A Sense of Non-Destiny for 2020

As this year draws to a close, I have been reflecting on the article referenced in Sunday morning’s message by Carl Trueman (“An Unmessianic Sense of Non-Destiny,” Reformation 21 blog, April 20, 2010). The article addresses Trueman’s own confrontation with mid-life crisis. He awoke to the realization that opportunity for great accomplishments he hoped to achieve was essentially over. If he were to have an untimely departure, the world would not be in great anguish over its loss. In Trueman’s words, “I knew I would continue to write and even to do research, but I would do these for the pleasure I found in them, not because I believed it was my God-given task to enrich the waiting world with my pearls of wisdom.” The common sense of this insight stands in stark contrast to the prideful and self-deluded opinion many, even Christians, tend to have of their perceived self-importance.

Years ago, a friend conveyed to me a negative evaluation by a respected and successful pastor of my own prospects. Apparently, my friend agreed, and his telling me was not designed to boost my confidence. So how did I take this assessment? (To put it in context, I grew up with a serious inferiority complex. I am not sure how I came to see myself in that light, but I battled feelings of worthlessness for years and still have occasional relapses. Inferiority is really a form of pride—a reverse pride that stokes anger because others fail to see just how great and important one really is or could be.)

Paul’s words to the Corinthian church in the face of attacks on his own apostleship and ministry were very helpful to me (1 Corinthians 4). Every believer is but a servant of Christ and a steward of God’s will. God expects His servants to be faithful, not spectacular. Neither are we to be overly concerned with how others see us, not even in our self-judgment. Jesus is the only judge, and He “will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God” (v. 5). In the meantime, we must not be puffed up about our own importance. “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” (v. 7).

The only thing we ought to care about is what the Lord thinks of us. Are we good kingdom citizens? Are we obedient? Are we submissive and open to what He will teach us from His Word? Are we faithfully applying what we know and seeking to be a blessing to our brothers and sisters in Christ? As Trueman argued, our special destiny as believers “is to be part of the church, and it is the church that is the big player in God’s wider plan, not us. . . . We all need to cultivate that certain unmessianic sense of non-destiny which will make us better citizens of the kingdom.” Let this be our resolve as we enter the new year.

The Sin of Retaliation, Part Three

It is no coincidence that Jesus followed the section on retaliation with the admonition that we are to love our enemies. Retaliation is hating one’s enemy. The person against whom one retaliates is his enemy by virtue of the wrong for which he desires to get even. Vengeance is a form of hatred because getting even requires inflicting harm on another.

It is a biblical fact that God hates and that He also repays vengeance on those who do harm, but He can do no wrong in it because He is perfect in His person and ways. Although He is just and good, it is said that He hates. “I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated” (Malachi 1:2b, 3a; Romans 9:13). When God hates, He is not driven by emotion, nor is He reacting to anything. He simply does not love—does not act to promote the welfare of the one He hates. Neither is God’s anger an emotional reaction to wrongdoing. Whatever God does, He does in perfect justice; thus, His anger and hatred are always right.

Salvation is that gracious work of God requiring that He first satisfy His own justice by punishing those He saves in a substitute—Jesus Christ. God gave these sinners to Jesus who took their sins on Himself and suffered God’s wrath in their stead. God acted to satisfy His justice on His Son in order that He might act to some sinners’ eternal benefit, which is loving them. When Christ died for His own, He acted to save them from God Himself. Only those who are converted can claim God’s love. All who are not saved remain the objects of His hatred and will suffer His vengeance. Sin against an infinite Being incurs infinite wrath.

On the other hand, no sinful creature can justly avenge wrongs personally because self and feelings cannot be divorced from the process. Indwelling sinful self-interest controlled by emotion is naturally attached to both love and hate. Only God’s established lawful authorities can justly punish wrongs (Romans 13:1–7). (Observe that Paul also follows with a discussion on fulfilling the law through love; vv. 8–14.)

 Believers are to overcome hate and revenge by acts of love toward those who have wronged them. Kingdom citizens must not resist evil persons but suffer the wrong and turn the other cheek. Further, when they lose their tunic in a civil suit, they are to surrender their cloak as well. When forced to go a mile, they should volunteer to go two miles. When someone begs, they should give to them, and when someone asks to borrow, they should not refuse. These are responses that go against our natural inclinations.

