Faith Unto Fulfillment (2)
Notes
Transcript
Doxology:
This is my Bible. It is God’s Holy Word. It is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, and I will hide its words within my heart, that I might not sin against God. Amen!
Scripture Reference: Matthew 5:17-20
Prayer
Context
Context
Last week, we began to unpack these verses, with the emphasis on verse 18. We discussed the eternal nature of God’s Word and discussed the correlation between Law and Grace.
Concerning the eternal nature of God’s Word, we are told that God’s Word will not pass, or be changed, until even heaven and earth pass away. In other words, the Word of God will outlast even the earth itself. It is here to stay.
We were able to see that under the New Covenant, we are saved by grace through faith. Christ came and fulfilled all of the Law perfectly and once we place our faith in Him, we are also rendered perfect in Christ.
With that being said, we also discussed that the Spirit of the Law lives on in Christ. We looked at how the Law of God is now written upon the tablets of our heart, serving as a guide unto us so that we might live in God’s will. Though Christ did fulfill the Law, He did not come to destroy it.
Jesus’s fulfillment of the Law secures salvation for all who will believe, but it also paves the way for those same people to have faith unto fulfillment. We are now equipped through Jesus to fulfill the Law of God ourselves. That is our starting point today.
Content
Content
The Principles He Shared
The Principles He Shared
The concept of Law has been a struggle since the dawn of creation.
The struggle comes from within. We are designed by God to be united with God, who is perfect. So we have this innate desire to be perfect, or what the Bible calls righteous, implanted within us from our very creation. But this desire to be perfect can only be fulfilled when we lean into the fullness of our created design and are united with God in relationship.
The temptation we face is that of pride. Pride attacks our free will. It tells us that we can achieve this perfection apart from Him. It says, “You don’t need God to be all that you can be. You can do it without Him. You can do it yourself.”
Pride is the root cause of every sin. When we sin, regardless of what sin it is, we are determining in that moment that we know better than God, or at the very least, that we can achieve whatever it is that we are trying to achieve apart from God. We can do it our own way. It is an issue of pride.
The result of this pridefulness is that we negate the law. As we discussed last week, the Law was originally given to point us to God. To fulfill the Law is to fulfill our desire to be perfect. But when we operate in pride, we decide that the law does not apply to us, or that the law is wrong. We justify our breaking of the law in personal ways, meaning that our own personal desires are more important than the law that governs us, and if the law is restricting my personal desires, then I don’t need to follow it. We want to do it our way.
This is exactly what Eve did in the garden. The snake told her that the fruit would make her wise. In other words, it was holding her back, keeping her from being everything that she could be. So after weighing out her options, she decided her personal desires outweighed the commandment that was placed over her, and she ate the fruit.
The problem with pride, is that it is a lie. The temptation of pride against our free will tells us that God is trying to hold us back, that He is restricting us in some way keeping us from achieving what our hearts so desperately desire: perfection. Pride says that we are better off without Him, or even that He is the problem.
But God has proved His love for us over and over again. This means that everything God does is for our benefit.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God…
If He says “No” to something in our life, it is for our own good. When we try to bypass what God has said “No” to, and force it to come to pass anyway, that is when we get ourselves in trouble.
The biggest issue of pride is that we have allowed our definition of perfection to be skewed. In our minds, to be perfect is to be complete, or to be lacking nothing. But this actually isn’t the best way to define perfection.
Think about gold for a second. If you find a chunk of gold in the ground, in the dirt, how do you make that gold pure gold? You heat it up with fire and burn out all of the other stuff right? In other words, to make something pure, or perfect, you don’t add something to it, you actually have to take stuff away.
If we say that we have a bottle of pure water, what are we saying? Are we saying it is pure because it has everything in it? No! We are saying it is pure because it has nothing in it. It has been filtered to the point that anything outside of its original composition has been removed.
The proper understanding of perfection is not that we need to keep adding to, but rather that we need to be taking stuff away. More clothes, more money, more power, more of a reputation, more of anything won’t make us perfect. What will make us perfect is to strip away anything that defiles us and leads us away from God, who is the only truly perfect being in existence.
