Audio/Video podcast covering Matthew 7:
https://soundcloud.com/walking-as-christ/matthew-7-the-body
https://youtu.be/otzetsPK148
Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
This is one of the most misinterpreted parts of the teachings of Jesus Christ. The Lord is not saying here that no judgment should ever take place. We know that the Lord appoints certain people to rule over courts and over governments to Judge. We also know that the Lord appoints certain people in His church to Judge according to His will for the perfection of His people.
The Lord here is teaching us that we need to be careful not to make hasty judgment of one another. We ought not interpret people’s words or actions in the worst possible way then pass judgement on them, assuming their intentions were the worst, when really they could have just been misinterpreted by us. In 1 Corinthians 13, the Word of God teaches us that Love is not easily provoked and Love thinks no evil. We are not walking in Love if we automatically think the worst of something someone did or said. We are walking in Love if we grant people the benefit of the doubt, thus causing us not to potentially judge them incorrectly. Especially among other brothers/sisters, we should consider each other innocent until proven guilty. In the court of law, the judge does not simply make his judgement before he hears the case and each side gets their chance to present their evidence. Neither should we judge any person before we understand the entire circumstance.
Proverbs 18:13 says: “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.”
Let us be careful in judgement, to understand all the situation and grant others mercy before we speak or come to a decision in our heart. Let us not think evil of one another, but instead think Good until a worthy case proven otherwise is provided.
Why are we to live this born again life according to this principle? Because, the same way we judge others, can then be the same way we are judged also. Have no mercy in your judgement? Always thinking the worst of peoples speech and actions? Well, when people judge you, expect to be held to the same standard. You may judge ones speech very harshly, but another person may judge your actions very harshly. Grant mercy in your assessment of people and what they do and when someone needs to assess you, mercy may be granted likewise.
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
The “mote” is to be understood as a small splinter or even a small dust in one person’s eye, and the “beam” is to be understood as a HUGE piece of wood or large object stuck in your own eye. This Word is to warn us of finding fault in others before we first examine ourselves.
Many times it is very easy for us to see the errors in the lives of other people, but it may be hard for us to see our own errors. Likewise was for the Pharisees in this time. They could have Judged a person or had a person punished for picking up more than the allowed number of things on the sabbath day(rules they made up). But they were often guilty of much greater sins before the Lord such as; covetousness, hypocrisy, and pride.
1 Corinthians 11:31 teaches us that if we would judge ourselves we should not be judged.
Prayer Point: Lord please reveal unto me ALL of my faults. Please help me Father to understand my errors and change my ways according to thy Holy Will. Perfect me Lord to the ways of your Son Jesus Christ. I surrender my will, for YOUR will to be done.
Let us be careful not to despise Rebuke. If a person tells you that you are in error about something, but they have faults of their own, do not worry, the way of the Lord is for us to receive the correction in Love. Much the church today is afraid to correct one another, then all may end up walking in error because no one wants to be corrected. Let us seek our correction first from the Lord, and if He uses another brother or sister to correct us, let us receive it with an open heart and NOT a prideful heart that can not receive correction. Rebuke is for our own good, so if the rebuke is from the Lord, receive it, and thank God that He allowed you to understand your fault instead of staying in it.
Proverbs 9:8-9 “Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.”
Proverbs 27:5 “Open rebuke is better than secret love.”
Proverbs 27:6 “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”
Here we learn that the Rebuke of a friend is a blessing and that false assurance is of the enemy. Let us be careful not to tell people their ways are good, when really they are against God. Let us not give people false assurance, that would be lies and sinful. Let us also do as Jesus is teaching us here and be careful not to point out the errors of others before we consider first our own faults.
Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
“Dogs” here is idictivate of those who despise the Holy and Sacred things of God. “Pigs” can be understood as people who do not regard the Holy things of God to a high esteem, they do not consider the things of God with High reverence. A pig will eat almost anything without regard. A pig can have a $1000 meal or a $1 meal and enjoy it all the same without knowing the difference. Some people in this world may consider the things of God with a low regard. We should not force God’s Holy Word on such people. This is not to say we should not tell others about God or we should not evangelize. Instead this is to say; if we encounter a person that is notoriously evil and sinful and they despise God’s ways, that we do not continue putting the things of God in their face. They clear do not give the Lord nor His Word the due Respect and Honor, so we should simply leave that person alone.
Sometimes we may be so zealous to share the Love of Jesus Christ and the opportunity of Heaven with people, that we end up wasting our efforts on people who have already showed us they do not respect the things of God or are not willing to hear it. The wisdom of the Lord is like peals to us believers, but may just be considered just another thing to eat by another person. That person may not be one of God’s chosen. Let us take no offense and stop our efforts with that person and move on to the next person that receives the Gospel of Jesus Christ with Gladness!
