The Sermon on the Mount - Part 2

Verses Misused and Abused

In the Sermon on the Mount, I have heard verses that are twisted much too often. Allow me to examine a couple of them, located in Matthew 5.

Matthew 5:17 – “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”

Strangely enough, this verse is often taken by those who try to keep Christians under the Law of Moses to show that we Christians are still under the law. They say that, since Christ did not come to destroy the law, then that must mean that we are yet under the law. The truth is, however, that we are not under any obligation to fulfil the law in order to be saved or to “stay saved.”

What exactly was Christ teaching when He said, “I am not come to destroy [the law], but to fulfil [the law]”? Was Christ teaching that if we expect to be saved that we are to keep the law to perfection? Jesus plainly stated that no one has kept the law (John 7:19). Paul plainly taught that the law condemns the entire world, declaring the whole world guilty before God (Romans 3:19). In order to understand Christ’s teaching here, it behooves us to understand a few truths regarding the law.

The Law is a Debt

The Old Testament Law of Moses is a debt. Mankind is indebted to God Almighty. That debt is spelled out in the law. Who said that the law is a debt? Paul the apostle said so!

Galatians 5:3 – “For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.”

Paul states that the man who attempts to keep the law by being circumcised is a DEBTOR. This man is a debtor to what? He is a debtor to do the WHOLE LAW. Can you not see it? The law is a debt.

The Word, “Fulfil” is a Term Relating to Debt

When Christ said, “I am not come to destroy,” He immediately follows the statement with another truth, “but to fulfil.” The word, “fulfil” is a word relating to debt, as in “fulfilling one’s financial obligations.” Webster defines “fulfilled” as “accomplished, performed, completed, executed.” What were Christ’s last words upon the cross? In His dying breath, Christ cried out with a loud voice, “It is finished!” What Christ came to fulfil in His life had been, at that very moment, accomplished, performed, completed, and executed! The English phrase, “it is finished” actually comes from one Greek word, which James Strong defines, “to pay.” The same Greek word translated, “it is finished” in John 19:30 is also translated, “pay” in Matthew 17:24 and Romans 13:6. Interestingly enough, this same Greek word which is translated “it is finished” in John 19:30, and “pay” in Matthew 17:24 and Romans 13:6, is also translated “fulfilled” four times in the New Testament! What did Jesus say in the Sermon on the Mount? “I came not to destroy, but to FULFIL!” He came to pay the debt in full! The moment Christ died, it could be rightfully said that the law had been kept! It had been paid in full. Christ never broke one of the laws of Moses! Every scripture regarding His sinless life had been fulfilled! Every prophecy regarding His birth, His flight into Egypt, His miracles, His sinless life, and His atoning death had been minutely fulfilled to the jot and tittle! The debt that we could not pay had been paid by Christ in full.

The Law Was Not Destroyed

Christ plainly stated, “I am not come to destroy [the law].” He paid the law in full, but He did not destroy the law. The law was a bill that you and I could not pay. Any time we attempted to pay that bill, all we were able to do was “come short!” “For all have sinned,” we are told, “and COME SHORT of the glory of God.” Even though you and I could never fulfil the law, the Father still demanded that the debt be paid. Jesus did not come to put the bill in the paper shredder; it had to be paid! The Father did not destroy the debt since we could not pay it! The law was not destroyed; it had to be paid – and Jesus fulfilled it! He paid it in full!

How Much is Left for Us to Pay?

If the law has been fulfilled, or paid in full, how much is left for us to pay? NONE! Some use Matthew 5:17 to say that since the law was not destroyed, you and I must pay it! Not so! That the law was not destroyed is true enough! The bill we owed was not put in the paper shredder; the Father demanded that it be paid! Christ, then, fulfilled, or paid it! When Christ paid it, He paid it in full! There’s nothing to left to pay! There is no remaining balance! Christ said, “It is finished!” Do you believe that? If so, then why do so many try to add to what Christ did? If it is finished, there is nothing left for us to do!

What, Then, is the Meaning of Romans 8:4?

Those who use Matthew 5:17 to say that you and I are under the law also use Romans 8:4 in an attempt to reinforce such a belief.

Romans 8:4 – “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Romans 8:4, they assert, plainly declares that the law is to be fulfilled in us. I agree that it is God’s will that the righteousness of the law should be fulfilled IN US, but not BY US. We are not the ones who fulfil the law. Christ, the One who lives IN US, fulfilled the law completely and totally. Christ, by having never committed a sin in word, thought, or deed, fulfilled the law while in the flesh. The risen Saviour now lives in every believer by His Spirit. If we yield to Him, He will still fulfil the righteousness of the law. He still DOES NOT SIN! If you yield to Christ, He will fulfil the law in you. No one sins because they are yielding to Christ; people sin because they yield to the world, the flesh, and the devil. When we yield to Christ, He will fulfil the law IN US!