This is exactly what happened in Eve’s case. We can all agree that Eve was perfect in creation right? She was perfect until she ate the fruit. But here is the thing, in order for her to remain perfect, she also had to remain ignorant of some things. Before she ate the fruit, she was ignorant of sin. Before she ate the fruit, she was ignorant of the fact that she was even naked.
When she ate the fruit, it did make her much wiser than she was before. She now knew that she was naked. She now had a knowledge of shame, guilt, and even sin. But eating that fruit also came with great cost. The cost of eating that apple was that she would be kicked out of the Garden that God had prepared just for her, her pain in childbearing would be greatly increased, and most importantly, she would indeed die.
If God is restricting us in some way, it is because what we want is not good for us. He sees what we do not see; He knows what we do not know. We have to have faith in Him.
Furthermore, He has promised that all of our needs would be met.
30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
In today’s society, we have fallen so far from God’s design of government that we no longer have a Christian ideology of governing authority. God designed government to oversee the actions of the people based upon His law, not their own.
When there is a law in place today that does not seem to benefit us, we simply change it. We rewrite the law, or at the very least, we add to it in some way that changes it.
By doing this, we have taught our culture that law really doesn’t matter. If it doesn’t suit you, then just change it. If it doesn’t benefit you, then just plead your case and get it rewritten. The law has to benefit everyone.
The problem with following that trail, is that you cannot please everyone. It is impossible. Regardless what you do, everyone will not agree with you. Someone is going to be upset with you, regardless of the decision you make.
Here in this text, Jesus is addressing this issue of the Law.
As we discussed last week, the religious leaders of their day had added to the Law, changed the Law, to where it was beneficial to them.
Jesus claims that the Law is good and that it will outlast even the heaven and earth. Not this abridged version of the Law that they had come to know, but the original Law that God had given to Moses and the Prophets.
The true Law was God’s standard of righteousness. Not man’s, but God’s. Nothing would change that. God does not change.
It needs to be said that this is still the case today. God has not changed. Our culture has changed almost completely, but God’s standard of righteousness has not. It remains the same today, and it will remain the same forever, for God does not change.
Jesus shares with us in these verses His mentality towards the Law, and if we are to be followers of Him, disciples of Jesus, we must adopt that same mentality.
So Jesus shares with us a very important principle concerning the Law:
19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
On the surface, this principle that Jesus shares is fairly easy to unpack: do good and shun evil! That is basic enough right?
But going beyond the surface of this principle, there are a few things to understand here. Now, we don’t have time unpack all of these today, but let me at least mention them in some detail:
The Law is Ranked
He mentions “the least of these commandments”. This seems to imply that some commands carry more weight than others.
This was definitely the understanding of the law in Jesus day. When the lawyer came to Jesus, he asked, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in all of the law?” Jesus did not rebuke him for his understanding of the Law, but rather answered the question. He stated the two greatest commandments in all of God’s Law, and then said that all of the other laws could be hung upon these two.
It is still a common understanding within the church today. We would say that someone who committed murder performed a much more serious offense than someone who told a lie. While both are sinful, one involved ending someone’s life.
But we must also realize the fullness of what Jesus taught here. Even to break the least commandment of all is to suffer loss.
10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.
In other words, if someone were to be perfect, it would not matter which law they broke. To break any of the laws of God would render the person imperfect from that point on.
So though some laws may carry more weight than others, to break any of the laws is to suffer loss.
This could be a loss of joy within one’s heart. This could be a loss of usefulness within the Kingdom of God here and now. But it definitely includes the loss of rank within the Kingdom of Heaven.
This ranking system, concerning both the law and the believers, are both completely a work of God. It is not up to us to determine which laws matter more or less, and it is also not up to us to determine what position we deserve within the Kingdom of Heaven. The focus point here is simply to be obedient to God, and let the rest work itself out.
The Law is Required
Notice here that to keep the Law is to be rewarded and to ignore it is to suffer loss. God expects His children to be obedient to His Word.