When Jesus sent out His disciples in Matthew 10, He told them:
“And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.”
Let us do likewise, let us not take offense when people show low reverence for the things of God. Let us let it go and thank God that He called us unto His glorious grace and into His everlasting Kingdom.
Let us be careful not to desire salvation so much for another person that they become a false convert just to please us. Let us be the Light and speak the things of God in Truth and let the Lord bring the people He has chosen. For those who refuse His Holy Word, let us not be too attached to let them go. Unfortunately, not everyone will receive Jesus and not everyone will conform to His ways. Let us not become distraught about this, instead let us labor for the Lord bringing His Holy Word to those who have the desire to know. Try everyone, those who refuse it, let them Go. Those who desire the Lord, invest your time and efforts with.
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
The Lord wants us to come to Him in Prayer with ALL our petitions. As our Father His plan is to give us Good things. We are to be completely reliant on Him, instead of seeking how we will get things our own way, we bring our need/desire to Him. Let us bring every desire; material or spiritual unto the throne of God in prayer.
For those who seek God and His righteousness, they will surely find Him.
Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” There is abundant blessing in store for those who seek God. There is eternal damnation for those that refuse Him.
Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, is in agreement with the Laws/commandments of God and the prophets. This is not only the right way of the Lord, but it is also the right way of humanity. Notice the Word of God does not say here; “treat others the way they treat you.” Instead Jesus instructs us to treat others the way we want to be treated. This seems like a simple instruction, but it has proven challenging in many people’s lives. We are to treat people Good even when they treat us bad. That is the standard of Righteous. We always would like people to do good by us, so we are to always do good by people, even when they do not do good by us. Us living by this Golden Rule is an expression of the Father in Heaven within us. Let us always consider how we would like to be treated if we were in the other person’s shoes. Let us deny ourselves and do others the way we want them to do unto us.
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Jesus Christ is the Door that Leads unto Heaven. As we have been learning, His way is Narrow, not broad and wide. Through Jesus Christ we have the privilege to be sons and daughters of God. Through Jesus Christ we have the opportunity to dwell in God’s Kingdom for all eternity. Through Jesus Christ we also have a path of Righteousness to follow. The ways of Jesus were not ordinary. His ways likely seemed challenging to the cardinal man.
Being born again; leaving the ways of sin and pursuits for self behind is the narrow way of Jesus Christ. Picking up our Cross, learning the ways of God and living the ways of God is the narrow way of Jesus Christ. Surrendering our will for God’s will to be done is the narrow way of Jesus Christ. Many people choose the broad way that leads to destruction, eternal separation from God, hell fire. Many choose the broad way that leads to destruction because it does not require Faith in God and His Son Jesus Christ. Others may choose the Broad way that leads to hell fire because they do not want to give up their sinful ways. Others may choose the broad way that leads to destruction because they are not willing to give up their own pursuits, pick up their cross, and follow Jesus and His ways of Righteousness.
The broad way on the outside looks fun. The broad way has a multitude of people. The broad way may look easier and more fun filled for NOW. The people on the broad way can do whatever they want and pursue all the worldly desires, but when this temporal life is over, then comes destruction for all eternity.
This narrow way patterned after Jesus Christ through Faith, comes with hardships and persecutions, but when this temporal life is over we will have eternal life in the everlasting kingdom of God where there is no night, streets of Gold, and many mansions.
The broad way is short sighted, only considering “what will make me feel good today?” The narrow way is wise and considers the long term, “what will be best for all eternity?”
The broad way is obedient to the flesh and lives it up now, seeking all the fulfillments of this world and then realizing nothing has come of it. The narrow way is obedient to the Spirit of God, denies the flesh for the glory of God, and keeps the Faith that the best life will be in heaven for all eternity and not here on this sin filled earth.
The flesh desires the Broad way that has the company of many. The flesh desires to live unconfined, uncontrolled, and to do a multitude of evil. The Spirit way, the narrow way of Jesus Christ is 1 way. There is no turning to right or left in Christ Jesus. This perfect and Holy way is the way to Eternal life. There are only few in this way.
If you already have the Faith in God and Jesus Christ, hold firm to His Holy ways, continue to resist the ways of the enemy, stay in the narrow way the broad way has nothing for you and one day you may inherit eternal life.
#StickWithJesus #DoNotFollowTheMultitudetoHell #MaintainTheStandardofRighteous #TheHeavenlyRewardWillBeGreat!
