Summary Matthew 5-7
Jesus had just spoken many words to his followers, which you
can read in Matthew, chapters 5-7. First he spoke about being blessed of God in
various situations and circumstances in our lives, including being blessed when
persecuted for righteousness’ sake, when others revile us and persecute us and
utter all kinds of evil against us falsely on our Lord’s account. There we are
to rejoice and be glad, for our reward is great in heaven.
Then he spoke of how we who are his followers are the salt
of the earth and the light of the world, which is what I wrote on last (1). And
then he spoke of how he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it,
which you can read about at the beginning of Romans 8. And then he went through
several “You have heard it was said” “but I say” lessons covering the subjects
of murder, hate, adultery, divorce, the taking of oaths, revenge, and love for
enemies.
Then he spoke on the subjects of hypocrisy, prayer,
forgiveness, fasting, greed, and spiritual darkness. He continued by talking
about how we cannot serve God and money, and the things of this world, and try
to serve God, too. And he talked about anxiety and faith. Then he spoke on the
subjects of judging others, and asking, seeking, knocking, and finding. He
talked about the narrow gate which leads to heaven vs. the broad gate leading
to hell.
And he warned against false prophets and teachers. And going
along with that he also warned that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,”
will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one DOING (obeying) the will of
God the Father who is in heaven (Matthew 7:21-23). And one day we will all
stand before him, and many will profess that he was their Lord and that they
did all sorts of things in his name, but he is going to say to them…
“I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”
Matthew 7:24-25 ESV
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.”
So, when it says here that “everyone who hears these words
of mine,” this is speaking of all the words he spoke as is recorded for us in
Matthew 5-7. But in reality it covers all the words he spoke to the people in
way of instruction and commands, i.e. which are imperatives, which are to be
applied to our lives today. They were words which taught God’s moral laws and
which taught the essence of the gospel of our salvation. But also it includes
all the words his apostles taught that were specifically for us, his followers.
Everyone who hears the words of the Lord which are written
down for us in the Scriptures, which also include the teachings of the New
Testament apostles – which are directed to us who are followers of Jesus Christ,
who make a profession of faith in Christ – we are to do what the Word teaches
us we must do as followers of Christ. But this doesn’t mean we can ignore the
teachings of the Word and therefore we don’t have to obey.
So, if we obey the commands of our Lord (New Covenant), then
when the trials of life come, we will not fall, because our lives are built on
the Rock, which is Jesus Christ. Even though all sorts of trials and
tribulations will come our way, if we are walking in obedience to the Lord,
living holy and pure lives, we will be able to stand because our lives are
firmly planted in Jesus Christ and in his word. And when judgment comes, we
will survive, and we will live on in eternity with our Lord in heaven.
Matthew 7:26-27 ESV
“And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
Nonetheless, if you hear the words of the Lord, but then you
let them go in one ear and out the other, like the man who looked at his face
in the mirror and then walked away and forgot what he looked like, and so you
don’t obey them, then when the trials and tribulations of this life hit, you
will not stand strong in faith, because your life is built on sinking sand.
Your life is built on a false gospel which is a lie which is giving you
permission to keep sinning.
So, please know that you cannot just make a profession of
faith in Jesus Christ and now heaven is guaranteed you regardless of how you
live. Jesus did not teach that, and neither did his NT apostles. They all
taught that we must die with Christ to sin and live to his righteousness. We
must forsake our lives of sin and we must follow our Lord in obedience and in
living holy lives, pleasing to God. For if we do not, we will not inherit eternal
life.
Safe Am I
By Mildred Leightner Dillon
Safe Am I, Safe Am I,
In The Hollow Of His Hand.
Sheltered Over, Sheltered Over
With His Love Forever More.
No Ill Can Harm Me, No Foe Alarm Me;
For He Keeps Both Day And Night.
Safe Am I, Safe Am I
In The Hollow Of His Hand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXwzhSyzPU0
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(1)
https://walkingwounded.blog/2023/05/03/be-the-salt-and-light/
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