Notes for BSF
WHO ARE WE TO JUDGE? (Matthew 7:1-5)
We are ALL sinners. We may easily see faults in others, but Jesus points out that we often have worse faults. So, before we are eager to point our fingers at other people, examine ourselves and focus on fixing our own faults instead.
Luke 6:37-42
Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.
There is a godly way to deal with people who have sinned against us
Example 1 -- Matthew 18:15-17
If someone does something to wrong us, we should go to that person in private and tell him what he has done to hurt us. If he listens, then we have gained a friend. If he doesn’t, then we should take him to talk with 2-3 elders who can offer advice. And if he continue to refuse to listen to reason, then we close the door and shut him out. This may sound "mean," but the idea here is to make sure he doesn't remain in around us, our family, even the church, because he is bad influence. Note here that we do not shut him out immediately. This is reserved as the last resort, when we have tried all methods to reason with him. When a person purposefully chooses to go against God's Word and His people, he choose to side with the devil -- and that is not an influence we should keep around our young and innocent. We protect children from rabid dogs. Why not from devil-driven men?
Example 2 -- Galatians 6:1-5
Help each other out. If we see someone who needs help, we should go and help him. If someone is walking off the path,we should go guide him back. At the same time, we should be aware of our own works. We should never be prideful and think we are doing just fine, that there is nothing wrong with us. We should be open to other people's criticism of us.
JESUS CAME FOR THE JEWS (Matthew 7:6)
In His first coming, Jesus did not come for the Gentiles -- He came for the Jews. Yes, God's salvation is for ALL (2 Peter 3:9), however, Jesus first came to fulfill the Law and the prophecies of His coming, as the Messiah. As God's people, the Israelites were to live by the Word of God, be an example to the world, so that through them, all would come to God. Unfortunately, history taught us that the Israelites not only strayed from God's Word, they also rejected their Messiah.
ASK, SEEK, KNOCK (Matthew 7:7-12)
Matthew 7:8
For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Luke 11:13
… how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!
When we come across Scriptures that we don't understand, encounter events that we don't understand, we can claim this promise and ask God for understanding.
BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS AND PRODUCE GOOD FRUIT (Matthew 7:13-20)
Jesus is the Narrow Way
Many people like to say that Christianity is exclusive. The Truth, by definition, is exclusive; it excludes everything that is false. So, yes, Christianity is exclusive -- but it is INCLUSIVE as well. Jesus didn't just die for certain groups of people. Jesus died for EVERYONE. The path is narrow, because Jesus is the only One who leads us to salvation. Jesus is the one Truth who excludes all other false religions.
Matthew 7:14
Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Few find it, because we are not all interested in finding the Truth (John 5:40). We are often more interested in lies and deceptions, anything that allows us to keep living the lives we want to live, as opposed to humbling ourselves and earnestly seek the Truth, seek God. For those who are interested in seeking the Truth, God makes Him evident in the world around us.
John 5:43
I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.
Jesus is the Word incarnate. He is the Truth of God personified. Yet, there are still those who refuse the Truth and would prefer to live in lies. One day, there will be one who would come claiming as the Savior -- and many will follow him, not knowing he will lead them straight into Hell.
Who is this "he," who comes in his own name? The Antichrist. For details, check out all the studies under the tab Revelation.
Be aware of wolves in sheep's clothing
Not all people who claim they are Christians are Christians. They may come as friends, but listen to the things they say, and we will soon find out that they are not here to glorify God but themselves. It is very sad that people use the name of Christianity to advance their own agenda while preying on the innocent and using God's good people (Acts 20:29-30; 2 Peter 2:1-2; 1 John 4:1). They will answer for their actions upon the Great White Throne. However, in the mean time, we should be aware of people who use the name of Christianity to promote false doctrines. How? Study the Word ourselves. Do not just believe everything people tell us, including the things I blog here. Always go directly back to the source of Truth -- God. Measure everything against the Word of God.
Acts 7:11
[The Bereans] were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether those things were so.
Be fruitful
Trees that do not bear fruit are cut down and thrown into the fire. The fruit of a tree is the result of how productive the tree is. Similarly, if we claim we are Christians, and yet we do nothing of God, we live carnal lives, suffocating our relationship with God, what kind of fruit will we bear?
The warning we get from this passage is that if we do not produce GOOD fruit, we will be thrown into fire. This is a serious warning. If we say we are Christians, then our lives ought to reflect our claim. Our fruit should be our lives. When we live godly lives, others would see us and learn of God through us.
