by
Stan Feldsine (www.tojesusbeallglory.com)
Jesus
continues His teaching from the side of the hill He is on. The
subject now changes however, and Jesus's presentation is like a
series of proverbs giving instruction on kingdom attitudes and
standards.
It
is worth remembering that Jesus's primary thrust in these teachings
is that the righteousness of those in the Kingdom must be higher than
that of the Scribes and Pharisees.
Matthew
7:1-2 - Do Not Judge
Mat 7:1-2
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. (2) For in the same
way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you
use, it will be measured to you.
One
of the more misunderstood passages of the Bible, this one is
frequently used to claim that Christians should not make judgments
that provide moral or ethical value. We hear it all the time "I'm
not judging, but...." and "Don't judge me", and so on.
Jesus
is not claiming that we should not make moral and ethical judgments.
What He is teaching is that we should not be in a place of moral
haughtiness and take up a position of "sitting in judgment of
others".
Stott
says:
"The
censorious critic is a fault-finder who is negative and destructive
towards other people and enjoys actively seeking out their failings.
He puts the worst possible construction on their motives, pours cold
water on their schemes and is ungenerous toward their mistakes."
The
Scribes and Pharisees were morally haughty, and assumed they were
always right and everyone else is wrong.
A
proper attitude to have in shown in Gal 6:1-5.
Gal 6:1-5
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by
the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves,
or you also may be tempted. (2) Carry each other's burdens, and in
this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (3) If anyone thinks
they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. (4)
Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in
themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, (5)
for each one should carry their own load.
In
vs. 2 Jesus continues by warning that those who judge harshly will be
judged harshly themselves, and those that are merciful and kind will
be judged mercifully and with kindness. Jesus warns us about being
harsh towards the faults of others.
Carons
points out:
"The
judgmental person by not being forgiving and loving testifies to his
own arrogance and impenitence, by which he shuts himself out from
God's forgiveness."
Stott
adds valuable context:
"To
sum up, the command to judge not is not a requirement to be blind,
but rather a plea to be generous. Jesus does not tell us to cease to
be men (by suspending our critical powers which help to distinguish
us from animals) but to renounce the presumptuous ambition to be God
(by setting ourselves up as judges)."
Jesus's
context of His teaching is consistent with the major theme of the
Bible which teaches that we are to be transformed into His likeness
by allowing the Holy Spirit to change who we are at our base
foundation. With regards to judging, we are to be merciful and
generous, and not be harsh and unforgiving.
Matthew
7:3-5 - The Beam and the Spec
Mat 7:3-5
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye
and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? (4) How can you
say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when
all the time there is a plank in your own eye? (5) You hypocrite,
first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see
clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
This
passage is hyperbolic exaggeration to make the point that judgmental
attitudes are a great offense than what is being pointed out. The
judgmental attitude is the plank.
Jesus
is rebuking the tendency of human nature to climb up on each others
back by magnifying the faults of others without considering ones own
faults. This is especially true when one has a superior judgmental
attitude.
Someone
with a superior judgmental attitude cannot be trusted to see things
clearly enough to correctly judge others. Such a person exaggerates
the faults of others while minimizing their own faults.
Gal 6:1
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by
the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves,
or you also may be tempted.
"You
hypocrite", is addressed at those that do not first judge
themselves. Those who fail to judge themselves and taking moral high
ground are pretending to be something they are not.
Jesus
was not telling us that we should not judge, but rather that we
should follow proper procedure for calling out the failures of
others. We should carefully scrutinize ourselves to be sure that we
dealing with our own failures first, including possibly that of
spiritual smugness or self-righteousness.
Joh 8:3-11
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught
in adultery. They made her stand before the group (4) and said to
Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.
(5) In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do
you say?" (6) They were using this question as a trap, in order
to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to
write on the ground with his finger. (7) When they kept on
questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let any
one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."
(8) Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. (9) At this, those
who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until
only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. (10) Jesus
straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no
one condemned you?" (11) "No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go
now and leave your life of sin."
Someone
who wishes to correct others must be humble enough to see and deal
with their own failures and shortcomings before addressing the
failures and shortcomings of others. And as Paul said, we should
address them gently.
The
process of learning from and dealing with our own sin puts us in a
place where we can more clearly see others sin, and ultimately
results in humility. This humility helps us to correct others without
judgment and with love.
