It is indeed true that the Pharisees were observers of the Torah, but where they fell short in their obedience to the Torah were in weightier matters of the Torah, which was love for your neighbor by giving to the poor. So that is why our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees, not neglecting any of the lesser matters of the Torah, but also obeying the greater matters of the Torah, "you shall love your neighbor as yourself" and "if your brother becomes poor, you shall give to him sufficient for his need", which is "good works", which is why the Messiah taught, "sell your possessions and give to the poor". Yet if you live your life thinking the Torah has been abolished, or that you do not need to obey it, and that all you need to do is merely believe, then indeed your so called "righteousness" has fallen way shorter than the righteousness of the Pharisees, into "lawlessness", because you have discarded the many commands of God that they did obey that are written in the Torah. Mere belief is null without obedience to the commands of God in the Torah. You fool yourself into believing that you have attained any form of righteousness by mere belief without obedience to God and good works.