NOTES for Mat 5:20-26
Sin lies not in actions but in thoughts—Jesus shows us in the Sermon on the Mount. Slavery to sin is not enslavement imposed from outside, but an inner spiritual condition of ours. Our good deeds (reconciliation with a brother) do not free us from it, but they testify to our desire to accept liberation; and the Spirit of the Lord brings freedom and purification from sin, “enlightening our hearts.” What takes place then is beautifully described in Psalm 84 (85):11-14.