| Chapter 6 Return to the Original State III Matthew 7 continues the expansion of the beatitudes, verses 1-5 show us that salvation is a very personal thing, and that we should not compare ourselves with man's standards but rather God's, "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considereth 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.". Here is a tough message for us to accept. What Jesus has just said is, don't be trying to tell others how to get right with God until you yourself have learned how and have done it. I believe that message is aimed directly at most soul winning programs and most pulpits in the world today! Jesus was expanding on the manner that we are to use when we go out as his laborers. He has told us that we must be Spirit directed here also; God's way not ours. Verse 6 completes the thoughts of Jesus on preaching the gospel, in the sermon on the mount, "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before the swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.". There is a proper time and place for spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, and our Lord was telling us this. If we encounter a heart that is hardened to the point of being reprobate, if a person is in the act of wallowing in their sin, it does no good to feed them the word of God. Lot attempted to warn his sons in law, as we see in Genesis 19:12-14, "And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord; and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it. And Lot went out, and spake unto his 39 _______________________________________________________________________________ sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed as one who mocked unto his sons in law.". You can not lead them to the Lord in the bars, or brothels, or in the gambling parlors, or before the ticker tapes of wall street, for they shall see you as Lot's sons in law saw him, a mocker. Proverbs 23 restates a lot of the truth we have just studied, "When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat. Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up and lose thy sweet words. Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words. Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless: For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee. Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge. Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shall deliver his soul from hell. My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice even mine. Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things. Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off. Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: for the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old. Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and 40 _____________________________________________________________________________ |
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