Law, Jesus reveals their misinterpretation by exposing their focus on human tradition rather than God’s true intent. The heart of the Law points to God’s nature—grace, mercy, and justice. When we impose our own preferences on God’s word, we risk misrepresenting God, just as the Pharisees did. In Jesus, we see God’s true purpose—one heart, one mission, perfectly fulfilled.

3) Righteousness is not a list of rules; it’s a re-forming of the heart.

Matthew 5:20
For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Righteousness isn’t about following rules, but about a transformed heart. Jesus challenges the outward holiness of the Pharisees. It’s not about outward actions or church attendance—it’s about allowing God to change your desires and live out His love. 

Galatians 5:16
“Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

Legalism and lawlessness both miss the mark, but true grace empowers us to live holy lives. Grace doesn’t lower the standard—it raises us up to meet it. Through Jesus, righteousness is no longer about achieving a standard but receiving God’s transformative grace.