Barnes
states:
"The
beam, the thing that obscured our sight, will be removed, and we
shall more clearly discern the small object that obscures the sight
of our brother. The sentiment is, that our readiest way to judge of
the imperfections of others is to be free from greater ones
ourselves. This qualifies us for judging, makes us candid and
consistent, and enables us to see things as they are, and to make
proper allowances for frailty and imperfection."
Matthew
7:6 - Dogs and Pigs
Mat 7:6
"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to
pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and
tear you to pieces.
The
previous 5 verses spoke in the context of believers relating to
believers with regards to moral and ethical standards for living in
the Messianic Kingdom. Jesus here speaks in regards to bringing
judgment on non believers in the context of the sacred and pearls.
The
sacred and the pearls represents God truth and His Kingdom standards.
It is everything we are talking about regarding Kingdom life.
The
dogs and pigs were derogatory terms used by the Jews to refer to
Gentiles. Jesus was clearly not concerned with political correctness.
The passage is stating that we should not be bringing a message of
truth regarding proper living in the Messianic Kingdom to the
unbeliever.
It
can be read as "do not put something in front of unbelievers
that they cannot understand lest they trample and crush what you are
giving them". Unbelievers cannot comprehend God's truth without
the Holy Spirit to illuminate it for them.
What
message should we by putting in front of the unbeliever? The gospel
message of Christ's death, burial and resurrection. It is only after
they accept Jesus's free gift of eternal life and are born again that
they can begin to understand God's truth regarding how to live.
We
should be a light in the darkness, revealing the benefits of living
according to Messianic Kingdom standards. Be living witnesses to
God's goodness. Our role here on earth is to bring people to
salvation, not make them conform to our idea of what a better world
would be like.
We
should respond to the world from a place of humble self-judgment
rather than by self-righteous judgment of others.
We
should speak out against evil. However, trying to reform society
based on biblical law and kingdom standards is putting pearls and
what is sacred before dogs and pigs. Society will never understand
it, and will react violently.
Matthew
7:7-11 - Ask and It Will Be Given
Mat 7:7-11
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock
and the door will be opened to you. (8) For everyone who asks
receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the
door will be opened. (9) "Which of you, if your son asks for
bread, will give him a stone? (10) Or if he asks for a fish, will
give him a snake? (11) If you, then, though you are evil, know how to
give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in
heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Verse
7 - Jesus
then moves on to talk briefly about prayer. There are a number of
passages about prayer that should all be taken together. This
particular passage speaks about asking, seeking and knocking, and
receiving, finding and having the door opened.
In
this passage we learn the key to answered prayer. That key is sincere
persistence. In the Greek language, the words or "ask",
"seek" and "knock" are all in the present tense,
which conveys continual persistence.
We
have talked in earlier passages about the consistent message that we
are to allow the Holy Spirit to bring change and transformation to
our lives. The goal of this transformation is to bring a permanent
change in who we are as people, in our character. As we take in the
Word of God, and give space in our hearts to the Holy Spirit, we are
told we are changed from glory to glory.
2Co 3:18
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are
being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which
comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
What
Jesus is conveying in these Kingdom standards is consistent with what
our approach to prayer should be, which is with sincere persistence.
Sincere
persistence is towards a diligent pursuit of God's way. It is asking
plus acting. Our actions are to anticipate and actively pursue the
results. Some examples:
Accompany
the request for wisdom with study of God's word.
Accompany
the request for health with adoption of healthy eating habits.
Accompany
a request for safe travels with careful driving.
Accompany
the request for financial health with job searching, or doing a good
job at your present employer. Getting a savings plan, etc.
"Knocking"
conveys a desire for fellowship with God. The follower of Jesus
should be involved with the activities of the Kingdom. Get involved,
stay involved.
Verse
8 - As
we are told throughout the Bible, our sincere persistence in asking,
seeking and knocking will be rewarded.
Verse
9-11 - Jesus
provides an illustration to bring what He is saying to life in the
comparison between a human father who by natural human nature is evil
and Himself who is by nature good. Surely, if a human father brings
good to his children, then surely a father who is good by nature will
bring good things to His children.
This
comparison shows that when we do not receive good things from our
heavenly Father, it is not through any fault of our heavenly father.
We should evaluate our own behavior to ensure that we are in a
continual state of continual persistence.
