5/29/20

"THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW" Acting Like Our Father (5:43-48) by Mark copeland

"THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW"

Acting Like Our Father (5:43-48)

INTRODUCTION

1. When Jesus spoke about "Responding To Evil", He laid down two principles:
   a. Do not resist an evil person - Mt 5:39a
   b. Respond to evil by doing good - Mt 5:39b-42

2. This is certainly a challenging task Jesus put before His disciples...
   a. It is tempting to respond to evil in kind
   b. Especially when the mistreatment comes from an enemy!

3. But in the text for this lesson (Mt 5:43-48)...
   a. We find Jesus teaching concerning the treatment of our enemies
   b. We are told why we ought to act in the manner described in Mt 5:38-42

[Keeping in mind the context of the sermon on the mount, let's first compare...]

I. THE LAW OF MOSES AND THE TRADITIONAL INTERPRETATION

   A. THE LAW DID NOT SAY "HATE YOUR ENEMY"...
      1. It did teach to "love your neighbor as yourself" - Lev 19:18
      2. But it also taught kindness was to be shown to your enemy
         - Exo 23:4-5; Pr 25:21-22

   B. THE TRADITIONAL INTERPRETATION HAD MISAPPLIED THE LAW...
      1. Though it did enjoin the command to "love your neighbor"...
      2. It inferred from this command one had the right to "hate your 
         enemy" - Mt 5:43
         a. "This phrase is not in Leviticus 19:18, but is a rabbinical
            inference which Jesus repudiates bluntly. The Talmud says
            nothing of love to enemies." (Word Pictures In The New
            Testament, Vol. I, Robertson)
         b. "The rabbis corrupted Lev. 19:18, which sums up the Law of
            Israel, by adding `and hate your enemy.'  By thus tampering
            with Scripture, they  intended to define their neighbors to
            include only Jews and to exclude Samaritans and Gentiles."
            (Believers' Study Bible)
         
[Having noted the difference between what the Law actually taught and
the wrong interpretation given by the scribes and Pharisees, let's now
consider what Jesus taught on...]

II. HOW TO TREAT OUR ENEMIES

   A. JESUS REQUIRES THAT WE...
      1. "Love" our enemies
         a. Not hate them
         b. Rather, show "active good will" towards them
      2. "Bless" those who curse us
         a. They may speak evil of us
         b. But in response we are to speak kindly of them
      3. "Do good" to those who hate us
         a. They may either ignore us or do evil things to us
         b. Yet we are to treat them kindly in either case
      4. "Pray" for those who spitefully use us and persecute us
         a. Notice, we are to pray FOR them, not just about them
         b. I.e., pray for their well-being, salvation, etc.

   B. THIS IS AN EXPANSION OF THE PRINCIPLES IN VERSES 39-42...
      1. Don't seek vengeance!
      2. Don't resist an evil person!
      3. Instead, react by manifesting aggressive love!

[Why should we respond to our enemies in this way?  Jesus goes on to provide...]

III. REASONS TO REACT IN THIS WAY

   A. "THAT YOU MAY BE SONS OF YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN"...
      1. That is, to demonstrate ourselves to be truly His children! - Mt 5:45a
      2. What is our Father like?
         a. He gives material blessings to both the evil and the good,
            both the righteous and the unrighteous - Mt 5:45b
         b. He is kind to the unthankful and evil - Lk 6:35-36
         c. He offered His Son while we were yet sinners and enemies-Ro 5:8,10
         d. He loved us before we loved Him - 1Jn 4:10
      3. As taught elsewhere, we are to imitate our Heavenly Father 
         - 1Jn 4:11; Ep 4:31-5:2

   B. TO BE DIFFERENT THAN "TAX-COLLECTORS"...
      1. In Jesus' day, they were despised by the Jews, because they
         made themselves rich by collecting taxes from their fellow-men
         for the Roman government
      2. And yet, these tax-collectors would...
         a. Love those who loved them
         b. Greet cordially those who greeted them
      3. We are no different if our love is limited to our "brethren" 
         or "friends"! - Mt 5:46-47

   C. TO BE "PERFECT" AS OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN IS PERFECT...
      1. The word "perfect" means "brought to completion, full-grown,
         lacking nothing"
      2. In this context, it has reference to the matter of showing 
         love and mercy; note the parallel passage:
         a. "Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is
            merciful." - Lk 6:36
         b. "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in
            heaven is perfect." - Mt 5:48
      3. When we display love and mercy to our enemies...
         a. We are "complete," "full-grown" in demonstrating love
         b. Just like our Father when He shows kindness to evil and
            unthankful men!

CONCLUSION

1. If we really want to be...
   a. "sons of your Father in heaven"
   b. "perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect"

2. It is imperative that we be influenced...
   a. More by the teachings and example of the Son of God
   b. Than by the attitudes and example of the "tax-collectors"!

Are you "Acting Like Our Father" who is in heaven?  Or do you emulate
the most carnal people around us?  May the "sayings" (cf. Mt 7:28) of
our Lord provoke us to consider the proper way to respond to our 
enemies and to any who might abuse us!

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016

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Is Faith "Infused" Directly by God? by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=944

Is Faith "Infused" Directly by God?

by  Eric Lyons, M.Min.

According to Catholic Catechism 153, “Faith is a gift of God, a supernatural virtue infused by him.” Unlike other religious peoples who use Ephesians 2:8 as a proof text to teach (erroneously) that faith is a direct gift from God, Catholics base their view of infused faith on a statement Jesus made to Peter during His earthly ministry. Once, after Peter confessed to Jesus, saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 16:16-17). The Catholic Church believes that Jesus’ statement proves that faith is given directly and supernaturally by God. Faith comes, not from “flesh and blood,” but purportedly is “infused” directly by the Father above.

