“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot [dot of i] or one tittle [cross of t] will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-20; see Ten Commandments & Christ)
From the very beginning, God knew mankind couldn't live perfect, sin free lives. After Adam and Eve believed the lies of the devil, Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us [the Father and the Son], to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever [in their sinful condition]”— (Genesis 3:22) He didn't give us His Word and all the commandments to set us up for failure, but for each of us to come to the clear realization that we have to ...consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I [God] am holy. (Leviticus 11:44, etc., see Is This the Society We Wanted) Since we are unable to make ourselves holy and acceptable to God on our own; But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Galatians 4:4-7, see HEBREWS: Abba, Father Will Fix All) But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. (Romans 6:22)
We all have a natural body, a flesh body, and ...all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. (Genesis 6:12) But Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, (Galatians 3:13) The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” [Genesis 2:7] The last Adam [Christ] became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. (I Corinthians 15:42-49)
God is not going to tell us to ignore His laws and commandments just because we are now Christians, have accepted Christ Jesus as our Savior and Lord. Jesus makes that very definitive point by saying, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." God still expects us to be holy; for He is holy. (see What God Will and Will Not Forgive) But what God so graciously and mercifully did for us was send a substitute in our place, For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (II Corinthians 5:21) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) Therefore, since God has done so much for us, and ...is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us [His Holy Spirit],(Ephesians 3:20) [children of God], do not forget my [God's] law, But let your heart keep my commands; (Proverbs 3:1) Let the studying continue, as Jesus gives us everyday relevance and practical application of how to obey the Word of God...
The lessons of Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount"! Refer to the previous lessons, to study the entire sermon in context:The "Beattitudes" Lesson!; "Salt & Light" Lesson!; Importance of The Commandments!; "You Shall Not Murder" Lesson!; "You Shall Not Commit Adultery" Lesson!; 'Til Divorce Do Us Part?; Watch Our Mouth, and Responses!; Don't Be A Hypocrite, A Show-off!; God and His Kingdom First!; Don't Judge; Be An Example!; Follow The Leader!; Not Just Hearers, but Doers Also!
From the very beginning, God knew mankind couldn't live perfect, sin free lives. After Adam and Eve believed the lies of the devil, Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us [the Father and the Son], to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever [in their sinful condition]”— (Genesis 3:22) He didn't give us His Word and all the commandments to set us up for failure, but for each of us to come to the clear realization that we have to ...consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I [God] am holy. (Leviticus 11:44, etc., see Is This the Society We Wanted) Since we are unable to make ourselves holy and acceptable to God on our own; But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Galatians 4:4-7, see HEBREWS: Abba, Father Will Fix All) But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. (Romans 6:22)
We all have a natural body, a flesh body, and ...all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. (Genesis 6:12) But Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, (Galatians 3:13) The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” [Genesis 2:7] The last Adam [Christ] became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. (I Corinthians 15:42-49)
God is not going to tell us to ignore His laws and commandments just because we are now Christians, have accepted Christ Jesus as our Savior and Lord. Jesus makes that very definitive point by saying, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." God still expects us to be holy; for He is holy. (see What God Will and Will Not Forgive) But what God so graciously and mercifully did for us was send a substitute in our place, For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (II Corinthians 5:21) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) Therefore, since God has done so much for us, and ...is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us [His Holy Spirit],(Ephesians 3:20) [children of God], do not forget my [God's] law, But let your heart keep my commands; (Proverbs 3:1) Let the studying continue, as Jesus gives us everyday relevance and practical application of how to obey the Word of God...
The lessons of Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount"! Refer to the previous lessons, to study the entire sermon in context:The "Beattitudes" Lesson!; "Salt & Light" Lesson!; Importance of The Commandments!; "You Shall Not Murder" Lesson!; "You Shall Not Commit Adultery" Lesson!; 'Til Divorce Do Us Part?; Watch Our Mouth, and Responses!; Don't Be A Hypocrite, A Show-off!; God and His Kingdom First!; Don't Judge; Be An Example!; Follow The Leader!; Not Just Hearers, but Doers Also!
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