We always have nagging thoughts that some recipients of our generosity may not be worthy. Did not Paul argue that those who don’t work shouldn’t eat? Why must we give without first vetting the recipient? Why should able-bodied people receive welfare at the expense of hard-working taxpayers? We wrestle with this dilemma, but it is actually not our responsibility. Jesus simply told us, “Give to the one who asks.”

The Sin of Retaliation, Part Two

A fundamental flaw in the sinful nature of all humans requires them to take revenge on those who hurt them. As noted in part one, the Pharisees followed tradition, not Scripture. The just principles of judgment for wrongdoing informed magistrates of their responsibility. However, these were hijacked by individuals due to their general application. A common practice in the ancient world allowed anyone to avenge wrong. God’s law stopped this practice by putting punishment into the hands of governing authorities, His servants “attending to this very thing” (Romans 13:6).

It should also be noted that Jesus did not institute new principles for the gospel age but only reiterated the standards of the former age: “Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you” (Proverb 20:22). “Do not say, ‘I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done’” (Proverbs 24:29). The OT standard goes even further: “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the Lord see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him” (Proverbs 24:18, 19).

Jesus instructs His followers to leave retaliation to God because this instinct runs counter to the attitude and spirit the Lord intends for His people to love their enemies (Matthew 5:44). Pushing back and getting even is not a loving impulse; it is prideful. Rather, Proverbs 25 informs us, “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you” (vv.21, 22). Paul cites this passage in Romans 12:20, adding, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (v. 21).

Consider the following passages in the NT instructing believers to leave pay-back to the Lord. “Repay no one evil for evil but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord’” (Romans 12:17–19, citing Deuteronomy 32:35). “See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone” (1 Thessalonians 5:15). “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9, quoting Psalm 34:12–16 for support).

Jesus is the great example of this practice and principle: “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23).

People do not know what to make of people whose response to wrongs is to bless the wrongdoer. This does not mean that the state should ignore wrongdoing. That would be disastrous. However, Jesus demands that His people live as He did and leave judgment to God.  

The Sin of Retaliation, Part One

The issue of retaliation is now presented (Matthew 5:38–42). Jesus was not trashing the Old Testament in favor of a milder, fairer, or more humane gospel standard of justice. He corrected the faulty righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees who misinterpreted and misapplied OT justice, as evidenced in the introduction: “You have heard that is was said, ‘An eye for and eye,” etc. (v. 38; Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21). The Pharisees took these words governing judicial law (Exodus 22–24, often referred to as lex talionis or the “law of retaliation”) and used them for personal retribution. However, the meaning is plain: “The judges shall inquire diligently . . . then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. . . . Your eye shall not pity. It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot” (Deuteronomy 19:18–21).

The biblical standard of justice has been attacked by atheists and infidels as too severe and inhumane, as expected of those who have no real understanding of God, human sin, and righteous judgment. Sadly, many modern “Christians” are also sucked into this condemnation of Old Testament justice and punishment. Is it any wonder that crime is increasing exponentially in these days of biblical ignorance? The principles of justice that really work have been jettisoned, but the day is coming when God will vindicate His honor, as Abraham declared, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Genesis 18:25).

A.W. Pink summarized the appropriateness of divine justice. First, God’s rules are just: “If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him” (Leviticus 24:19–20). Here is the real quid pro quo (“something for something”), an elementary principle of jurisprudence. Punishment must fit the crime (Galatians 6:7; Judges 1:6, 7). Jesus argues this principle in Matthew 7:1 and 2.

Second, this statute was merciful. It safeguarded the rights of helpless slaves or servants against the brutality of uncontrolled masters. God required magistrates to compel such masters to take a dose of their own medicine but also limited the judge lest he should punish the owner too severely. Third, this statute was beneficial to society as a whole, protecting the weak from the strong: “You shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you” (Deuteronomy 19:19, 20).

This article provides the background for the next article that will examine why it is evil to take personal revenge against those who do harm: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord’” (Romans 12:19).  