NOT ALL WHO CLAIM TO KNOW JESUS WILL ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (Matthew 7:21-29)
Matthew 7:22-23
Many will say to Me in that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?" And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!"
These people lacked true faith. They say they are Jesus’ disciples, but in reality, the rituals they perform were just that: rituals. They performed these acts with no heart. Worse, they followed through the motions wishing nothing but to glorify themselves, certainly not God.
They thought they were the most godly people because of all the rituals they were able follow and perform. When we stop to think about it, we realize that these people aren’t doing any of this because they wished to worship God. They did all this because they wanted people to see how godly they are. This is the a good example of what it means to glorify ourselves. When we do things to show off, we are no longer performing God’s will; we are no longer glorifying God but ourselves.
And since their heart was selfish, Jesus will not recognize them at the end of days. Jesus never knew them because they never knew Jesus.
Build upon Jesus, our Rock
We should build our life on a rock, THE rock, which is Jesus Christ!
The true foundation is a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation (Isaiah 28:16).
There is no other true foundation than Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11).
Jesus is the true foundation, our living stone, who was rejected by men but chosen by God (1 Peter 2:4-8). As Jesus’ disciple, we, too, are a part of that true foundation. For those who believe, the true foundation brings us salvation and joy. For those who do not believe, the true foundation stumbles them.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Friday, October 18, 2013
Matthew 6
Notes for BSF
GLORIFY GOD, NOT OURSELVES (Mathew 6:1-4)
"Do not be like the hypocrites," Jesus continuously reminds us throughout this passage.
We do things because of our HEART. The hypocrites SAY how great they are because of all the things they do – but they do all those things because they want to appear greater than others. That is, although the original intent of the rituals was to get closer to God, yet through the hypocrites manipulation, those rituals had become means for them to show off their religiosity. They carried out these rituals to glorify themselves as opposed to drawing closer to God. This is why Jesus told us to not be like the hypocrites. Here, Jesus taught us to do all things not to “show off” how great we are but to do all things with the heart of God. We pray because we continue to build our personal relationship with God. We give because God first gave us everything -- and we are now merely re-gifting what God has given us.
Does Jesus know us?
Matthew 6:4, NKJV
Your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.
As Jesus warns us, there were, are, and will be people who claim they know Jesus, who perform miracles in the name of Jesus -- yet, Jesus will separate His true disciples from the hypocrites and false teachers, saying, "I never knew you" (Matthew 7:23).
Jesus knows our hearts. If our heart is not with God, it doesn't matter what we say or what we do. Even if we donate everything we have to charity, if we do so with the wrong heart, we will not enter the Kingdom of God. It is never about we do or say; it is always about dying to our sins (including our pride to glorify ourselves) and being born again in the spirit of God.
Those who belong to God, we will receive our rewards at the Bema Seat Judgement of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). Those who do not belong to God will face the Great White Throne Judgment.
THY KINGDOM COME (Matthew 6:5-18)
Pray to draw close to God
Do not pray to show off to people how religious we are. Pray in private because it’s all about the heart, it’s all about our personal relationship with God.
Along the same line, mean what we say when we are praying. Do not just regurgitate memorized phrases. Mean everything we say -- We are talking to God! Spill our heart out to Him. Spend that time in His presence!
Jesus teaches us how to pray
Many memorize Matthew 6:9-13 as a model prayer. While this is good, I think it's more important to understand the essence of this prayer. After all, if we are only regurgitating the words, we fall into what Jesus has warned us against, "Do not use vain repetitions as the heathens do" (Matthew 6:7).
For example, note the order in which Jesus prayed: Glorify God; seek His will; pray for physical and spiritual sustenance; repent and seek forgiveness; pray for strength to battle against temptations.
Every one of the elements found in this model prayer can guide us in forming our own prayers as we approach God.
Fast to draw close to God
Fasting is an advanced level of praying, in a way. It is not something to just do on a whim, because if not done right, it can be physically harmful. However, when done right, it is a very powerful way to draw close to God -- In fact, many pastors, when seeking major breakthroughs in seeking directions from God, will fast and pray. The idea of fasting is to remove ourselves from our fleshly needs and to depend completely on God fulfilling us. When we are completely in the presence of God, not worrying about worldly concerns, we are given greater visions (Daniel 10).
