As we come to the conclusion of Christ’s great sermon, we should consider these words of His to be the capstone. Without a proper understanding of application, all that has been said up to this point is useless. “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise …
Ask, Seek, Knock
God is our Father, and we as believers must learn to approach Him as our Father. This approach is not limited to what we call Him; it necessarily includes our requests. In a very real way, what one feels free to request indicates how much at home that person is. Are you at home in …
Judge Not
Who do not live in a discriminating age. In fact, we have so little ability left in discrimination that we even think that it is an evil thing to do. But this is a very real problem — and some have sought support from this passage in defense of their error. “Judge not, that you …
God And Your Stuff
In this portion of His great sermon, Christ brings us to the subject of our material possessions, and our attitudes towards them. The teaching of this section can perhaps be summarized this way. God does not mind His people having things; He forbids things having His people. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on …
A True Fast
In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Christ is continuing His general point that genuine Christian living is to be before the Father, and not primarily before men. The point He makes about fasting is the same point he has already made about giving and prayer. “Moreover, when you fast, do not be …
Oops
As I have looked through my notes on the Sermon on the Mount, those going with the Lord’s Prayer have somehow vanished. So the next post will pick up at verse 16.
Vanity in Prayer
In this passage Christ strikes at the heart of religiosity. Christ has no use for spiritual showboating, even if it is of the most subtle variety. The Father sees the heart in our acts of charity; He also sees the heart when we come into His presence in prayer. “And when you pray, you shall …
Your Father, Who Sees In Secret
True religion is always found in the presence of God. False religion is always practiced with at least one eye on man — and Jesus teaches us that whether the man is someone else is immaterial. “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you …
Love Your Enemies
This instruction shows us the heart of the Christian ethic for individuals. A common error is that we take the biblical requirements for individuals and apply them to states, and also apply the requirements for states to individuals. We do not understand governments, and as a result we commonly do not understand the instructions given …
Biblical Swearing
This subject of biblical swearing provides yet another example of the necessity of systematic study in the Scriptures. It is impossible to subject to the authority of just one text as we are reading it, because submission occurs at the point of obedience in real life. And when it comes time to swear, or not …