Love as the Basis of Righteousness

The portion of the Sermon on the mount that we have been considering (Matthew 5:17–48) argues that the righteousness of kingdom citizens must exceed that of the Pharisees (v. 20). What the reader must understand is that the Pharisees’ error was to keep the “tradition of the elders” as set forth in the Babylonian Talmud by which they ignored the Old Testament Scriptures. In Matthew 15, Jesus’ disciples were criticized for eating with unwashed hands, an issue of tradition, not Scripture (v. 2). Jesus responded by asking, “Why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?” (v. 3). They were withholding support of their aging parents by declaring their possessions corban—“dedicated to God as sacred treasury.” Whether they understood this or not, they were guilty of disobeying the fifth commandment (“Honor your father and your mother”). Isaiah warned of this error: “In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (v. 9; Isaiah 29:13).

The people of God are to love Him with all their being. Loving Him involves fearing Him by keeping His commandments (Deuteronomy 6:17; John 14:15, 21). Like the Pharisees of old, everyone, especially the religious, tend to adjust behavior to their own convenience, and in this way, they will alter the commandments to suit their preference. As Jesus revealed, the gate to salvation is narrow and the way is difficult; consequently, few find it (Matthew 7:14).

The instruction Jesus gave in the Sermon provides clear guidance for those who would follow Him. He began by teaching full reconciliation to one’s brother as necessary to acceptable worship through love (Matthew 5:21–26).

He followed by condemning the lustful heart (vv. 27–30). Loving God and one’s neighbor requires one to denounce self-love and the pursuit of fleshly gratification. This principle is followed up and expanded as it relates to marriage and fidelity to God’s principles over personal desires (vv. 31, 32).

Third, the Pharisees’ self-deception led them to justify their dishonesty by inventing ways to “swear” to the truth of their word when they knew otherwise. Jesus responded that all oaths were equally binding because all things come from God (vv. 23–37). We love others when we keep our word to them, even when it costs us to do so (Psalm 15:4).

The last two issues that Jesus addressed were retaliation (vv. 38–42) and loving one’s enemies (vv. 43–48). These issues clearly relate to love for others, as we will show. Jesus closes this section with a charge, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (v. 48). Perfect is a reference to the last stage of maturity, not one’s flawless moral state. If one is a child of God (v. 45), he will grow to love as God loves. On the other hand, the tendency of sinful humans is to justify and satisfy self. Love is selfless devotion to the needs and concerns of others. Jesus pressed the fact that righteousness must be the natural fruit of loving as God loves.

Keep Your Promises, Part Two

The law of Moses directed the people of God to fear God, serve only God, and swear by His name (Deuteronomy 6:13). The context of this directive was a warning not to forget the Lord by pursuing the gods of their neighbors. These sons of Abraham were chosen by the Lord to be His peculiar people (Deuteronomy 32:9). The act of swearing technically referred to pledging loyalty to the Lord and His declared purposes alone. “By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance’” (Isaiah 44:23; Romans 14:11).

Allegiance to the Lord was corrupted by the Pharisees. They focused only on how they would appear when their word was given to keep promises made. They understood that allegiances and promises must be kept because Moses warned: “If a man vows a vow to the Lord or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth” (Numbers 30:2). However, the Pharisees invented a scheme that would allow them to swear to something when they had no intention of following through. The law demanded, “You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God” (Leviticus 19:12). Thus, swearing by the Lord or His holy things obligated the swearer; however, swearing by other things would allow the swearer to excuse himself if he failed the obligation.

The truly righteous person recognizes that truth must characterize his whole being. For kingdom citizens walking in the light or truth, no oath should be necessary. Promises must be kept, even if foolishly or thoughtlessly given. A righteous man is one “who swears to his own hurt and does not change” (Psalm 15:4). He recognizes that not only must he fear the Lord but also must he reflect who the Lord is in all that he says or does, being a son of God. “By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God” (1 John 3:10). “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil [or better, ‘the evil one’]” (Matthew 5:37).

The best intentions, however, do not always materialize for well-meaning but imperfect believers. How often do sincere Christians promise their whole life and service to God only to get distracted and sidetracked by worldly cares and personal pursuits. Believers must realize the biblical obligation that believing on Jesus demands full allegiance to the lordship of Christ. He must take first place, or He takes no place at all. Paul testified, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him” (Philippians 3:8; Luke 14:26).