The Sermon on the Mount - Part 1

Matthew, chapters 5-7, comprises what is known to the Bible reader as the Sermon on the Mount. These next few posts do not serve as an exposition of the passage, but rather just some of my thoughts concerning portions of it.

Preparation for the Sermon

As for the Sermon on the Mount, Christ made preparation for that great sermon. Now, when I say “preparation,” I am not speaking of the preparation of reading and studying. I certainly believe that every preacher ought to spend time in prayer and study, preparing for each message he delivers. In no way am I attempting to disregard the importance of preparing for a message in that fashion.

However, when I say that Christ made preparation, I am speaking of Christ’s preparation in Matthew 4, the verses just prior to the start of the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 4:23-25 – “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.”

Notice some of the works Christ wrought on the shores of Galilee before He delivered what we call the Sermon on the Mount. He was “healing all manner of sickness and disease among the people;” He delivered those who were possessed with devils; He cured the lunatic; and He healed those who had the palsy. Then, in chapter 5, Christ said, “I’ve got something to say.” And since, by His works, the fallow ground of the people was broken up, the people were ready to receive anything He had to say. Let us not merely speak what needs to be spoken, but let us prepare people’s hearts for it by showing them that we care. Once people know that they are loved by the soul-winning Christian, the soul-winning Christian can say nearly anything.

Religious Specialists

An Important Observation Regarding Denominations

Acts 20:27 – “For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.”

In this blog, I say little of denominations. I am not a member of any denomination or any religious organization. For years, I preached in INDEPENDENT churches throughout our great nation. I love independent churches and independent ministers. I have never received orders from “headquarters” delegating to me what to preach. The individual who tries to dictate what I preach will find a fight on his hands. No man on this earth has the authority to tell me what to preach. Man did not call me to the ministry; man did not separate me for the ministry; man did not prepare me for the ministry; man did not send me forth to preach; man did not give me the great commission; and the man is a lunatic who thinks he is going to tell me what to preach.

Denominations are not that important. I cannot prove it, but it could be true that there will be people from every denomination in heaven. It is probably more correct, however, to say that there will be people from every denomination in hell. It matters not to me which denomination with which you align yourself; someone will find a route to hell from a pew in a church of your denomination. The truth is, no one is going heaven because they are a member of your denomination, or any one else’s denomination. At the rapture, there will only be two groups of people – the saved, blood-bought, redeemed group, which will rise to ever be with Christ; and the lost, who will be left behind to endure the judgment of God. Everyone who is trusting Jesus Christ alone for salvation will be saved; everyone who is trusting something other than Christ, will be lost.

Most Denominations “Specialize” in One Particular Doctrine

It has been my observation that most denominations have one particular belief in which they “specialize.” If you have been a faithful reader of this blog, you know that I write about MANY Biblical subjects. All you need to do is glance over to the right of this page and you will find a very long list of different categories about which I have written.

At the beginning of this post, I used Acts 20:27 as a text. In this verse, Paul is speaking to the elders of the church of Ephesus, stating the truth that he had not “specialized” in just one doctrine, but that he declared to them ALL the counsel of God. It is the job of the minister to preach and teach the whole Bible. In the great commission, Christ, after commanding His apostles to go into all the world and teach all nations, exhorts them, saying, “Teaching them to observe ALL THINGS whatsoever I have commanded you.”

Most denominations, however, are different. Many denominations harp on the same teaching repeatedly. Take, for example, the United Pentecostal Church. Why they even carry Bible is beyond me. They do not need a Bible; all they need is Acts 2:38! I believe Acts 2:38, but I also believe John 5:24 (which the United Pentecostal Church and other like-minded denominations do not believe). I believe Acts 2:38, but I also believe John 1:12; John 3:18; John 3:36; John 6:28-29; John 6:40; John 6:47; John 20:31; Acts 10:43; Acts 13:39; Acts 16:31; Romans 1:16; Romans 3:21-22; Romans 3:26; Romans 10:9-13; I Corinthians 1:21; Galatians 3:22; and I John 5:1 (none of which the United Pentecostals believe). To most United Pentecostals, their entire belief system is that you must be baptized in Jesus’ name and speak in tongues in order to be saved. How anyone can sit in one of their churches for years is a mystery to me – it is the same pet doctrine preached in every service for many of them.

For another example, take the Seventh-Day Adventists. From their name, you can guess which doctrine they repeatedly promote. They are so stuck on their belief of worshipping on the seventh day that they worship the seventh day! Visit one of their churches on any Saturday, and you will nearly guaranteed to hear something about worshipping on Saturday instead of Sunday. They will tell you that Sunday is named after the Sun-god. For crying out loud, Saturday is named after the god Saturn! So what? But this is the bulk of their beliefs.

Look at the old Methodists. In my library, I have books written by old Methodists (the movement started by John Wesley). Their main thrust is sanctification. Nearly all of their writings emphasize sanctification. Their whole doctrine is that when you are saved, your past sins are forgiven, but salvation does nothing for your sin-nature. They teach that you must pray earnestly for a “second work of grace,” sanctification, that will take care of your sin-nature. When this experience is attained, many of them teach that this will end any problems with sin and the flesh.