Jas 4:2-3
You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get
what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you
do not ask God. (3) When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask
with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your
pleasures.
Other
hindrances to answered prayer include:
Mat 21:22
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
Jas 5:15-16
And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the
Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.
(16) Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each
other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is
powerful and effective.
1Pe 3:7
Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives,
and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with
you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your
prayers.
1Pe 3:12
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are
attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those
who do evil."
Matthew
7:12 - The Golden Rule
Mat 7:12
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you,
for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Jesus
is summarizing all that has been said in the Sermon on the Mount.
Rather than following the Mosaic era and handing out many detailed
laws, Jesus is reducing them in summary form.
The
Law and the Prophets referred to the Mosaic Law, and the Mosaic Law
was reduced to the greatest command, love God with all our hearts,
and love our neighbor as our selves, and that is reduced down to the
Golden Rule, to do to others as we would do to ourselves. If we
follow this command, we will fulfill the Law of Christ.
Matt
7:13-14 & Matt 7:21-23 (Luke 13:22-30) - The Narrow Gate
Mat 7:13-14
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad
is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
(14) But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life,
and only a few find it.
This
section will also cover Mat 7:21-23
and Luk 13:22-30.
Mat 7:21-23
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father
who is in heaven. (22) Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord,
did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons
and in your name perform many miracles?' (23) Then I will tell them
plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
Luk 13:22-30
Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made
his way to Jerusalem. (23) Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a
few people going to be saved?" He said to them, (24) "Make
every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell
you, will try to enter and will not be able to. (25) Once the owner
of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside
knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' "But he will
answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.' (26) "Then
you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our
streets.' (27) "But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where
you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!' (28) "There
will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you
yourselves thrown out. (29) People will come from east and west and
north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the
kingdom of God. (30) Indeed there are those who are last who will be
first, and first who will be last."
Jesus
goes on to illustrate the entrance to the Kingdom. John and Jesus had
been proclaiming that "the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand".
Apparently, there were many that were seeing that Jesus's message of
the Kingdom was being rejected, and this was disappointing them. They
asked "are only a few people going to be saved?"
Luk 13:22-23
Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made
his way to Jerusalem. (23) Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a
few people going to be saved?" He said to them,
To
the Jewish mind, salvation and entrance to the Kingdom went hand in
hand. In order to enter the Kingdom, they had to be saved. They
believed they were saved by virtue of being a physical descendant of
Abraham. In response to this misconception, Jesus illustrated what He
was saying with a story of a man giving a feast. The context of these
passages is the Sheep and Goat judgment at the end of the Tribulation
that determine who has an open door into the Kingdom, and who faces a
closed door to the Kingdom.
Luk 13:25-28
Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will
stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.'
"But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.'
(26) "Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you
taught in our streets.' (27) "But he will reply, 'I don't know
you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!' (28)
"There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you
see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of
God, but you yourselves thrown out.
This
story shows that merely being a physical descendant of Abraham is not
sufficient for salvation. One must believe what Jesus is saying. In
this unfortunate situation, unbelief is met with a door closed to the
Kingdom.
There
are many who do not believe God's Word. Various cults, Mormons,
Jehovah's Witnesses, orthodox religious Jews who reject Messiah, and
those who believe physical lineage to Abraham is sufficient, and many
who believe they are working for "God", but deny Jesus as
God fall into this category.
Those
who treat national Israel with disdain during the Tribulation also
fall into this category as well, for they reject what God says about
His nation Israel. These are all unbelievers who may confess that
they know God, but they deny His teachings and prefer another way
than Jesus to heaven, universally incorporating works into their
supposed method of salvation.
The
following passages all speak about this same time period of judgment
based on wide and narrow gates, and open and closed doors.
Sheep
and Goat Judgment
Mat 25:31-32
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with
him, he will sit on his glorious throne. (32) All the nations will be
gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
Mat 25:34-36
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who
are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared
for you since the creation of the world. (35) For I was hungry and
you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something
to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, (36) I needed
clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was
in prison and you came to visit me.'
Mat 25:41-46
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who
are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his
angels. (42) For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was
thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, (43) I was a stranger and
you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me,
I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' (44) "They
also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a
stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help
you?' (45) "He will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did
not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' (46)
"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous
to eternal life."
Joe 3:1-2
"In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of
Judah and Jerusalem, (2) I will gather all nations and bring them
down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will put them on trial for
what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel, because they
scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land.