God also expects us to teach His Word. Now some within the church are called to a position of teaching. This is accomplished through Sunday School, Discipleship, Preaching, Bible Study, etc. For those who are called to these positions, please understand that you will be held accountable for those whom you teach.
1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.
But it also needs to be understood that every Christian teaches others to some degree. If you get drunk, do drugs, or cuss like a sailor when you are at home, are you not teaching your children simply through your actions that is ok to do those things? Of course you are.
“Yeah, but I tell them they shouldn’t do it though. Just because I do it, does not mean it is ok for them to do it” (Don’t do as I do, do as I say do).
In theory, you are right: two wrongs do not make a right. But Jesus says to teach others to break His commandments is to suffer loss. There will be consequences for how we handle the Word of God in our lives, but especially if we teach others to be disobedient to it as well.
It is a requirement for all of God’s children.
The Law is Restrictive
The Law tells us what God does not want us to do. “Don’t lie, don’t cheat, don’t steal, don’t murder...”
The Law is restrictive. The Law is designed to keep stuff out. Not all things, just those things which would defile us, or lead us towards sin.
This goes back to what we were saying a moment ago about God saying “No”. He says, “No, don’t touch that, don’t do that, don’t associate yourselves with that...” Why? Not to hold us back, but to hold us close. The Law guards our hearts, and if we obey it, our hearts will remain pure. As we allow the fire of God to burn away all of the impurities in our lives, we are cleansed from those things so that we might stand before God in purity.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
How is it that we are made clean? Through the blood of Christ. He “gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her… that she should be holy and without blemish.”
When Jesus comes back, He is coming back for the church, whom He died for. And the expectation of those who make up that church is that they would be holy and without blemish.
We have to understand that Jesus is not teaching here in Matthew concerning salvation, but rather on sanctification. He is not saying that the Law cleanses us. NO...No. The Law is there to keep us clean. We are cleansed by the blood of Christ. It is from Him our salvation cometh, but God has written His Law upon our hearts that we might be obedient to its restrictive measures, and in so doing keep ourselves from the filthiness of this world. The only way we can accomplish this is through Him.
11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.
14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
Again, we are not teaching here a works-based salvation. That is what the rest of the world teaches, not Christianity. You do not work yourself into heaven, but once you have been transformed by the grace of God, there does come an expectation to serve within His kingdom and maintain His standard of righteousness to the best of your ability. That is where this Law that is written upon our hearts comes into play. It is our guide. It is our road map of righteousness. His grace made us righteous, and we portray that righteousness to the world when we have faith unto fulfillment.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments…
This is the principle He shared. And it is so important that we get this, because in the next verse we see:
The Price He Set
The Price He Set
20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
It is important to understand the context of this entire passage when coming to this verse. Jesus just told us in verse 19 that we are to keep the Law of God and teach it to others, and that if we didn’t, we would suffer loss as a result.
So, it can be easy when coming to this next verse to look at it in terms of our own righteousness. But if we apply that understanding to this verse, we are right back to square one of checking boxes again.
Jesus says that if our righteousness, does not exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and the Pharisees, then we can by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
From a checkbox mentality, this would have been absolutely impossible. These men lived and breathed the Word of God and its Laws. Though they had lost their heart along the way, they lived as much of a religious lifestyle that one could live. It would have been literally impossible for anyone, aside from Jesus Himself, to check more boxes them.
The only way to achieve a greater righteousness would be to go through Christ.
See it is important to keep the Law, as we just discussed in verse 19, but it is even more important as to why you keep the Law.
The religious leaders kept the Law simply to check boxes. It was how they had been raised and taught to live their lives. That is no different than many who are in the church today. They do, or don’t do, certain things in their lives simply because they have been told to or told not to.
Listen closely… It is our responsibility to teach our children right from wrong. I am not saying we shouldn’t do that. What I am saying, is when you tell them not to do something, show them in Scripture that is because God said so.