SEEK ETERNAL TREASURES (Matthew 6:19-34)
Cf. Psalm 119:72; Luke 12:15-21; 1 Corinthians 2:9; 2 Corinthians 4:17-18; Philippians 3:8; 1 Peter 1:4-5
This is a pretty straightforward advice: What would you rather work for? Things that can be lost overnight, or things that last forever? Money, houses, cars, boats, etc. have no eternal value. Any one of these things can be lost due to natural catastrophes, for example. Even social status, our positions on the corporate ladder -- none of that is secure. We can spend our lifetime building this and see it dissipate in front of us because someone back-stabbed us, or we simply get left behind due to corporate goal changes. Knowing this, we have to ask ourselves, why do we bother?
Jesus has offered us eternity with Him. Our salvation in Him is eternal. Our kingship and priesthood with Him is eternal. Our inheritance with Jesus is eternal. And the best news of all, Jesus has already done all that is required for us to receive all this, and no one -- not even Satan -- can take that away (John 10:28).
No one can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24)
A few pastors have stressed that we are always a slave to someone or something. Think about it. We are either a slave to making more and more money, or working toward a bigger home, or getting that promotion, etc. This goes back to the question of what should we seek? Things that are temporal or eternal? The two are polar opposites -- thus, if we run after the temporal, we cannot obtain the eternal. And if we go after the eternal, what would we want with the temporal? This is why Jesus said we cannot serve two masters. We cannot possibly remain loyal to both, especially when the two are complete opposites.
When we put, for example, riches ahead of God, that reveals that in our heart, we care more about riches than doing God’s will. That tells us that we worry more about riches than doing what is right in God’s eyes. Substitute "riches" with drugs, sex, sports... whatever has us addicted, and the concept remains the same. Any time we worry about the materialistic world, we ought to reflect and ask ourselves, “Why am I so reluctant to let go of this idol? Why would I put this ahead of God?” God provides. He created the world; he created us. Whatever idol we worship ahead of God, we should really ask ourselves, “Can this thing provide and protect to the extent that God does?” What do we live for? What do we work for? Money? Power? Pride? Why? Why do we work so hard just to accumulate these things? What can they do for us that can possibly be greater than that of God? As Paul stresses in many of his letters, don’t be fools. Store up what matters. Store up our eternal reward with Christ in Heaven.
Focus on God -- the rest will fall into place
Matthew 6:25
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Jesus told us not to worry about life, what we will eat or drink, our physical body.
Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Jesus tells us that God takes even the most care with birds and flowers, who do not produce. We are His children. Would not God take even greater care of us? If God provides for birds and flowers, wouldn't God provide even more for His children? Therefore, rather than worrying earthly things, stay focused on God and His will. When we live in His will, He will always provide. When we are walking His way, He will make sure we are well taken care of so that we can handle the challenges to come.
GLORIFY GOD, NOT OURSELVES (Mathew 6:1-4)
"Do not be like the hypocrites," Jesus continuously reminds us throughout this passage.
We do things because of our HEART. The hypocrites SAY how great they are because of all the things they do – but they do all those things because they want to appear greater than others. That is, although the original intent of the rituals was to get closer to God, yet through the hypocrites manipulation, those rituals had become means for them to show off their religiosity. They carried out these rituals to glorify themselves as opposed to drawing closer to God. This is why Jesus told us to not be like the hypocrites. Here, Jesus taught us to do all things not to “show off” how great we are but to do all things with the heart of God. We pray because we continue to build our personal relationship with God. We give because God first gave us everything -- and we are now merely re-gifting what God has given us.
Does Jesus know us?
Matthew 6:4, NKJV
Your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.
As Jesus warns us, there were, are, and will be people who claim they know Jesus, who perform miracles in the name of Jesus -- yet, Jesus will separate His true disciples from the hypocrites and false teachers, saying, "I never knew you" (Matthew 7:23).
Jesus knows our hearts. If our heart is not with God, it doesn't matter what we say or what we do. Even if we donate everything we have to charity, if we do so with the wrong heart, we will not enter the Kingdom of God. It is never about we do or say; it is always about dying to our sins (including our pride to glorify ourselves) and being born again in the spirit of God.
Those who belong to God, we will receive our rewards at the Bema Seat Judgement of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). Those who do not belong to God will face the Great White Throne Judgment.
THY KINGDOM COME (Matthew 6:5-18)
Pray to draw close to God
Do not pray to show off to people how religious we are. Pray in private because it’s all about the heart, it’s all about our personal relationship with God.
Along the same line, mean what we say when we are praying. Do not just regurgitate memorized phrases. Mean everything we say -- We are talking to God! Spill our heart out to Him. Spend that time in His presence!
