Monday: The Sermon Versus the Law
Some Christians view the Sermon on the Mount as a new “law of Christ,” one that replaced the “Law of God.” They say that a system of legalism was now replaced with a system of grace, or that Jesus’ law differs from the Law of God itself. These views are misconceptions about the Sermon on the Mount.
What do the following texts say about the law and indirectly about the idea that, somehow, the law (i.e. the Ten Commandments) was replaced by the Sermon on the Mount? Matt. 5:17-19, Matt. 5:21-22, Matt. 5:27-28; see also James 2:10-11; Rom. 7:7.
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Craig S. Keener writes: “Most Jewish people understood the commandments in the context of grace … ; given Jesus’ demands for greater grace in practice …, he undoubtedly intended the kingdom demands in light of grace (compare Matt. 6:12; Luke 11:4; Mark 11:25; Matt. 6:14-15, Mark 10:15). In the Gospel narratives Jesus embraces those who humble themselves, acknowledging God’s right to rule, even if in practice they fall short of the goal of moral perfection (Matt.5:48). But the kingdom grace Jesus proclaimed was not the workless grace of much of Western Christendom; in the Gospels the kingdom message transforms those who meekly embrace it, just as it crushes the arrogant, the religiously and socially satisfied.”—The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009), pp. 161, 162.
Read Genesis 15:6. How does this help us to understand that salvation has always been by faith?
The faith of Jesus Christ was not a new faith; it was the same faith from the Fall onward. The Sermon on the Mount wasn’t salvation by grace replacing salvation by works. It was always salvation by grace. The children of Israel were saved by grace at the Red Sea before they were asked to obey at Sinai. (See Exod. 20:2.)
| What should your own experience with the Lord and His law teach you about why salvation has always had to be by faith and not by the law? |
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The thinking and feeling that Jesus came to do away with law or he indeed did away with law is self deceptive. Its synonymous with removing a mirror from your bathroom to avoid seeing the bruises on your eye/face or how sore they are! It doesn't matter how you got your eye/face bruised, the mirror will tell you how bad it is!
Its not understandable how people preach the law is done away with when Christ preached that "whoever therefore breaks one of the commandments and teaches men to do so shall be called least in the kingdom of God" Matthew 6:19.
But we in the last days where Christ forewarned about false teachers lets just be sober and vigilant for our adversary the devil is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.
I understand it quite clearly. Humans inherit rebellious propensities from our ancestors.
"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Rom 8:7
The Religious leaders voided law through their traditions 2000 years ago and have not ceased for 2000 years. Why does 99% of Christianity void the 4th commandment? Out of 2+ billion Christians only 1%-- 20 million acknowledge the current validity of the original Sabbath.
The law points us to our short comings. Jesus has followed the law to the latter and has shed his blood on our behalf. He only could do this. He is the perfect lamb of God. The Lamb without spot or wrinkle. I believe only Enoch and Elijah fulfilled the law. That is why they didn't see death and were taken up to heaven. The beatitudes were like words of encouragement comfort and hope and instructions on how to fulfil the law. Explaining in depth what we should & shouldn't do. For example adultery wasn't just the physical act it was also lusting after a person when one is already married to someone else. One should not kill. One can kill people with words. One should be careful how one talks to people. Peoples minds can be fragile . How many youth have taken their own precious lives through bullying .Through cruel words written on the Internet.
i believe if they (Enoch and Elijah) fulfilled the law it was by the Grace and power of Jesus Christ. for with there carnal minds they wouldnt because the carnal mind has enmity againts God Rom 8:7 but only through the spirit of God in them thats ow they kept it.
The Ten Commandments and the sermon on the mount is one and the same, I call the beatitudes ten commandment reinforcer. It makes us to see our hopeless nature and to know that we can not attain the state of righteousness by our power or might but by the grace of God
What we must always remember is that Christ came not to change the law but to fulfill the law. If he has come to do the work of the Father, how then can he change it. The Word of God states that heaven and earth will have passed away before one jot or tittle is changed. So lets not get it twisted, The Sermon on the Mount doe not replace God's Ten Commandments.
No matter how hard or how often I tried, my efforts have never been enough to keep His laws or earn favor with God. I don't know anyone who has successfully overcome temptation and sin on his or her own merit or strength or that can make that claim, according to (Rom 3:22) "even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction." The word of God says "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (verse 23).