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
A false teacher/disciple may come looking like a fellow brother/sister in Christ, but on the inside they plan to consume and/or destroy the flock of God. A false teacher/disciple does not lead in the way of righteousness, but instead leads in the way of worldliness, fulfilment of the fleshly desires, and sin. False teachers may not come seeming as if they are teaching a false way, but they may be teaching a false way subtly, in a way that sounds great and is hard to discern for the unwatchful/unsuspecting believer.
Jesus likely warned us of these false teachers, because He knew there would be many. We can discern a false teacher through the Holy Spirit of God. We can discern a false teacher through observing what they do and say. A teacher of the Lord will yield good fruit. A teacher from the enemy will yield bad fruit. Consider if men teach Righteousness and Truth or worldliness and sin. Consider if the teacher leaves you feeling comfortable in sin or speaks holiness provoking you to repent. Consider if the teacher is teaching his own thoughts or proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ and His ways. Consider if the teacher does things for his own glory or for the Glory of the Lord.
Consider if the teacher is teaching you how to be successful in the secular world, or if the teacher is teaching your the righteous ways of God and how to Overcome the sinful world. Consider if the teacher is teaching his/her own book or teachings and never encouraging you to learn/read God’s Word yourself. Consider if the teacher wants you to come to them for EVERYTHING and never teaches you that you can go directly to the Lord for your needs. Keep your eyes and ears open and you may soon be able to discern if the teacher is false or from God. False teachers will face eternity in fire.
Let us be careful in judging other believers by their fruits. Many believers are likely being led by false teachers and therefore are producing bad fruit. We live in an interesting time where there is not one central church, but many different churches that are not related to each other. This opens up the door for many potential false prophets and many believers being led by them potentially because they seek a more easier/worldly version of Christianity. Many among us were likely led by a false teacher at some point. Let us be careful not to hastily write off a bad fruit bearing believer, instead if they hear us, let us be guided by the Lord in bringing them to the truth. Let us be knowledgeable and Holy Spirit led in the scriptures so that we can help a fellow believer understand the way they are walking in is a false teaching. Let us move forward in Love towards other believers having compassion on those that seek the way of truth. Let us pray for those who are under a false teaching/bad doctrine to soon come to the Truth!
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Only those that do the will of our Father in Heaven will be going to Heaven. No person can enter into the Kingdom that refuses to obey the master of the kingdoms way. The master of the Heavenly Kingdom will be Rewarding those who are Obedient and KEEP His ways by Faith with eternal life in the end. Those that Know Him, but continue living in consistent disobedience to the Master of the Kingdom have no reward of Him. All those who will enter into the kingdom of Heaven must Submit unto the Lord and obey His will.
Brethren, many people believe, but FEW are putting God’s Will into action. Many will be left behind at the return of Jesus Christ. Many think they are heaven bound, but Jesus does not know them because they never died to self and began a new life living for the Lord. Many will do the works of the Lord but still be left behind because they were never known of Jesus. They exhibit the works of the Lord, but do not live according to His will.
Brethren; the Lord here is teaching us that the confirmation of a disciple is not by working of miracles, prophecy, or exorcism. Instead it is by living a transformed life made possible by God. Those who were never transformed and refuse to go His Holy way, though they worked miracles will not be known of Jesus in the end. Jesus here made it clear that we should first pursue a renewed life in Him before seeking the spiritual gifts. Doing the works of the Lord but then ending up in hell sure would be a sad story.
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Brethren; as we learn the Word of God and Have Faith in Jesus Christ, we must Grow to understand that ACTION is needed. We have the Faith, we are learning the ways, but we MUST put them into practice. Jesus just taught from Matthew 5, 6, and 7 and now concludes this teaching letting His followers, His disciples know; those that do what He teaches will be prepared for the Judgement of God, but those that hear what He teaches and do not do what He taught will be destroyed in the Judgment.
One who responds to Jesus teachings with action of obedience is a “Wise Man”, one who responds to Jesus teachings without the action of Obedience makes himself a “foolish man”. Throughout the Old testament we understand the Wrath of God to be like a great storm. The storm destroys the house on the sand and is indicative of God’s divine judgement. The Wise Man who built his foundation on the Rock (he put the teachings of Jesus Christ into action) is prepared for the storm of judgement.
Jesus is the Rock. He is the Good foundation. If we are firm(following His ways by Faith) all will be well. Those that learn Jesus ways, but do not do them have a sandy foundation, very weak and unable to weather the storm.
And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Jesus teachings amazed the people because His teachings surpassed the other teachers of the time. Jesus came teaching with authority from Our Father in Heaven. The oral traditions of the jews and even the most highly esteemed rabbi’s teaching could not compare to that of Jesus. Jesus came teaching the ways of God more perfectly, He helped the people understand God’s law as likely no one ever has before. Jesus teachings likely brought conviction to the minds of the hearers and obliged them to acknowledge these truths.