Follow the Letter or Live by the Spirit

Introduction

I will ask you to open your Bibles to Matthew 5. Continuing our series of the Sermon on the Mount, we enter into the meat of this sermon. From V.21 - 48, Jesus lays out some very practical applications to the principles of being salt and light. He gives some very practical applications of what the relation of the Christian to the law looks like. But before we get into these individual practices, these specific applications, we need to look at the principles behind them.

Let us summarize the Sermon on the Mount thus far because it is dangerous to take a part of Scripture out of context. We have already noted that every part of the Sermon on the Mount builds upon the previous points, so lets take a look at what we have seen so far.

Jesus has described the character of the citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven from Matthew 5:3-12. These characteristics of Christians are understood to be accomplished only through the power of the Holy Spirit living and working within those followers of Jesus Christ. Each Beatitude mentioned is a characteristic that should be evident in every disciple.

Then, Jesus proceeds to tell us our purpose in this world. We are to be Salt and Light. Slowing and stopping the putrefying effects of sin and proclaiming the Gospel to the dark world in which we live by our words and our actions that give glory and honor to our Heavenly Father.

This immediately brings us to the question of the disciples relationship to the law. Jesus sees this as important because the people to whom He was preaching were mainly Jews who had been taught the Law. Any new teaching that would come into their ears would then be compared to the law. So first he shows his relationship to the law by stating that he has not come to destroy or abolish the law, but to fulfill the law.

He then drops a bomb by saying that the righteousness of the Scribes and the Pharisees was not enough to get them into the Kingdom of God, and that if anyone wanted to be able to do so, their righteousness needed to exceed the righteousness of these men that were held in the highest regard because of their apparent adherence to the law.

We left off last session by studying the self-righteousness of the Scribes and the Pharisees. They kept the laws that were important to them, but those that were not, they did not keep and even excused their trespasses. We saw that throughout the Gospels, Jesus would have 4 major charges against the Scribes and Pharisees - 1) that they practiced a religion that was entirely external, it was not practiced from the heart, but for show; 2) they were more concerned with the ceremonial law than with the moral law, not understanding that there were weightier parts of the law; 3) they were more concerned with their traditions than with the actual law (there is ample evidence that suggests that they considered the traditions and interpretations as more important than the God-given law); 4) that they were primarily concerned with themselves. What they did was to elevate self, not to glorify God.

This is his basis for telling us in V.20 that unless our righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Pharisees, which was nothing more than self-righteousness, we cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven.

For the next 28 verses, really all the way up until the end of chapter 7, Jesus begins to expound on righteous living.

In the rest of chapter 5, Jesus gives 6 examples that illustrate a a few principles. These six particular sayings, which we will look at in detail in the weeks to come, need to get looked at in a broad sense first. Again, before we get into the practice, we must understand the principle behind the practice first, or we run the risk of failing in the same areas as the Scribes and Pharisees.

So let's look at those six sayings before we continue.

Matthew 5:21-22 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you...

5:27-28 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you...

5:31-32 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 32 But I say unto you...

5:33-34 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 34 But I say unto you...

5:38-39 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you...

5:43-44 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you...

Before we deal with these statements separately, we need to deal with them together as a whole. The pattern we have seen is this: Jesus lays out certain principles, then he illustrates them. So as we come upon this section, we need to ask ourselves, "Are there any principles that are being taught that I need to grasp before putting these statements in practice?"

Remember that we have just heard Jesus say, "I am not here to destroy the law and prophets but to fulfill it," indicating that everything he teaches is in line with the Old Testament. And then Jesus immediately criticizes the so-called "righteousness" of the Pharisees and Scribes, indicating that they are not in line with the Scriptures like they claim to be.

We understand by this that as Jesus continues, He will be teaching the true and unadulterated, uncorrupted law.

Notice that in every statement, Jesus uses a similar opening phrase and a similar followup. Opening phrase: "You have heard that it was said by them of old time..." Consider the Jewish people. At this time in their history, many did not speak Hebrew. They spoke Aramaic. During the captivity of Israel in Babylon, many had lost the Hebrew language. This was exactly Nebuchadnezzar's plan as he brought thousands of Jews into Babylon on three separate occasions. Once their captivity was over and they came back to Israel, the language they came back with was Aramaic. So, many families, even though they had a copy of the scriptures, could no longer read them.

So what we have happening in this time is that the Pharisees and the Scribes, while teaching the Scriptures, would add their own interpretations. So, anything that they said was taken as Scripture. The majority of the people did not have the means to go home and check it.

So they had heard that it had been said of old... certain things.

This is the same flaw that we saw happened in the Catholic church. From the 5th to the 15th centuries, the Bible was read in Latin by priests. When they would read it in churches, it was read in Latin. Most people did not understand Latin and could therefore not understand what the priest was saying. This gave the Catholic church the ability to say whatever they wanted to say and claim it was Scripturally based. So they taught that you had to receive the sacraments to be saved, that apart from the Catholic church there could be no salvation,etc.

Just like that, tradition and other additions crept into the church, and this is what had happened with Judaism as well.

