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Righteousness – Marriage Faithfulness & Honest Talk

By Pastor's Blog
Throughout God’s Word, we see over and over again the importance of family. Family is the most important unit of society. God instituted the family before He instituted government, and He instituted family before He did the church. There are two essential elements of family worth noting. These elements are marriage and parenting that reveal God’s character like nothing else in creation. The love between a husband and wife is meant to provide a glimpse of Christ’s compassionate devotion to us as His bride. Similarly, the ups and downs of parenthood offer a compelling picture of God’s tenderness and patience toward us as His children.
Therefore, since family is so important, it ought not to surprise us that Christ’s sermon, which we call The Sermon on the Mount, speaks about marriage faithfulness and honest talk, which is an essential part of healthy relationships. Both marriage and honesty are very important to the health of our society. Thus, Jesus begins by addressing marriage faithfulness in Matthew 5:31-32.
Let me acknowledge that there is almost no unhappiness so deep as that found in an unhappy marriage. There is virtually no tragedy so great as the disintegration of a marital dream and what God meant for love and fulfillment to become a non-relationship of bitterness, discord, and despair. Although I believe that God’s way in most cases is not divorce, I hope I will proceed with sensitivity and with an understanding of the forgiveness and grace God offers all of us. I do not know many of your stories. I can’t presume how God would lead you in your specific situation. I know those who have felt the pain of a challenging marriage, and some an abusive one, which led to divorce. I do not want to add to anyone’s pain. Yet I trust that the teachings of Christ on every subject are good, good for us as individuals and society as a whole. So, I trust in Him and continue with the exploration of His Word on marriage faithfulness.
Jesus refers in Matthew 5:31-32 to an Old Testament law intended to protect a wife from a hasty divorce by commanding the husband to give her a certificate or notification. Some, however, used this law as an excuse for easy divorce. All the husband had to do was to notify the wife. Jesus teaches that marriage is intended to be a lifelong commitment between a husband and wife. Indeed, Jesus acknowledges that, for instance, adultery breaks the commitment of faithfulness. But, he also acknowledges that divorce breaks the commitment of lifelong faithfulness.
Speaking as a Christian and a pastor, whenever somebody talks to me about divorce, I begin by sharing my understanding of the Bible’s teaching on marriage – God’s purpose in instituting it. I start by talking about marriage and reconciliation. At times the discussion on divorce is put on the shelf as we dive into God’s power of restoring a marriage. Unfortunately, due to humanity’s fallen state and issues of personal safety, infidelity, and other tragic matters, a decision to divorce are sometimes made. I have never advocated for divorce, but I have been in situations where I have extended God’s grace and love as a situation has led to such a decision. It’s important to understand that Christ speaks of how women in marriage from the time of Moses to the time He was speaking were at times victimized. They were put into horrible situations where they had to do what they did to survive. Christ is saying how can a genuine follower of His filled with His love treat anyone, yet lone his wife with such ungodly love.
Now, Jesus moves on to an essential aspect of a healthy marriage and any other relationship, and that is honest talk. In Matt 5:33-37, Jesus addresses honesty by looking at vows. Several verses from the Old Testament prohibit false swearing or perjury, that is, making a vow and then breaking it (Ex 20:7; Lev 19:12; Num 30:2; Deut 23:21). Jesus says, “Do not take an oath at all”…“Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’” The point of this is that anybody who makes a vow must keep it. Simply put, Christians should say what they mean and mean what they say.
John Stott notes, “If divorce is due to human hard-heartedness, swearing is due to human untruthfulness.” Both divorce and swearing were permitted by law, but neither was commanded. Truth be told, neither should be necessary if the Christian ethic Jesus teaches in His sermon is followed by all. Therefore, as long as it is in our power to do so, we must keep our marriage vows and keep our word. The believer living rightly is in part seen in marriage faithfulness and in their honest talk. Of course, the Lord offers grace and forgiveness to all who seek it from Him with a genuine heart. God, after all, is our greatest example of faithfulness, love, and honesty. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!

