| saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gain saying people.". So you see Paul was saying the same thing we are seeing in the sermon on the mount. We don't see it though if we don't read in context for meaning, and either through haste, negligence, or fear of the cost of the truth ( gospel ), fall into the trap of hearing only what we want to hear ( easy believism ). Eve had nothing on us! As we saw in Romans 10, Jesus, in the sermon on the mount, goes on to talk about his stance to the law, and the way it was and is being practised by the Pharisees and scribes. Matthew 5:17-20: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.". So you see, Jesus, from here on is going to show us not only how we'll live but what we'll confess ( teach ) as a saved or trichotomous person. Verses 21-26 expand on the commandment thou shalt not kill, "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest 27 _______________________________________________________________________________ at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.". Jesus has just told us to love one another in his expansion. Another way to state this is, if we are in the image of God, we will have the same love for our fellow human beings that God does, as shown in I John 4:7- 11, "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.". Verses 27-32 address the commandment, "Thou shalt not commit adultery.", they expand to show how faithful our love should be. Matthew 5:27-32: "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body be cast into hell. It has been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.". Here again, this section of scripture is read too lightly and the true meaning is lost. If we apply what the Lord has just said to the restoration of the image of God, then the experience of Lot and his wife coming out of the depths of sin at Sodom makes 28 ______________________________________________________________________________ |
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