Jesus then follows up by saying, "But I say unto you." Remember, Jesus is not here to abolish the law and prophets, he didn't come to set up a new law. He came to fulfill all the law and the prophets. So when he says, "But I say unto you...," what he is saying is, "I am going to interpret to you the law of Moses as it should be, and My interpretation is true and unlike that of the Scribes and Pharisees."

He speaks with authority. This is one of the things that drive the Scribes and Pharisees nuts! He is not quoting other rabbis or teachers, he is speaking in his own authority. And Jesus had all the right to do so, since he is the one who gave the law to Moses in the first place. He doesn't hesitate to claim this unique authority. He was not merely a teacher, a good man, or a prophet; He was infinitely more than that - God the Son in the flesh.

That means that everything we study here in the Sermon on the Mount needs to be accepted as coming directly from God.

Again, before we get into specifics, Jesus is concerned about the principles. Remember, Jesus didn't come to set a new law or an addition to the law, so if we take Jesus' examples that he uses and turn them into law, then we do the same thing that the Pharisees and Scribes did. And it is so easy to do. Honestly, most people crave definite and clear cut instructions. Mankind has always been drawn to lists rather than principles. We feel as though we can check off all the boxes, then all will be fine. But this is impossible with the Gospel; it is impossible with the Kingdom of God.

Listen, it is not just easier to think of our individual Christian lives as a list that needs to be performed, but it is easier as a teacher to give a list and expect it to be performed.

It is easier to give our children our list of expectations - do this, do that, don't get involved with this, don't watch that, etc. It is much harder to teach them principles. But it is lazy parenting to teach our children what to do and what not to do without teaching them the 'why' behind it. Because when you teach them the principle, you have to give them to opportunity to follow the principle. You teach brothers and sisters the principle of respect and obedience to parents. Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 Honor thy mother and father; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

You teach your kids this principle of obedience and honor. And then, when you say, "Take out the trash," and little Johnny goes and rips the full bag of trash out of the kitchen trashcan, stomps off and throws open the front door, throws the bag into the trash container and slams the lid, comes back and flops on the couch in front of his video game, all the while mumbling things under his breath, If you have taught him the rule, "When I tell you to take out the trash, you take out the trash," then he has obeyed. But when you teach the principle of honoring parents because this is honoring to the Lord, when you teach the principle of obeying parents in the Lord, you can deal with the principle that was broken. Did he obey? NO

Did he obey in the Lord? No Did he honor? No. And you know what you don't have to do? You do not have to add to this ever growing list of rules. You don't have to add "When you're told to take out the trash, take it out without slamming the door, without grumbling, without slamming the trash can lid, etc."

You deal with the principle- obedience as if to the Lord, honor and respect to parents, humility, considering others above self. Then when you tell him later to clean his room, you are not adding, "When you are told to clean your room, clean it well, without shoving things in the closet, with a good attitude, don't throw a fit..." to this list of rules. You don't need to. The principle is there, it has been taught. Yes, you have used some examples to teach this, probably, but it is understood that those examples do not encompass everything.

Likewise, as a pastor, it would be much easier just to preach a list of things to do and things not to do. And too many pastors do this. They do this because it is easier to say, ladies, wear dresses, men wear collared shirt with a tie, instead of teaching principles of modesty and propriety. It is a whole lot easier to control, than it is to teach principles. It is a lot easier to say, "We will only sing this one type of song, from this one book" than it is to sift through a growing number of songs and find some that fit a set of Biblical principles that can be sung congregationally.

It's easier to tell people what to do with their lives than it is to teach them principles and let them follow those principles. Why? Because normally, people want the quick and easy answer. "Hey, this situation is going on, what should I do?" It would be easy to just give the answer as a pastor. The fix is implemented; the problem solved. Then, the pastor takes the credit, both in his eyes and in the member's eyes. But, no thinking is required on the part of the member, no prayer necessary, no need to search the Scriptures. A spoon-fed answer is enough to satisfy.

But what this does is that it takes people's eyes off of God, and puts them on a man.

Some pastors plan this out, some unintentionally, and probably with good intentions follow down this path without realizing what they are doing. Many people don't know that this is a danger that happens. But the thing is, as a pastor, I am not supposed to just give you the answer, I am supposed to turn you to God and to His word. So, I may give you examples of what you should do in certain situations, but mainly I will point to Biblical principles because I am not your priest nor your Holy Spirit.

Pastors are not go-betweens for people and God. They don't have any more access to God than any other Christian does. You are allowed, expected, and are privileged as a Christian to go before the throne of God, and ask for wisdom and direction.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not another law book, it is not a list of rules that binds us, it is something that gives us life. It lays down certain principles and asks us to apply them. Principles like being poor in spirit, being meek and merciful, having a hunger for righteousness, being peacemakers, having a pure-heart. It gives us a new outlook and understanding which we must apply to every area of our lives. This is why it can be tricky to be a Christian. There are not many set regulations, instead, we apply principles to every situation that arises.