The central problem with the 153rd Catholic Catechism is that Jesus did not say that God gave Peter faith in Jesus as the Son of God. Jesus stated that God “revealed” to Peter that Jesus was the Son of God. There is a difference between revealing to someone a truth (e.g., the deity of Christ), and compelling someone to believe that truth. If a teacher quizzes a class in preparation for a final exam, and, in the process, reveals every answer to the class that they need to know in order to score a 100 on the exam, one or more students still may fail. Students might fail because they chose not to take the exam. Some could fail because they did not take heed to the revelation of facts given by the teacher during the review session. Still others could fail simply because they deliberately wrote the wrong answers on the test, thinking it was fashionable to make low grades in school. Even though the teacher revealed all of the knowledge needed for every student in the class to make a perfect score on the exam, each student still had a choice as to whether he or she would act upon that knowledge wisely and ace the test.

Similarly, even though God revealed to Peter that Jesus was the Son of God, that does not mean that God directly infused faith into Peter. Faith is a commanded action on man’s part that comes after revelation, not before, or simultaneously (Acts 16:29-34; John 7:24; Romans 10:17). The Bible never speaks of faith as being given directly by God. Rather, it is self-developed following revelation from God. In Peter’s case, such revelation did not come from “flesh and blood” (Matthew 16:17; cf. 17:5). Today, biblical faith is developed by hearing or reading the written revelation from God—the Bible (John 20:30-31; Romans 10:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

REFERENCES

Catechism of the Catholic Church, [On-line], URL: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s1c3a1.htm.

PREACHING AND TEACHING? by steve finnell


http://steve-finnell.blogspot.com/2017/03/preaching-and-teaching-steve-finnell-if.html

PREACHING AND TEACHING? 
by steve finnell

If church leaders were required to tell the truth and nothing but the truth under the penalty of perjury, would there be a change of doctrine?

What will be the penalty for knowingly preaching and teaching false doctrine? What will happen on Judgment Day?   

Lord, Teach Us To Pray by E. Johnson

http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Johnson/Edna/Elizabeth/1939/teachustopray.html


Lord, Teach Us To Pray

"And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples" (Luke 11:1).

While Jesus was praying, Luke took notice that He prayed often. He records Jesus praying at his baptism (Luke 3:21); in the wilderness (Luke 5:16); before the appointment of the apostles, when He continued all night in prayer (Luke 6:12); praying alone (Luke 9:18); and praying before His transfiguration (Luke 9:28-29).

Do we automatically know how to pray just because we understand there is a command to do so? Is there a right and a wrong way to pray? Notice the prayer in 1 Kings 8:54 where Solomon assumed a certain physical position. Is this what the disciples were asking about? Are we always to be on our knees with our hands spread up to heaven? Should we beat our breasts like the sinner in Luke 18:13? Will that make our Heavenly Father hear our prayers?

In Matthew 6:9, we see that Jesus taught his disciples to pray a certain way, but that did not include a particular body position. He taught the words to speak to our Heavenly Father, words which addressed Him reverently and humbly. If we are going to ask the Lord to teach us to pray so that He will hear, we need to notice several instances in scripture where God heard prayers and why.

King David prayed often, and in Psalms 10:17 we see one reason why God might have listened to his prayer. He prepared his heart and humbled himself before God. Again in Psalms 19:14, David says, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer." Are we concerned with our words when we pray?

Not only are we supposed to be concerned to pray with proper words to use in prayer, but we need to know there are certain things we should pray for.

The apostle James (James 4:2-3) said, "Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts."

We may assume from the account that Luke and the other disciples had been struck with the excellence and fervor of Jesus' prayers and, remembering that John the Baptist had taught his disciples to pray, they asked Jesus also to teach them. From their experience and testimony we learn:

1. That the abilities and fervor of Jesus (or Paul) should lead us to desire the same.

2. That the true method of praying can be learned only by our being properly taught. Consider that we cannot pray acceptably at all unless God is our teacher.

3. That it is proper for us to meditate beforehand what we are to ask of God, and to arrange our thoughts, so that we may not come casually into His presence.

We learn from the testimony of James that we must not ask God for things to satisfy our fleshly desires. We must ask for what God has promised He will give so that we may grow spiritually and be the best we can be.

Beth Johnson

 

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)

"Greetings" by Gary Rose




This morning as I sat down to my first cup of the day, I thought how it just said "good morning" to me and somehow it made my day a bit better. People greet one another in all sorts of ways; from that casual "Hi" or semi-formal "Hello" to the more formal "Good Morning". I remember being taught that in the New Testament it was common to say either "Grace to you" or "Peace to you" and have the other person respond in the one you did not start with. Just for fun, I did a quick search on the word "Greet" and found that it was used 51 times in the Bible. What surprised me was the one book that it was used in the most...



... for, when I think of Paul's letter to the Romans, I think of a book of logic and theology, not a book of greetings. But, Paul was not only logical, he was a Christian and that made him a loving person.

As I considered these things, I remember a very famous song for 1967 by Louis Armstrong. Listen to the all the song and it will give you a better understanding of what it really means to greet someone.



To me, greeting are summed up in the following verse, said by none other than Jesus, himself...

John 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, just like I have loved you; that you also love one another. "
( World  English  Bible )


And THAT is better than any cup of coffee I have ever had!