Jesus teaches us how to pray
Many memorize Matthew 6:9-13 as a model prayer. While this is good, I think it's more important to understand the essence of this prayer. After all, if we are only regurgitating the words, we fall into what Jesus has warned us against, "Do not use vain repetitions as the heathens do" (Matthew 6:7).
For example, note the order in which Jesus prayed: Glorify God; seek His will; pray for physical and spiritual sustenance; repent and seek forgiveness; pray for strength to battle against temptations.
Every one of the elements found in this model prayer can guide us in forming our own prayers as we approach God.
Fast to draw close to God
Fasting is an advanced level of praying, in a way. It is not something to just do on a whim, because if not done right, it can be physically harmful. However, when done right, it is a very powerful way to draw close to God -- In fact, many pastors, when seeking major breakthroughs in seeking directions from God, will fast and pray. The idea of fasting is to remove ourselves from our fleshly needs and to depend completely on God fulfilling us. When we are completely in the presence of God, not worrying about worldly concerns, we are given greater visions (Daniel 10).
SEEK ETERNAL TREASURES (Matthew 6:19-34)
Cf. Psalm 119:72; Luke 12:15-21; 1 Corinthians 2:9; 2 Corinthians 4:17-18; Philippians 3:8; 1 Peter 1:4-5
This is a pretty straightforward advice: What would you rather work for? Things that can be lost overnight, or things that last forever? Money, houses, cars, boats, etc. have no eternal value. Any one of these things can be lost due to natural catastrophes, for example. Even social status, our positions on the corporate ladder -- none of that is secure. We can spend our lifetime building this and see it dissipate in front of us because someone back-stabbed us, or we simply get left behind due to corporate goal changes. Knowing this, we have to ask ourselves, why do we bother?
Jesus has offered us eternity with Him. Our salvation in Him is eternal. Our kingship and priesthood with Him is eternal. Our inheritance with Jesus is eternal. And the best news of all, Jesus has already done all that is required for us to receive all this, and no one -- not even Satan -- can take that away (John 10:28).
No one can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24)
A few pastors have stressed that we are always a slave to someone or something. Think about it. We are either a slave to making more and more money, or working toward a bigger home, or getting that promotion, etc. This goes back to the question of what should we seek? Things that are temporal or eternal? The two are polar opposites -- thus, if we run after the temporal, we cannot obtain the eternal. And if we go after the eternal, what would we want with the temporal? This is why Jesus said we cannot serve two masters. We cannot possibly remain loyal to both, especially when the two are complete opposites.
When we put, for example, riches ahead of God, that reveals that in our heart, we care more about riches than doing God’s will. That tells us that we worry more about riches than doing what is right in God’s eyes. Substitute "riches" with drugs, sex, sports... whatever has us addicted, and the concept remains the same. Any time we worry about the materialistic world, we ought to reflect and ask ourselves, “Why am I so reluctant to let go of this idol? Why would I put this ahead of God?” God provides. He created the world; he created us. Whatever idol we worship ahead of God, we should really ask ourselves, “Can this thing provide and protect to the extent that God does?” What do we live for? What do we work for? Money? Power? Pride? Why? Why do we work so hard just to accumulate these things? What can they do for us that can possibly be greater than that of God? As Paul stresses in many of his letters, don’t be fools. Store up what matters. Store up our eternal reward with Christ in Heaven.
Focus on God -- the rest will fall into place
Matthew 6:25
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Jesus told us not to worry about life, what we will eat or drink, our physical body.
Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Jesus tells us that God takes even the most care with birds and flowers, who do not produce. We are His children. Would not God take even greater care of us? If God provides for birds and flowers, wouldn't God provide even more for His children? Therefore, rather than worrying earthly things, stay focused on God and His will. When we live in His will, He will always provide. When we are walking His way, He will make sure we are well taken care of so that we can handle the challenges to come.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Matthew 5:17-48
Notes for BSF
JESUS CAME TO FULFILL THE LAW (Matthew 5:17-20)
Matthew 5:17, NKJV
Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
Jesus did not come to contradict the Old Testament. He came, instead, to fulfill it -- To what extent?
Matthew 5:18, NKJV
... till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
Consult the WHOLE counsel of God
Jesus made the bold statement that He has come to fulfill the Old Testament down to the crossing of the t and dotting of the i, literally down to the details! This gives us a very good reason to pay close attention to the Old Testament. The WHOLE book of the Bible is God's Word. It's tempting to stay in our comfort zone and study only what we understand. However, Jesus didn't just come to fulfill the promises -- He came also to fulfill judgment. This is why Paul didn't just teach selected passages of the Scripture; he taught the WHOLE counsel of God (Acts 20:27)!
