Let’s read Matthew 5:17-20 Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear …
Continue reading “Being counter-cultural in Matthew 5 – the Law and the Prophets”
I said last week that in this post we’d consider Jesus’ words about salt and light. However, I wanted to take one more week to explain exactly what I mean by “counter-cultural” and why it’s an essential concept for you to understand if you’re a Christian. What does counter-cultural mean? If you live in the …
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(Unfortunately I can only do a short post today as I have two Bible classes to present at church this week….) The teachings Jesus gave in Matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7 are traditionally known as the Sermon on the Mount or sometimes the Sermon on the Plain. I have also seen them described as …
Last week we saw how Jesus warned that those who chose to be his followers would be persecuted. Not only that, but this would happen to them specifically for trying to live their lives the way he taught. I suggested that this would happen because, despite the fact that Jesus’ teachings lead his followers to …
Continue reading “Blessed are those who are persecuted – now it’s personal.”
Last time we saw that to be “pure in heart” does not mean to be morally perfect or sinless. If it did, would you qualify? I certainly wouldn’t. Rather, Jesus was speaking about people who were willing to humble themselves and come to God in order to be purified. Does that describe you? Maybe you’re …
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What should meekness look like in the life of a Christian in 2024? And how might your life need to change in order to embrace it? Meekness takes effort Meekness isn’t a characteristic that comes naturally to human beings. Some people’s nature is to be loud and proud and self-confident, eager to put themselves out …
Continue reading “Blessed are the meek – now it’s personal.”
Hi everyone. Let’s look at the third of Jesus’ “This is good news for…” statements in Matthew 5. Who are the meek and what does it mean that they will inherit the earth? Meekness The first point to make is that, for Jesus, meekness did not mean weakness. One commentary puts it as follows: Meekness …
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Nihilist to Christian