Wheat
and Tare Parable
Mat 13:36-43
Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to
him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the
field." (37) He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed
is the Son of Man. (38) The field is the world, and the good seed
stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the
evil one, (39) and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest
is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. (40) "As
the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the
end of the age. (41) The Son of Man will send out his angels, and
they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all
who do evil. (42) They will throw them into the blazing furnace,
where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (43) Then the
righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
Whoever has ears, let them hear.
The
message Jesus is bringing is that unbelievers need to accept Messiah
Yeshua and His teachings before it is too late. Works, like genealogy
are not sufficient to save.
The
10 Virgins Parable
A
parallel to this story is the parable of the 10 virgins. This parable
illustrates entrance to the Kingdom and the wedding banquet, not the
Rapture. The people are divided into believers who have the
indwelling Holy Spirit and are met with an open door, and unbelievers
who do not and are met with a closed door.
Mat 25:1-13
"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who
took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. (2) Five of
them were foolish and five were wise. (3) The foolish ones took their
lamps but did not take any oil with them. (4) The wise ones, however,
took oil in jars along with their lamps. (5) The bridegroom was a
long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. (6)
"At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out
to meet him!' (7) "Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed
their lamps. (8) The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of
your oil; our lamps are going out.' (9) "'No,' they replied,
'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those
who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' (10) "But while they
were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins
who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door
was shut. (11) "Later the others also came. 'Lord, Lord,' they
said, 'open the door for us!' (12) "But he replied, 'Truly I
tell you, I don't know you.' (13) "Therefore keep watch, because
you do not know the day or the hour.
In
the record of Luke, Jesus also brings out the fact that the Kingdom
is open to Gentiles as well as Jews. This angered many of the Jews
and hardened their rejection of Messiah Yeshua. The Jewish leaders
believed they were first in every way, however, unbelieving Israel
will be last and left out of the Kingdom, and believing Gentiles will
be first in the Kingdom in importance.
Luk 13:29-30
People will come from east and west and north and south, and will
take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. (30) Indeed
there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be
last."
Application
Gates
represent entrances into a course of life. The narrow gate symbolizes
less accessibility and popularity, and is a road of difficulty and
persecution. The wide gate symbolizes approval and acceptance by the
majority of people.
In
the context of the Sermon on the Mount, where the Kingdom standards
are being revealed, and the lesson being that our righteousness must
be greater than that of the Pharisees, the wide and narrow roads can
be compared to the characters of the Pharisees vs. that of the
saints.
The
narrow road represents a life of internal transformation, everything
we have talked about so far. It represents the path in which the Holy
Spirit brings transformation to the hearts of people bringing a
permanent change to their character from glory to glory. We are His
people.
The
wide road represents the road of external requirements of the
religious and self-righteous, having a form of godliness, but denying
the power thereof. Many will be led to a path of religion and
self-righteousness and in the end they will find destruction.
Matt
7:15-20 - False Prophets - A Tree and It's Fruit
Mat 7:15-20
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. (16) By their fruit
you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or
figs from thistles? (17) Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit,
but a bad tree bears bad fruit. (18) A good tree cannot bear bad
fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. (19) Every tree that
does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (20)
Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
False
prophets are also referred to as "false teachers", "false
apostles", and sometimes "false Christ's".
Watching
Out For Their Presence
We
are told to "watch out" for them. This warning means that
we should pay close attention and to watch carefully for them. This
indicates that they could be hiding among us at any time, and we
should by alert and listen carefully for evidence of their presence.
The thought is as if walking through a war zone, be alert for the
presence of the enemy at all times. Be ready.
They
Hide Behind Virtue
False
teachers are like wolves in sheep's clothing in the sense that they
are gentle when they are hidden and they put up a good show, but
inside they are destructive wolves waiting to pounce and tear when
challenged or crossed. Although these false teachers appear to check
all the right boxes off, in their heart, they are hypocrites.
Identifying
False Teachers
False
teachers can be identified by what comes out of their mouths and
their actions. They presume to speak for God from a position of
authority. As we will recall from previous teaching on judging and
the narrow gate, the false teachers like the Pharisees are sitting on
an imagined throne arrogantly and self-righteously lording it over
everyone else. They are right and everyone else is wrong.
They
may be sheep like for a time, but the wolf will come out eventually.