Righteousness – Avoiding Anger & Lust

By Pastor's Blog
Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, addresses the believer’s relationship to the law. When we look at Scripture, it is vital to keep in mind that context is king. In Matthew 5:21-30, Jesus addresses two problems present in many of His listeners. Those who listened to him had heard different things from the Old Testament, but not all had been taught correctly. There were also those who limited Old Testament commandments to external actions, not inward righteousness. Jesus reveals the true intention of the law as it regards to the heart.
Jesus begins this portion of His sermon, in Matthew 5:21-22, by clarifying the deeper meaning of the Old Testament command against murder. Christ teaches that not only is the act of murder forbidden, but the angry spirit that leads to it is wrong. We all understand that human courts punish obvious crimes. But, to few understand that God judges the hidden sins. Thus, we discover this verse in Proverbs, “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit” (Prov 16:2).
It is important to note that not all anger is evil. This is evident when we see in the Bible God’s wrath, which is always holy and pure. There is such a thing as righteous anger, which should be slow to rise and quick to die down. Paul writes to the Ephesian church, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger” (Eph 4:26). Jesus was angered by sin (Mk 3:1-6; Matt 21:12-13; 23:16-17). It is proper to be angry at sin but not at the sinner. We need to remember to be friendly to the person but hostile to the sin.
You may be asking, “What do I do when I feel bitterness rising or know someone is holding something against me?” Jesus answers this question as He continues in Matthew 5:23-26, moving from his lesson on anger to a fitting one on reconciliation. Christ begins by presenting an example where you are presenting an offering at the altar and are reminded of an unreconciled issue between yourself and another. Jesus says, stop what you are doing and go reconcile with that person. Then, He gives another example where you have a conflict with an adversary. He says, do not delay; reconcile quickly. Here’s the biblical principle, if we are to obey the moral law of God, we must not only avoid the negatives but also pursue the positives by living reconciled with others. John Stott summarizes this a bit for us when he writes, “If we want to avoid committing murder in God’s sight, we must take every possible positive step to live in peace and love with all.”
Then, Jesus continues, in Matthew 5:27-28, by clarifying the real meaning of lust. The culture Jesus spoke to is not much different than our very own. We find it all too easy to narrowly define sexual sin and conveniently broadly define sexual purity. Christ teaches that not only is the act of adultery forbidden, but the lust that leads to it is wrong. Most people understand that adultery is a sin, but so is inward lust.
It is important to be clear here. There is a difference between looking and lusting; there is a difference between glancing and gazing. The temptation to commit adultery develops not only from exposer to a desirable person but from a person’s inner lustful self. We need to remember that deeds of shame are proceeded by fantasies of shame. Jesus urged disciplined thoughts so that weaknesses might not lead to sin.
Clearly, the question arises, “How do we deal with sin?” Christ concludes this portion of His sermon in Matthew 5:29-30 answering this question. He emphasizes the seriousness of sin by using hyperbole. He uses a graphic image of mutilation but does so to explain that mortification is the path to holiness. Mortification is taking up the cross to follow Christ; it’s rejecting sinful practices so resolutely that we die to them or put them to death. Here is the biblical principle, we deal with sin by getting rid of anything that causes us to sin.
In this portion of His sermon, Jesus is continuing His teaching on the believer’s righteousness, which is found in Christ. We learn that Christ’s followers are to avoid anger, be quick to reconcile, and avoid lust. Our culture has so much to offer us. Technology is amazing but can be dangerous. Therefore, it is better to accept some denial of what the culture provides than fall into sin. Such thinking is countercultural. The world says be open-minded and live life to the fullest. But, it is essential to remember, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death (Prov 14:12).
The biblical ethic understands that eternity is more important than temporary happiness. Sin promises you the world, but in the end, it corrupts your soul. Satan would like to use sin to distance you from God; the Spirit would like to give you the power to overcome sin, the humility to ask God for forgiveness when you fall, to bring you closer to the Lord. John Stott rightly challenges us with these words,  “We have to decide, quite simply, whether to live for this world or the next, whether to follow the crowd or Jesus Christ; live for self or for our Savior.” There are three crucial questions we all must answer to Christ’s teaching in Matthew 5:21-30. What is my response? What is my next step? Am I willing to take it with Jesus? Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!