Keep Your Promises

     Keep in mind that this section of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:17–48) is the Lord’s correction of the Pharisees’ interpretation and application of the law (v. 20). Verse 33 introduces the use of oaths. Modern Christians usually find this section of little or no interest, not seriously examining Christ’s teaching here. Some commentators, seeking to identify the source and location of verse 33 in the OT, fail to understand that these are Christ’s own words explaining what the disciples heard (“you have heard”). The Pharisees erroneously interpreted the third commandment, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain” (Exodus 20:7). After exposing the corrupt “righteousness” of scribes and Pharisees, He corrects with the righteousness (right living in conformity to God’s standards) required of citizens of the kingdom of heaven.

     The third commandment does not just govern the use of the divine Names as “cuss words.” Its main aim is warning those who swear by the Lord’s name. “It is the LORD your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear” (Deuteronomy 6:13). The oath is a solemn appeal to the divine Name. Taking that Name in vain refers to using the oath to assure another that one’s word was good when the swearer had no intention to keep it. Psalm 15 describes the character of those who “dwell” on the Lord’s holy hill. Verse 4 lauds the one “who swears to his own hurt and does not change.” The error of the so-called doctors of the law was their limitation of the prohibition to perjury. However, any frivolous use of the God’s holy and awesome Name in ordinary communication is forbidden and will be brought to judgment. 

     Certainly, perjury was strictly condemned in the law of Moses. The Pharisees held that there was no evil in an oath provided the oath taker did not perjure himself in matters of controversy or contention that could not be settled without it. This is very similar to the use of oath-swearing in courts of law. Sadly, the evil hearts of religious practitioners focused on only the personal benefit of their use of oaths. They invented means of swearing falsely by avoiding the use of the divine Name yet making it sound official. They would swear by heaven, earth, Jerusalem, the temple, or one’s own head, thinking that such did not bind them to fulfill the obligation to which they swore. They piously made promises they never intended to keep, believing themselves to be free of judgment.

     No one is exempt from truth-telling; thus, there really is no need for oaths at all. Kingdom citizens need say only “yes” or “no” to confirm the truth of their words. Believers keep their word and fulfill their obligations, don’t they? 

The Greater Marriage Truth, Part Five

Summarizing what has been considered regarding Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:31 and 32 and following up, the violation of the seventh commandment involves marriage only. Adultery is a violation of the marriage covenant, and sexual sins outside of marriage are labeled fornication (porneia; 1 Corinthians 7:2).

There are no technical or legal terms for ending a marriage in Scripture. The English Standard Version translates two Greek words for divorce eighteen times. The most used (fifteen times) is apoluo, from the preposition apo, a marker for separation or dislocation, and the verb luo, meaning, “to loose.” Apoluo is used in 68 times in the NT and means “to dismiss,” “let go,” or “to send away.” The other term (three times) is aphiemi, again from the preposition apo and the verb “to send,” an intense form of the verb “to go.” The closest thing to a legal term for divorce is apostasion, meaning “to leave or depart” and translated “certificate of divorcement” (Matthew 5:31; 19:7; Mark 10:4; Deuteronomy 24:1). The Pharisees read Deuteronomy 24:1–4 as a Mosaic command regulating divorce, but it only forbids a man from taking his wife back if she remarries.

The simple and clear truth regarding marriage is that it is a covenant establishing a family unit that is not to be broken for any reason. “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate” (Matthew 19:6). The error that many make regarding divorce is allowing for some kind of Scriptural justification, usually adultery or desertion. Scripture nowhere allows for such. When Jesus said, “Except for fornication,” He was defining a specific time in the Jewish marriage process. If a man discovered that his future betrothed wife had sex with another man before the marriage was consummated, he could break the betrothal with a bill of divorcement (Matthew 1;18–22). If a marriage is consummated and either party is unfaithful, the sin would be adultery, not fornication.

The fact is people do get divorced and that for many reasons. The Bible gives no clear instruction concerning divorce except in Deuteronomy 24, which forbids a remarriage under certain conditions. So, what does that mean for those who have divorced and married again? As there are many complications, so there are no pat answers. The remarried will have to live with the consequences of the divorce. Some are given the gift of celibacy; some cannot receive it (Matthew 19:10–12). Those who do remarry must seek to live to the glory of God in their new family.