In
vss. 16-20 false teachers are compared to bad fruit. Fruit represents
what the person produces in doctrine and deeds.
Good
teachers will produce good conduct in those they are teaching, and
bad teachers will produce unrighteous conduct.
They
may be speaking blatant false doctrine as well, and false doctrine,
even from a sheep is destructive. The only protection against this
is a solid orthodox understanding of scripture.
The
Heart of a False Teacher
A
wolfish attitude is a vivid indicator that exposes a false teacher.
In their approach to people they may give the appearance of doing all
the right things, in their hearts they are neglecting the more
important things, like humility, fairness, mercy and faithfulness.
Mat 23:23
You Pharisees and teachers are show-offs, and you're in for trouble!
You give God a tenth of the spices from your garden, such as mint,
dill, and cumin. Yet you neglect the more important matters of the
Law, such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the
important things you should have done, though you should not have
left the others undone either.
In
keeping with the theme of the Sermon on the Mount, and the Bible in
general, the focus is on the heart. It is our character, who we are
at our base level that is transformed by God's spirit in our lives.
False prophets and false teachers have a character that has a high
opinion of themselves. They believe they speak for God and have moral
pseudo-pastoral authority over others. Like Pharisees, they see
themselves as arbiters of truth, and others as spiritually deficient.
The
Destructive Nature of False Teachers
Both
the teaching itself as well as the divisive attitude that false
teachers put forth are destructive.
It
is common and acceptable for those learning about God's word to meet
to discuss and debate in a humble and thoughtful manner. This is done
in Bible studies, Facebook groups, and other venues. This was a
common practice in the early church.
Act 2:46-47
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They
broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere
hearts, (47) praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.
And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Act 18:27-28
When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters
encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When
he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed.
(28) For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate,
proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.
Act 17:11
Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in
Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and
examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
Discussing
subjects such as Eschatology from various points of view is not false
teaching when pursued in the interest of learning with humility. A
gentle character by the participants is a key indicator that
separates false teaching from healthy discussion and debate.
A
person takes on the character of a false teacher when they elevate
themselves and their doctrines to the level of infallibility and
demand that others get in line with their teaching.
The
Deceitful Nature of False Teachers
Those
who are spiritually young can develop into false prophets and cause
division in the Body. Young Christians get swept away by the deceit,
and are in danger of adopting morally and spiritually superior and
condescending attitudes themselves, even with such a limited
knowledge of God's Word. They don't know what they don't know, and
yet act as if they know it all.
False
teachers attack and demean anyone who dares to disagree with them,
and force people to choose sides bringing further division among the
Body. This behavior is extremely destructive. They are known as
wolves. Wolves are destructive to the Body of Christ. They tear and
maim by words and actions, bringing about destruction and division.
Discernment
should be used because false prophets claim to speak for God, but God
has not instructed them to speak. They speak their own intent and
create havoc.
They
can be identified by their proclamations of "God said" or
"Thus saith the Lord", and recklessly boast about
themselves and their knowledge. Of these, God says He did not send
them. They will spout opinions as if it were God's word.
The
End of False Teachers
God
will see that false teachers receive their due.
The
church has lost the sense of sending out laborers, under authority.
Everyone is a teacher, when very few should be, the "free
speech" mentality of the world has taken over many in the Body
who presume to speak from the Lord.
Jas 3:1
Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because
you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
Mat 23:13-15
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!
You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You
yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying
to. (15) "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you
hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and
when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell
as you are.
Mat 23:23
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!
You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cumin. But you have
neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and
faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without
neglecting the former.
Matt
7:21-23 - I Never Knew You
Mat 7:21-23
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father
who is in heaven. (22) Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord,
did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons
and in your name perform many miracles?' (23) Then I will tell them
plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
Entrance
to the Kingdom
This
passage is speaking of "on that day" when some "will
enter" the Messianic Kingdom. The Kingdom is not yet
established. The "I will tell them" is speaking of the
future judgment of the Sheep and Goats, a judgment that determines
who enters the Kingdom.
Mat 25:31-34
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with
him, he will sit on his glorious throne. (32) All the nations will be
gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. (33) He will put
the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. (34) "Then the
King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my
Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the
creation of the world.
Mat 25:41
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who
are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his
angels.
The
parable of the 10 Virgins is also speaking of this judgment.