Righteousness – Christ, the Believer, and the Law

By Pastor's Blog
Jesus, in His sermon, which we call the Sermon on the Mount, describes the righteousness of the believer by looking at His relationship to the law as well as that of His followers (Matt 5:17-20). What is meant by righteousness? Righteousness is an attribute of God.  It is His uprightness of person, standards, and judgments. God, Himself is perfectly righteous, as are His ways in creation, providence, salvation, and consummation. In Deuteronomy, we read, “The Rock [God], His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He” (Deut 32:4). As righteous Himself, God establishes moral standards that reflect His nature, and He requires conformity to those standards. It is these standards that Christ addresses in His sermon.
We discover in Matthew 5:17-20 three truths relating to Christ’s fulfillment of the law and how this reality directly impacts the Christian’s relationship to the law. Christ begins by declaring, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (v. 17). The first truth is that Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets. In other words, He fulfilled the demands of the law. He did this by living a perfect life of obedience to the law (Heb 4:15) and taking the law’s punishment for our sin (Gal 3:13). Jesus also did this by fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies (Lk 24:25-27, 44; John 5:39-40). Lastly, Jesus fulfilled the law by revealing its true meaning (Rom 13:9-10).
The second truth we discover in verses 18-19: “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Here Jesus affirms the continuing authority of the law. The word of God stands forever (Isa 40:8; Matt 24:35; 2 Peter 3:18), and every part of the law matters (2 Tim 3:16; John 10:35). In other words, as revealed through His Word, no part of God’s will for His people will ever change. Therefore, we must practice and teach all of the law (Matt 28:20; John 14:15). Law here describes the revelation about God, salvation in Christ, and the path He calls His children to walk in the Bible.
The third, and last truth, is found in verse 20, “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus proclaimed the need for a greater righteousness. The righteousness of the Pharisees and teachers of the law was self-serving (Matt 23:5-7), incomplete (Matt 23:23), and merely external (Matt 23:25-28). The righteousness Christ calls the believer to is greater than the Pharisees because it is deeper, being a righteousness of the heart. The Pharisees were content with their external, incomplete, and self-serving righteousness. Jesus teaches in His sermon a more radical demand of God of His children. The righteousness that God calls believers to is an inward righteousness of mind and motive.
We will never be perfect on this side of paradise but are to be perfecting into greater Christlikeness. Jesus asks for a deeper obedience from the heart that is only possible when we receive Christ as Savior and Lord. When we receive Christ, we are gifted His Spirit, and when we cooperate with Him, we partner in His work of making us more like Christ (sanctification). This righteousness, Christ’s righteousness, only becomes ours when we receive Him as Savior and Lord, partnering with His Spirit to grow in becoming more and more like Him. In 2 Corinthians 5:21, we read, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus was our sin offering [He died in our stead], reconciling us with God by removing our sin. In His death on the cross, He took our punishment for our sin so that we might be forgiven. When we receive Him, the righteousness of God becomes a reality in our lives.
The Pharisees observed the law, in part, but often rejected God’s will and failed to show genuine love towards God and others. Such hypocrisy and legalism are not acceptable to God. We are called to accept Christ in this life and walk in His Spirit from today into eternity.
It is easy to cheapen grace by lessening or even disliking the law. For sure, we are saved by grace, but this does not mean that we don’t desire to love God with everything and others with the love He has poured into us (Mk 12:28-34). This, after all, sums up all of the law. We need to be mindful that the believer must never set law against love.
In short, the greater righteousness Jesus calls His followers to is testified to by the law and prophets and fulfilled in Christ (Rom 3:21). It is credited to us by faith in Christ (Phil 3:9). It is worked in us by the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:4) and is the only righteousness that will get you into heaven (Matt 5:20). It is this righteousness Christ requires, provides, and works in those who choose Him. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!

Influence of the Believer – Salt & Light

By Pastor's Blog
In Matthew 5:13-16, in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches how believers are to be influencers. He makes it clear that Christians are meant to be different from the world as kingdom ambassadors. In other words, believers are not to be thermometers, merely reflecting the temperature of culture, but thermostats positively impacting the culture for Christ.
Jesus teaches in His sermon:
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matt 5:13-16).
Jesus uses two metaphors, salt, and light, to describe the influence of believers for good in the world. Believers are to live, by the power of Christ, in such a way that their lives exemplify Christ; their mouths profess Christ and His teaching, drawing people to the Lord. Simply put, Christians are to point people to Christ.
Jesus also warns believers to not compromise their faith, losing their saltiness. The church needs to remain salty, not contaminated by the world. Further, if salt can lose its saltiness, the light in us can become dark. God calls us to be honest about who we are. We are saved and being sanctified. We are not, yet, perfect, but being perfected. However, God calls believers to be willing for their Christian walk to be visible to others. We are to be our growing honest selves described in the Beatitudes, not ashamed of Christ, and not contaminated by the stuff of earth.
I have heard people say, “That person must be a Christian because they are so nice.” I want to be careful but honest here. I have known many nice Christians. I have known many who are nice and are not Christians. I have even met some who claim to be Christian but aren’t really nice. With that said, I believe the picture we get from these metaphors goes beyond mere kindness. We are supernaturally indwelt by the Spirit of God. As salt and light, in our imperfect yet, perfecting journey with Christ, we are to be a God-sized witness to the world in which we live.
We learn a couple of lessons from this passage. The first lesson is that there is a distinctive difference between what God calls us to as Christians and the lives of those yet to receive Christ, between the church and the world. Due to the Spirit’s work in the life of a believer, this passage assumes that Christians are different. John Stott sadly notes, “Probably the greatest tragedy of the church throughout its long and checkered history has been its constant tendency to conform to the prevailing culture instead of developing a Christian counter-culture.” God’s church is to be in the world, not avoiding it, but not of the world, directing others to Jesus.
The second lesson is that the believer, the church, must accept the call God places upon her to the Christian distinctive. Sanctification, becoming like Christ, is not automatic. We must choose to focus on Christ and, by His power, follow the Spirit’s leading in our lives. We must not lose confidence in the power of the gospel of Christ. We have Christ, His teachings, and His power to be salt and light to the world if we so choose.
As believers, we need the Spirit’s workings in our lives to grow in Christ so that we can be salt and light to the world. This can’t be done in our own strength. Stott ties Christ’s teaching on the Beatitudes and His instruction on being salt and light when he writes, “A Christian’s character as described in the Beatitudes and a Christian’s influence as defined in the salt and light metaphors are organically related to one another. Our influence depends on our character.” Christians are meant to be different from the world as kingdom influencers, and by His power, for the benefit of others, this can be a genuine reality. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!