If we ever come to passages we don't understand, there are a couple of things we should keep in mind:
1. The Bible always explains itself.
The same concept is always explained at least twice in the Bible. If we don’t understand a certain concept, we can continue our studying of the Bible. One day, we will read about it in another passage, which would shed light on the concept, giving us understanding.
2. The Holy Spirit will guide us.
God has promised us that He will reveal ALL things to us through the Holy Spirit.
John 14:26, NKJV
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
John 16:13, NKJV
... He will guide you into all truth...
Thus, when we come across confounding passages, we can always pray for the Holy Spirit to guide our understanding. When we don’t understand something, we can write it down in a prayer journal. Ask God to help us understand what we do not understand. God may not reveal the answer to us right away, but one day, we may hear something or see something or run into certain people, and suddenly, those experiences will give us the revelation we need to understand. God is faithful. If He has promised us that He will reveal ALL things to us, then He will. We just have to ask.
Reference:
http://blogs.blueletterbible.org/blb/2013/08/01/hoekstra-the-lord-promised-his-spirit-to-teach-us/
Examples of Jesus' fulfillment
Jesus fulfilled the moral law by being the perfect man (Revelation 5)
Jesus fulfilled the ceremonial law of sacrifices by dying on the cross for our sins (1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5; Revelation 12:11; Hebrews 9:11-28; Hebrews 10:1-18; Hebrews 13:12)
Jesus has already fulfilled HUNDREDS of prophecies listed in the Bible. And He will fulfill ALL prophecies upon His Second Coming. Some of the prophecies that Jesus has fulfilled in the Old Testament include...
- Jesus was born according to the Scripture (Isaiah 7:14)
- Jesus was presented to His people according to the Scripture (Zechariah 9:9)
- Jesus died according to the Scripture (Isaiah 53; Zechariah 12:10)
- Jesus rose from the dead according to the Scripture (Matthew 12:40; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Matthew 5:21-26)
SIN BEGINS IN THE HEART (Matthew 5:21-32)
The Law specified that we should not murder or commit adultery. However, in the application of it, Jesus detailed that murder and adultery begins in our heart. When we are unkind toward each other, when we are revengeful and full of contempt, that is murder in our heart. When we start looking at another man or woman lustfully who is not our husband or wife, we have already committed adultery.
The Law limits us physically so that we do not commit murder or adultery. However, Jesus drives home the point that sin is not just in our actions but in our thoughts as well. The first step is to not commit physical sin (murder, lust, etc.) of people. The next step is to not commit sin in the spirit.
Be filled with the love of God
1 John 3:14-15, NKJV
He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
1 John 3:17, NKJV
But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
1 John 3:18, NKJV
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
Allow the love of God to guide us in our interactions with people! God's emphasis on us showing love toward one another is so great that He tells us to fix any broken relationship between ourselves BEFORE we offer Him any praises (Matthew 5:23-24)!
Divorce is no light matter
Because marriage is such a sacred promise between a man and a woman in the presence of God, divorce is not a light matter. In the Bible, divorce is not at all encouraged. In fact, when he preached on the subject, Paul largely advocated against marriage -- If you don't have to get married, then don't get married (1 Corinthians 7). I'm not bringing this up to say marriage is bad or to dissuade people from marrying. I'm bringing this up to illustrate just how serious marital vows are -- They represent the godly covenant between God and the couple. Hence, the idea here is to really think hard before marrying; and once married, work really hard to maintain the relationship -- because this decision ought to be an eternal commitment.
But of course, who are we but imperfect human beings? In the Old Testament, God made only one exception to allow for divorce: adultery (Deuteronomy 24:1-4). If one person commits adultery, then the other can break the marital covenant without sin. He/she can also marry again without sin or causing sin. However, anyone who marries the adulterous person is considered adulterous. Tough law. It doesn't say what happens when one is stuck in an abusive relationship. It also doesn't elaborate on unsatisfying relationship. But that's the Law.