It has always been by grace, through faith, that we are saved (Eph. 2:8,9), as demonstrated in Abraham's faith-filled obedience to God in (Gen. 15:6). Jesus did not sit idly by during His time on earth. He worked "the works of Him who sent Me while it is day" (John 9:4). He did nothing on His own, but always according to the will of His Father (John 5:30), and His Father's will, that the law be fulfilled (Matt.5:17-20).
This is the faith that He wants us to exemplify, explicit trust in God, who alone can empower us to keep His righteous law, emblematic of His character. If the law represents God's character why would the Son of God seek to change or replace it?. Jesus did not seek to change ANY of the ten commandments but to demonstrate to all how to keep them. The sermon on the mount made clear what was obscured by misrepresentations and false teachings about God's nature and character. What the Jews failed to do, Christ accomplished and magnified.
If those chosen, with all their knowledge and privilege as "seed of Abraham", had rightly represented God and kept His laws in the right spirit; not heaping on burdens on the backs of God's children for whom Jesus died, by their multitudes of rules and traditions subverting God's true laws, Jesus probably, would not have needed to preach that famous "Sermon on the Mount".
There’s a light upon the mountains,
and the day is at the spring,
When our eyes shall see the beauty
and the glory of the King;
Weary was our heart with waiting, and
the night-watch seemed so long,
But His triumph-day is breaking, and
we hail it with a song.
He is breaking down the barriers,
He is casting up the way;
He is calling for His angels to build
up the gates of day;
But His angels here are human, not
the shining hosts above,
For the drum-beats of His army are
the heart-beats of our love.
this is a powerful one claudette. yes the beatitudes were not meant to replace the law, but to point to us how we can keep the law.
"The children of Israel were saved by grace at the Red Sea before they were asked to obey at Sinai." There are of our 'church fathers' who have been studying with sincere people for ages. The people are losing courage and feel that according to the church elders they will never be good enough. Yet in the above quote we are again reminded of the 'sequence' of baptism : conversion - baptism - and teaching. This obviously doesn't mean that people should be baptised at the drop of a hat without knowing what they are committing themselves to, but do they really have to cross the 't's' and dot the 'i's' before giving the go ahead for baptism?
I am so glad that we have this exposition from Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Without it Satan can use the minds of men to promote extremist behavior on either side of law keeping. Jesus makes it clear that it's not the law itself that saves us but having a spirit lead attitude based on the principles that the law expounds is evidence of Christ in us working to restore us to one-ness with he and the father.
Our faith should be only in God not
Anything in the world.
The Sermon on the Mount is the fulfillment of Mt Sinai. Sinai foreshadowed this Sermon on the Mount. When *the Angel*(Dt 33:2; Acts 7:38; Gal 3:19; Heb 2:2) presented the Law to Israel they were so afraid they asked that they not hear the voice of God anymore lest they die (Ex 20:18,19; Dt 5:23-27; 18:15-20). God said, “They have spoken well. I will raise up a prophet from among their brothers like you(Moses), and I will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which He shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him.”Dt 18:15-20
Jesus Himself is the realization of all that both the Law and the Prophets taught and expected. Now that Christ, the fulfillment, has come, the Old Testament must be understood in light of Him (Luke 24:26,44). The realization of the Law in Christ means that obedience to all His commands (Mat 28:20;John 14:15,21; 15:10-14) is the only acceptable response for His disciples. The commandments of the Law (Mat 5:18) are now fulfilled in Christ’s teaching (Mat 5:21-48; Gal 5 :13,14; Rom 13:8-10).
The Law was a teacher to bring us to Christ (Gal 3:24,25), like John the Baptist. It contained glimpses or shadows of the future good things, elementary principles.(Col 2:8,20; Gal 4:3,9,10,19; Heb 5:12; 10:1) It would have its reign until Christ appears, the One to whom it pointed.(Gal 3:23-25)
The Scripture distinguishes the two ministries: “For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, ... For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? Which was at the first spoken through the Lord...”Heb 2:1-4; 12:18-24; 2 Cor 3.
Since Jesus spoke to us all that the Father commanded Him(Dt 18:15-20), what command did He give concerning the Sabbath? He said, “Come to Me all that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, ... and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”Mat 11:28-30. Why is Jesus offering rest and there is the Sabbath in which to rest? All God’s promises are fulfilled in Christ.(Col 1:20)
Let us be diligent to enter Christ’s rest, God’s rest.(Heb 4:11)