Jesus' Central Principle

The six times that Jesus says, "You have heard, but I say unto you," we will find the same principle. Each example is different. In one he is speaking about murder, another deals with sexual morality, still another speaks on the topic of divorce, but with every example, the central principle is the same and the supporting principles are the same.

And it is this - Jesus wants us to see the true meaning and intentions of the law and to correct the false teachings of the Scribes and Pharisees.

We must keep this in mind as we proceed to study other key principles. The rest of this chapter is an exposition of the phrase "Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."

Five Key Principles About the Law

1. The spirit of the law matters more than the letter of the law.

As Martin Lloyd-Jones puts it, "The law was not meant to be mechanical, but living." There is a relationship between the spirit and the letter, between form and content. If we exclude the form, the spirit of the law, and focus on the content, we turn something that was intended for life into something deadly.

2 Corinthians 3:6b ...for the letter [of the law] killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

The purpose of the letter of the law is to give a body to the spirit, something a bit more tangible. But it is the spirit of the law that really matters.

For example, the question of murder: as long as the Pharisee didn't actually murder a man they had kept the law perfectly in their minds. But what is the spirit of the law in that regard? The spirit of the law is that my attitude towards my fellow man should be an attitude of love. It is the same with all the other examples. The mere fact that you did not commit adultery in a physical sense does not mean you have kept the law. The spirit of the law is not to even covet, not to desire what you cannot legitimately have.

If all we do is rely on the letter, then we misunderstand the law completely. This applies to the Ten Commandments and other moral laws as well as the instructions in the Sermon on the Mount.

It does not mean that the letter doesn't matter, only that the letter of the law must be interpreted according to the spirit of the law.

2. Following the Law Is Not Only About Actions

Our thoughts and motives are equally important. The law of God is concerned as much with what leads up to the action as He is with the action itself. Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

The Scribes and Pharisees were only concerned with the acts of adultery and murder, but Jesus was clearly emphasizing that it was the desire in a man's heart to commit these acts was what was already in breach of the spirit of the law.

In Luke 16:15 Jesus tells these Pharisees, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of the Lord.

They highly esteemed not murdering someone they hated and were unrighteously angry at, but God hated that they hated and were angry at others without a cause.

3. The Law Is Not Only Negative, but Also Positive

The whole concept for the Jew and the law had become a negative concept - "I must not kill, must not steal, must not covet,etc." But Jesus emphasized that we should be lovers of righteousness. We should avoid sin, yes, but we should also be craving righteousness.

Too many people think of sanctification and holiness in this manner: "As long as I am not getting drunk, gambling, killing, and stealing, then everything is fine." Meanwhile, in their eyes, it is totally fine to be jealous, envious, and spiteful. Pride doesn't seem to be an issue as long as you don't do certain things. This was the trouble with the Scribes and Pharisees that perverted the law, and this is the trouble with many Christian church members and pastors that pervert the law of God by being satisfied that they just don't do certain bad things.

4. The Purpose of the Law Is to Give Life, Not to Oppress

Remember what 2 Corinthians said? "The letter kills, but the spirit brings life."

1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

The righteous life, the Christian walk is not something that puts us in bondage and a state of servitude. It is not overbearing and grievous. If you and I regard the ethical teachings of the New Testament as something that cramps us and holds us down than we have misunderstood the whole issue.

The whole purpose of the gospel is to bring us into what Romans 8 says is "the glorious liberty of the children of God." These principles help us to enjoy life, not to be weighed down by it.

5. Keeping the Law Is Not the Ultimate Objective

The ultimate objective for the Christian is not to be able to go a day without sinning or to go a day and say you have kept all the law. The ultimate objective for every Christian is to know God. God gave us the law, and Jesus expounds on them and gives us the proper interpretation of the law so that we may know God.

The questions we are to ask ourselves tonight when we go to bed are not, "Did I murder anyone today? Did I commit adultery? Did I divorce my wife or husband today? Did I swear an oath?

The test that we should always apply to ourselves is rather, "Has God been supreme in my life today? Have I lived to the glory and honor of God? Do I know Him better? Am I hungering for his righteousness? "Have there been any un-Christlike thoughts, desires, or impulses?"

Those should be our concerns at the end of the day. So it brings us back to the practice of which we have spoken so much about in such a short time - the practice of self-examination. We examine ourselves not in the light of the law, but in the light of the person of Jesus Christ.

It is the spirit of the law that matters most. It is the intent, the object, and the purpose that are most important. We cannot live our life apart from a real and deepening relationship to God and think that all is well because we followed some rules.

Discipline in a Christian is good. Fasting and praying are good things. Reading your Bible is a good thing. Coming to church is a good thing. Singing praises to God is a god thing. But if after performing all those things you are not closer to God, you have not deepened your relationship and your fellowship, then who cares? Why do them at all? If after singing praises to the Lord, my thirst for righteousness hasn't increased, my desire to know him hasn't deepened, then why sing? Why read the Bible?

It is a fatal danger. These disciplines - worship, prayer, reading and memorizing Scripture, are all meant to be things that aid us in knowing God. God forbid that we should turn them into a religion.

Invitation

19MAY2024