What about the so-called “Faith movement?” Many of your “televangelists” classify under this heading. Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Paul and Jan Crouch, Marilyn Hickey, Oral Roberts, E.W. Kenyon, Charles Capps, Frederick K.C. Price, and others are adherents to this movement. Their big teaching is faith. Their basic beliefs concerning faith are as follows: First, you must believe that what you wish to happen will happen. Second, you must SPEAK what you wish to happen. Third, your words are as powerful as God’s words. Because God spoke this world into existence, you and I can “create our own world” by simply speaking what we wish to happen. Fourth, since our words are as powerful as God’s words, we are actually “little gods.” Fifth, Christ’s death on the cross was insufficient to save us; He had to go to hell to burn to finish paying off our sins. Sixth, if you are poor, you are not faithful. Seventh, all sickness comes from the devil and is resultant from a lack of faith.

These examples are only a few, but they show clearly that movements and denominations tend to focus on one particular pet doctrine.

Denominations are Usually Wrong about the Pet Doctrine they Emphasize!

It is not enough that most denominations and movements focus primarily on one particular doctrine; but it is equally true that these denominations usually mutilate the one doctrine they emphasize!

Let us look again at the United Pentecostal Church. They emphasize heavily their belief regarding salvation – that it is attained by baptism in Jesus’ name and speaking in tongues – and they are dead wrong about salvation! I Peter 3:21 plainly states that baptism does not put away the filth of the flesh! I Corinthians 12:28-30 teaches just as plainly that everyone in the body of Christ will not speak in tongues. These precious people may choose to emphasize these same points in every service, but these points are dead wrong and as unscriptural as they can be.

What about our Seventh-Day Adventist friends? Their main thrust is that Christians are to worship on Saturday instead of Sunday. This may be their favorite doctrine, but every time they preach it, they are violating the Bible.

Colossians 2:16 – “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days.”

The Bible plainly instructs us not to judge anyone regarding the sabbath days. And yet, the Seventh-Day Adventists do just that. They go as far as to say that if you worship on Sunday, you have taken the mark of the beast! Again, they emphasize one doctrine, and they are as wrong about it as they can be!

What about the old Methodists and their doctrine of sanctification? The Bible does not teach a “second work of grace.” The Bible, on the other hand, teaches that we are sanctified by the offering of Christ’s body upon the cross (Hebrews 10:10), and that those who are sanctified are perfected forever (Hebrews 10:14). Again, they may emphasize their pet doctrine of sanctification, but they’ve got it wrong.

As for the “Faith movement,” their teachings are so far off base it’s ridiculous. I almost hate to even take the time to refute them at all. First, you do not have to speak anything to have faith. Faith is believing. “Abraham believed God.” Abraham believed that he would become the father of many nations because God said it. We are never told that Abraham SAID that he would be the father of many nations; we are only told that Abraham believed it. The verse that “faith teachers” grossly twist to suit their doctrine is Romans 4:17.

Romans 4:17 – “(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.”

“Faith teachers” take this verse to say that Abraham “called those things which be not as though they were,” meaning that Abraham “created his own world by speaking what he wanted.” This verse says absolutely nothing of the sort. This verse states clearly that Abraham believed. The verse goes on to tell us WHO Abraham believed – “even GOD, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.” In this verse two things are clear – First, God is the One who called those things that be not as though they were. God is the One who speaks things into existence. Not you, not me, and not Abraham. Second, Abraham believed God.

In addition to these teachings, the faith movement is wrong about their assertion that being poor is a lack of faith. They are just as wrong about their implication that all sickness is from the devil and is resultant from a lack of faith. Who struck David’s child that he became sick and died? Not the devil; God did (II Samuel 12:15)! As for the “faith movement,” their big emphasis is on faith, and everything they say about faith is dead wrong.

Conclusion

It is my desire, as a minister of the word of God, to preach and teach ALL the counsel of God. I am claiming neither to know ALL the counsel of God, nor to understand ALL the counsel of God. But I am determined to seek to preach the whole Bible; not merely a pet verse or a pet doctrine.

I have found that, in some way, every teaching in the word of God centers around Jesus Christ! You can find churches in your town that will specialize every fabrication of man’s imagination. But it is hard to find a church that emphasizes Jesus Christ! If I’m going to get “hung up” on something, I want to get “hung up” on Jesus! If I preach Jesus, I will preach salvation, because He is the Saviour! If I preach Him, I will preach redemption, sanctification, glorification, the second coming, His sinless life, His atoning death, and His resurrection. By preaching on Christ I will preach on prayer, because He is the best example of prayer. I will preach on soul-winning, because He came to seek and to save that which is lost! Brethren, let us preach Christ, and we will preach all the counsel of God!