If you are going to teach your children not to cuss, then take them to:
Ephesians 4:29 - Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth…
James 3 - The tongue is full of deadly poison.
Exodus 20 - Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless…
If you are going to teach them that murder is wrong, then take them to:
Exodus 20 - Thou shall not kill.
Matthew 5 - Murder is more than just the physical act, but even having a hatred in your heart towards another individual makes you guilty.
If you are going to teach your children about God’s design for marriage and sex, take them to:
Ephesians 5 - Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her, and Wives submit yourself unto your husbands as unto the Lord.
Take them to Genesis 2 and show them that God’s design of marriage is for one man and one woman for one lifetime. That is Godly marriage.
Just to make this as simple as possible, let me be clear concerning all sexual acts. Sexual intimacy of any kind was designed to take place between one man and one woman within the covenant of marriage. Everything else is sinful. Period. Any sexual act that takes place outside of those stipulations… one biological man from birth and one biological female from birth within the covenant of marriage… is sinful.
Show them all of the Scriptures that deal with fornication, sexual immorality, adultery, homosexuality, sodomy, and all the rest.
If you are going to teach your children to love others, them take them to:
1 Cor 13 - “The Love Chapter” and show them what true love looks like.
Matthew 22 - Love your neighbor as yourself.
Matthew 6 - Love your enemies… pray for those who despitefully use you.
John 3:16 - Show them the love of God for all of humanity.
When you do this, you are teaching them that everything you have become and everything that you do is because of the Word of God. It teaches them that you live and die by this Book. And when they call you out because you did something, or said something that goes against the Book, don’t you dare reprimand them, you acknowledge them and then repent of your actions. Show them that everyone makes mistakes, but true Christians acknowledge those mistakes and get their hearts right with God.
Why? Because Jesus paid a hefty price for my salvation, and then He called me to walk in that salvation with sincerity and truth. That is why.
There is a difference between religion and relationship. The price that Jesus set is one of relationship. Religion will not get you to heaven. Being a good moral person will not get you to heaven. Checking boxes will not get you to heaven. Only knowing, loving, and accepting Jesus Christ can do that.
If I am driven by religion, the Word of God will only go as far as my hands. I will work with my hands, but my heart will not be in it. I will be doing all of the right things, for all of the wrong reasons.
But if I am driven by relationship, God’s Word will penetrate the depths of my heart. My heart will be compelled to live a life of Godliness for His sake, not mine. It will all be about the glory of His name, not my own.
Please do not be deceived. Consider your life and your actions. Have you truly surrendered yourself to God? Have you truly been saved and born again, or are you just going through the motions? It does not matter if you are brand new here or whether you are a Deacon in the Church. If you are not in a current relationship with Jesus Christ, you will not make it to heaven. Please be honest with yourself and be honest with God. Where do you stand spiritually?
This is the price that He set. It is a price so steep, that only the blood of Jesus can pay it in full.
And what is the point of all of this?
The Prize He Secured
The Prize He Secured
20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
The entire Christian life that we live is twofold:
We live the life that He has called us to live because of what He has done for us. He secured the prize that we are all chasing after… Heaven!!!
Jesus bridged the gap between man and God. He built that bridge with two pieces of wood, three large nails, a crown of thorns, and every drop of His blood. He gave His life that we might have life. He accomplished for us what we could not accomplish for ourselves.
Because He lives, we live for Him. We surrender our lives to His will and do so gladly. There is nothing I can do to repay Him, but here is the thing… He never asked me too. He never asked me too because He knows I can’t repay Him. All that He has asked me to do is have faith that what He accomplished at Calvary was good enough, to believe in the power of His name and His sacrifice, to freely receive the gift that He gave so much for.
That is why I am compelled to live the Christian life.
We live the life that He has called us to live so that we might show others the love that He has showed to us.
Our goal in this life is to lead as many people as possible to the foot of the cross. It our goal to show others the way to Christ. It is our goal to live our lives in such a way that others see Christ in us. Our goal is to be the salt and light of this world, and to influence for Christ all that we come into contact with.
Commitment
Commitment