Mat 25:10-13
"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom
arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding
banquet. And the door was shut. (11) "Later the others also
came. 'Lord, Lord,' they said, 'open the door for us!' (12) "But
he replied, 'Truly I tell you, I don't know you.'
(13) "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or
the hour.
Doing
the Will of God
Looking
at other passages indicates that an intimate relationship with Jesus
and "doing the will of God" also involves believing what He
says and acting accordingly. The inclusion of "acting
accordingly" reveals that the context of this warning is the
Tribulation period, a period in which Jesus is greatly concerned with
His people Israel and the treatment they receive from the nations.
"Acting accordingly" is not works based salvation, but
rather is a demonstration of faith and belief in what God says.
Mat 25:35-36
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and
you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me
in, (36) I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you
looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
Another
passage that speaks of the Sheep and Goat judgment in the future as
it relates to the people of Israel is found in Joel chapter 3.
Joe 3:1-2
"In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of
Judah and Jerusalem, (2) I will gather all nations and bring them
down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will put them on trial for
what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel, because they
scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land.
During
the time of the Tribulation, those who do not have an intimate
relationship with Jesus, and who do not do the will of God will be
considered to be evildoers and cast away.
Knowing
the Lord
Entrance
into the Messianic Kingdom is based upon relationship and humble
surrender, not religion and religious talk. "I never knew you"
speaks of a lack of intimacy. The same Greek word translated "knew"
is used by Mary in defending her virginity.
Luk 1:34
Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not
a man?
It
is also used in the prayer of the Lord for the church.
Joh 17:3
Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and
Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
Application
For Today
While
this passage is speaking of a judgment at the end of the age, just
prior to the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom, an application
for us today is that Jesus desires intimacy with us by His Holy
Spirit. His desire is that we allow Him into the innermost parts of
our mind so that He can bring transformation and behavior change.
Those
who reject the Holy Spirit preferring to determine their own way never
really come into a real relationship with Jesus.
Matt
7:24-27 - House on the Rock
Mat 7:24-27
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them
into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
(25) The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and
beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its
foundation on the rock. (26) But everyone who hears these words of
mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who
built his house on sand. (27) The rain came down, the streams rose,
and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a
great crash."
In
this final pericope in the Sermon on the Mount, opened with a
"therefore", Jesus connects the parable of the house built
on the rock to a summary and warning to the hearer about all that has
been said previously.
The
Rock in the parable is what the foundation of the building is built
on. The building is the hearing and responding to the words of Jesus.
Building our life with this spiritual foundation will enable us to
withstand the storms that come our way in life. Wisdom comes from
understanding and responding to what Jesus was teaching.
A
review of the topics of the Sermon on the Mount:
Being
a preservative and light
Anger
- a matter of the heart
Lust
- a matter of the heart
Divorce
- a matter of the heart
Oaths
- Let your yes be yes and no be no
Retaliation
-
Loving
our Enemies -
How
to Give - in secret
How
to Pray - in secret
How
to Fast - in secret
Laying
up Treasures -Rewards
Anxiety
- a matter of faith
Judging
- a matter of humility
Receiving
Answered Prayer - from a foundation of godly character
The
Golden Rule - The sum of the law
Trees
and Fruit - discernment
Knowing
God Intimately - relationship
Our
ability to measure up to these standards and characteristics is dependent upon our submission to the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to
regenerate us through transformation of the mind. That transformation
brings change to our behavior, and enables us to grow into the
Messianic standards Jesus is presenting.
Rom 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve
what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Tit 3:4-5
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, (5) he
saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of
his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by
the Holy Spirit,
Eph 4:22-24
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off
your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
(23) to be made new in the attitude of your minds; (24) and to put on
the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and
holiness.
Rom 13:13-14
Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and
drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in
dissension and jealousy. (14) Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord
Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of
the flesh.
2Co 3:18
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are
being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which
comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Naturally
then, not taking these words of Jesus to heart leave one in the
unenviable position of being wrecked in the storms of life. There is
no rock to cling to and we are swept away.
Matt
7:28-29 - The Authority of Jesus
Mat 7:28-29
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed
at his teaching, (29) because he taught as one who had authority, and
not as their teachers of the law.
The
people who had been gathering to hear what Jesus was saying had grown
into a large crowd. They were amazed that Jesus spoke with authority.
Joh 5:24-29
"Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him
who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed
over from death to life.