Today, we are no longer under the Law but under God's grace through Jesus Christ. This doesn't mean we can marry whoever we want, divorce whenever we want, and remarry again and again and again. In fact, in some sense, Jesus is even more strict: Adultery is not just an act. It starts in the heart, in our thoughts. Hence, the standards are still the same: Marriage is sacred. Adultery is sin. We can fall and make mistakes, because we are covered by God's grace. We no longer need the Law to detail what exactly constitutes reasonable grounds for divorce, because Jesus has made it very clear: It's all in our heart. Reflect, repent, and seek God. He will make it plain to each one of us how best to deal with the situation we are in.
Whatever sin we are dealing with, cut it out of our lives
Matthew 5: 29-30
If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
Jesus is making a strong point here. If we are faced with temptations, it is best to take drastic measures to remove COMPLETELY separate ourselves from those situations. Why is this important? Because Satan will use whatever he can to lure us into his trap. This is why Paul teaches us to never give Satan a foothold (Ephesians 4:27).
Practical examples include, if I am an alcoholic, I should never eat at a bar or meet up with friends at a bar. I clearly have trouble controlling myself around alcohol, so I should cut myself off completely around alcohol until I can control myself. Drinking is not a sin, but getting drunk often gets us into sin (Noah and Lot are great examples).
The big, big picture here is this: We are either ruled by sin or by God. Someone or something always dictates our lives. We may think we are our own masters, but we're not. We are dependent on something -- be it money, power, social status, whatever. And the point that Jesus is making here is, if we cannot commit ourselves to following God, we run the risk of being ruled by sin, and the result of that is grave. It may be difficult to have to cut off certain aspects of life that may seem so pleasurable, but in reality, addiction is a prison that Satan traps us with. It is thus much better to cut off Satan's ball-and-chain than to lose our soul by remaining attached to our addiction. Be addicted to Jesus. Way, way healthier.
Pray to God for the strength to resist temptation, to cleanse our nature, so that we no longer crave those temptations.
1 Corinthians 10:13, NKJV
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
DO NOT TAKE THE LORD'S NAME IN VAIN (Matthew 5:33-37)
Matthew 5:34-35
Do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Many people think the command, "Do not swear," is simply about vocabulary -- the F-word, the S-word, etc. This command extends way beyond vocabulary. If we haven't gotten the point yet, Jesus makes it clear that everything we do, it's always all about the heart. Here, the big idea is ambassadorship. As Christians, we represent God. To properly represent Him, we have to be careful not just with our choice of words but also our actions... our entire being. All this, yes, begins in the heart.
Take this idea to the next level, do not take the Lord's name in vain. When we swear upon the Lord, we are putting His name at risk. If we cannot fulfill what we have promised, we defame His good name. This is why Jesus made it clear that we should not swear upon anything of God. In fact, don't swear at all -- because we are imperfect and prone to mistakes, whoever we swear upon, be it our father or mother or even ourselves, we risk the goodness of that name.
Matthew 5:36
Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.
Jesus tells us to not swear upon anyone -- Not God, not even ourselves -- because we have no real control over our own lives, where is the value in swearing upon ourselves? As Jesus illustrated, we have no power to turn even one hair on our head from black to white – So what's the point of swearing upon ourselves? There is no place for us to be placing oaths likes this. Instead, just remain truthful.
Matthew 5:37
... Let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No," "No."
Proverbs 12:22
The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.
Just be a man/woman of our word. Say what we mean, and mean what we say. Be straightforward and truthful, and leave swearing on whoever's name out of it.
LOVE OUR ENEMIES (Matthew 5:38-44)
The love of God, on a certain level, is difficult to comprehend. When we are hurt, when we are angry, when we are offended, how are we to "love our enemies"? I can't say I've completely grasped the concept, but this lesson has taught me that all sin starts from the heart. Murder, adultery, envy, jealousy, lies, etc. – even though these are all physical acts, all of them first take root in the heart. Once I know this, my heart must change if I want to be more like Jesus and be less of a sinner. Jesus loved ALL -- including those who murdered Him. How great a heart is that? My understanding of this all is that our love for people ought to so great that even when others hurt us or wrong us, we can see past that and help them to the path of Christ. Ultimately, salvation is all that matters. If we see past ourselves and focus on the salvation of others, perhaps we can begin to understand the great love of God.
Galatians 5:16
Walk by the Spirit and not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Ephesians 4:22-24
Be made new in the attitude of our minds, to put on the new self, created to be lie God in true righteousness and holiness.
JESUS CAME TO FULFILL THE LAW (Matthew 5:17-20)
Matthew 5:17, NKJV
Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
Jesus did not come to contradict the Old Testament. He came, instead, to fulfill it -- To what extent?
Matthew 5:18, NKJV
... till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
Consult the WHOLE counsel of God
Jesus made the bold statement that He has come to fulfill the Old Testament down to the crossing of the t and dotting of the i, literally down to the details! This gives us a very good reason to pay close attention to the Old Testament. The WHOLE book of the Bible is God's Word. It's tempting to stay in our comfort zone and study only what we understand. However, Jesus didn't just come to fulfill the promises -- He came also to fulfill judgment. This is why Paul didn't just teach selected passages of the Scripture; he taught the WHOLE counsel of God (Acts 20:27)!
If we ever come to passages we don't understand, there are a couple of things we should keep in mind:
1. The Bible always explains itself.
The same concept is always explained at least twice in the Bible. If we don’t understand a certain concept, we can continue our studying of the Bible. One day, we will read about it in another passage, which would shed light on the concept, giving us understanding.
2. The Holy Spirit will guide us.
God has promised us that He will reveal ALL things to us through the Holy Spirit.
John 14:26, NKJV
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
John 16:13, NKJV
... He will guide you into all truth...
Thus, when we come across confounding passages, we can always pray for the Holy Spirit to guide our understanding. When we don’t understand something, we can write it down in a prayer journal. Ask God to help us understand what we do not understand. God may not reveal the answer to us right away, but one day, we may hear something or see something or run into certain people, and suddenly, those experiences will give us the revelation we need to understand. God is faithful. If He has promised us that He will reveal ALL things to us, then He will. We just have to ask.
Reference:
http://blogs.blueletterbible.org/blb/2013/08/01/hoekstra-the-lord-promised-his-spirit-to-teach-us/
Examples of Jesus' fulfillment
Jesus fulfilled the moral law by being the perfect man (Revelation 5)
Jesus fulfilled the ceremonial law of sacrifices by dying on the cross for our sins (1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5; Revelation 12:11; Hebrews 9:11-28; Hebrews 10:1-18; Hebrews 13:12)
Jesus has already fulfilled HUNDREDS of prophecies listed in the Bible. And He will fulfill ALL prophecies upon His Second Coming. Some of the prophecies that Jesus has fulfilled in the Old Testament include...
- Jesus was born according to the Scripture (Isaiah 7:14)
- Jesus was presented to His people according to the Scripture (Zechariah 9:9)
- Jesus died according to the Scripture (Isaiah 53; Zechariah 12:10)
- Jesus rose from the dead according to the Scripture (Matthew 12:40; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Matthew 5:21-26)
SIN BEGINS IN THE HEART (Matthew 5:21-32)
The Law specified that we should not murder or commit adultery. However, in the application of it, Jesus detailed that murder and adultery begins in our heart. When we are unkind toward each other, when we are revengeful and full of contempt, that is murder in our heart. When we start looking at another man or woman lustfully who is not our husband or wife, we have already committed adultery.
The Law limits us physically so that we do not commit murder or adultery. However, Jesus drives home the point that sin is not just in our actions but in our thoughts as well. The first step is to not commit physical sin (murder, lust, etc.) of people. The next step is to not commit sin in the spirit.
Be filled with the love of God
1 John 3:14-15, NKJV
He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
1 John 3:17, NKJV
But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
1 John 3:18, NKJV
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
Allow the love of God to guide us in our interactions with people! God's emphasis on us showing love toward one another is so great that He tells us to fix any broken relationship between ourselves BEFORE we offer Him any praises (Matthew 5:23-24)!
Divorce is no light matter
Because marriage is such a sacred promise between a man and a woman in the presence of God, divorce is not a light matter. In the Bible, divorce is not at all encouraged. In fact, when he preached on the subject, Paul largely advocated against marriage -- If you don't have to get married, then don't get married (1 Corinthians 7). I'm not bringing this up to say marriage is bad or to dissuade people from marrying. I'm bringing this up to illustrate just how serious marital vows are -- They represent the godly covenant between God and the couple. Hence, the idea here is to really think hard before marrying; and once married, work really hard to maintain the relationship -- because this decision ought to be an eternal commitment.
But of course, who are we but imperfect human beings? In the Old Testament, God made only one exception to allow for divorce: adultery (Deuteronomy 24:1-4). If one person commits adultery, then the other can break the marital covenant without sin. He/she can also marry again without sin or causing sin. However, anyone who marries the adulterous person is considered adulterous. Tough law. It doesn't say what happens when one is stuck in an abusive relationship. It also doesn't elaborate on unsatisfying relationship. But that's the Law.
Today, we are no longer under the Law but under God's grace through Jesus Christ. This doesn't mean we can marry whoever we want, divorce whenever we want, and remarry again and again and again. In fact, in some sense, Jesus is even more strict: Adultery is not just an act. It starts in the heart, in our thoughts. Hence, the standards are still the same: Marriage is sacred. Adultery is sin. We can fall and make mistakes, because we are covered by God's grace. We no longer need the Law to detail what exactly constitutes reasonable grounds for divorce, because Jesus has made it very clear: It's all in our heart. Reflect, repent, and seek God. He will make it plain to each one of us how best to deal with the situation we are in.
Whatever sin we are dealing with, cut it out of our lives
Matthew 5: 29-30
If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
Jesus is making a strong point here. If we are faced with temptations, it is best to take drastic measures to remove COMPLETELY separate ourselves from those situations. Why is this important? Because Satan will use whatever he can to lure us into his trap. This is why Paul teaches us to never give Satan a foothold (Ephesians 4:27).
Practical examples include, if I am an alcoholic, I should never eat at a bar or meet up with friends at a bar. I clearly have trouble controlling myself around alcohol, so I should cut myself off completely around alcohol until I can control myself. Drinking is not a sin, but getting drunk often gets us into sin (Noah and Lot are great examples).
The big, big picture here is this: We are either ruled by sin or by God. Someone or something always dictates our lives. We may think we are our own masters, but we're not. We are dependent on something -- be it money, power, social status, whatever. And the point that Jesus is making here is, if we cannot commit ourselves to following God, we run the risk of being ruled by sin, and the result of that is grave. It may be difficult to have to cut off certain aspects of life that may seem so pleasurable, but in reality, addiction is a prison that Satan traps us with. It is thus much better to cut off Satan's ball-and-chain than to lose our soul by remaining attached to our addiction. Be addicted to Jesus. Way, way healthier.
Pray to God for the strength to resist temptation, to cleanse our nature, so that we no longer crave those temptations.
1 Corinthians 10:13, NKJV
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
DO NOT TAKE THE LORD'S NAME IN VAIN (Matthew 5:33-37)
Matthew 5:34-35
Do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Many people think the command, "Do not swear," is simply about vocabulary -- the F-word, the S-word, etc. This command extends way beyond vocabulary. If we haven't gotten the point yet, Jesus makes it clear that everything we do, it's always all about the heart. Here, the big idea is ambassadorship. As Christians, we represent God. To properly represent Him, we have to be careful not just with our choice of words but also our actions... our entire being. All this, yes, begins in the heart.
Take this idea to the next level, do not take the Lord's name in vain. When we swear upon the Lord, we are putting His name at risk. If we cannot fulfill what we have promised, we defame His good name. This is why Jesus made it clear that we should not swear upon anything of God. In fact, don't swear at all -- because we are imperfect and prone to mistakes, whoever we swear upon, be it our father or mother or even ourselves, we risk the goodness of that name.
Matthew 5:36
Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.
Jesus tells us to not swear upon anyone -- Not God, not even ourselves -- because we have no real control over our own lives, where is the value in swearing upon ourselves? As Jesus illustrated, we have no power to turn even one hair on our head from black to white – So what's the point of swearing upon ourselves? There is no place for us to be placing oaths likes this. Instead, just remain truthful.
Matthew 5:37
... Let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No," "No."
Proverbs 12:22
The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.
Just be a man/woman of our word. Say what we mean, and mean what we say. Be straightforward and truthful, and leave swearing on whoever's name out of it.
LOVE OUR ENEMIES (Matthew 5:38-44)
The love of God, on a certain level, is difficult to comprehend. When we are hurt, when we are angry, when we are offended, how are we to "love our enemies"? I can't say I've completely grasped the concept, but this lesson has taught me that all sin starts from the heart. Murder, adultery, envy, jealousy, lies, etc. – even though these are all physical acts, all of them first take root in the heart. Once I know this, my heart must change if I want to be more like Jesus and be less of a sinner. Jesus loved ALL -- including those who murdered Him. How great a heart is that? My understanding of this all is that our love for people ought to so great that even when others hurt us or wrong us, we can see past that and help them to the path of Christ. Ultimately, salvation is all that matters. If we see past ourselves and focus on the salvation of others, perhaps we can begin to understand the great love of God.
Galatians 5:16
Walk by the Spirit and not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Ephesians 4:22-24
Be made new in the attitude of our minds, to put on the new self, created to be lie God in true righteousness and holiness.
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