Does divorce and remarriage disqualify a man from ministry? This is another difficult question depending on when and how the first marriage ended. Someone who vilely sinned against his first wife is not likely to be one whom God would call to pastoral ministry. Otherwise, has there been genuine repentance and true spiritual restoration? Since the man’s spiritual restoration, has he proved a disciplined and faithful follower of Jesus? Such a one may indeed serve Christ in leadership, and if there is a call of God, it will be clearly evident.  

The Greater Marriage Truth, Part Four

Living in a culture where divorce is very common, the very plain truth of Scripture as to the sanctity of marriage creates tension, to say the least. The tendency of some is to focus on exceptions—sexual betrayal or desertion. Jesus countered the Jews’ misapplication of the Mosaic “permission” (Deuteronomy 24:1–4) when they raised the question about divorce for any reason (Matthew 19:3–12). The response was the same as in Matthew 5:32: “Everyone who divorces [apoluo, separates from] his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality [porneia, fornication], makes her commit adultery.”

In Malachi 2:13–16 God rejected the offering of the priests because they had been unfaithful to their wives, putting them away (v. 14). Yet, God considered the priest and his divorced wife still married—“she is your companion.” Further, He declared, “I hate divorce” (v. 16).

This brings us to the exceptions. The issue of desertion rests on Paul’s discussion in 1 Corinthians 7:12–16. If a spouse is converted in the marriage and “the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved” (v. 15). It is assumed that Paul released the believer to remarry, but he does not say that. He simply says that the believer is not bound to fulfill his sexual duties as the covenant requires (vv. 1–5). In verses 10 and 11, Paul plainly states, “The wife should not separate [apoluo] from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce [aphiemi] his wife.” Paul uses aphiemi (“to leave”), not the usual apoluo (“to separate”) translated divorce.

The sole exception stated by the Lord was fornication, which refers to breaking of the sexual union that makes the covenant of marriage. In this case, a wife may separate (Matthew 5:32; 19:9) by not engaging in sex with her husband. This is what Paul meant when he said, “The brother or sister is not enslaved [douloo, “to give oneself wholly to the needs of another”]” (1 Corinthians 7:15). The technical term for divorce (apoluo) as used in 1 Corinthians 7:11 actually means to separate. Covenant marriage is based on the sexual joining of the couple; thus, any violation of this joining is the sinful breaking of the covenant. The breaking of the covenant allows for separation and celibacy, not legal freedom to remarry. This understanding of celibacy also explains the response Jesus gave to the bewildered disciples in Matthew 19:10–12: “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs . . . who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.”

Some are given the grace of sexual abstinence; some are not. Paul supports this in 1 Corinthians 7:6 and 7, “Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. I wish that all were as I myself am [celibate]. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.”

The Greater Marriage Truth, Part Three

Adultery (the breaking of the marriage covenant through sexual betrayal) is a great sin because its destructive tentacles extend far beyond the damage done to the marriage itself. Marriage is the foundation of community in the building of society. There can be no strong community without strong families built on strong marriages. There can be no strong churches without strong families. This is primary since marriage is a picture and pattern of God’s covenant with His people.

Paul exhorted husbands to love their wives, patterning the love Christ has for His church (Ephesians 5:25). The purpose and aim of Christ’s love for his church is evidenced in selfless sacrifice, sanctifying and cleansing the church so that she might be without spot or wrinkle (v. 26). This is exactly what a husband is to do for his wife. The result is a strong marriage and a strong church. It is in this objective that Adam failed in the garden as he passively stood by as Eve sinned. Even though Adam sought to blame Eve (Genesis 3:12), God held him responsible. The NT clearly bears this out (Romans 5:12, 13; 1 Timothy 2:14; 2 Corinthians 11:3).

Adultery is a selfish act, fulfilling personal lust for momentary satisfaction. Like Adam, the adulterer wants to assume no responsibility for the sin. No wonder Jesus used very strong and radical language to warn His followers (Matthew 5:29, 30). Paul argued that believers must “flee from sexual immorality” because, unlike other sins, this one is “against his own body” (1 Corinthians 6:18). Body here refers to the covenantal unity of two as one.

Two things must be understood. First, the sexual act consummates the “one-body” unity that is the heart of covenant marriage (1 Corinthian 6:16; Matthew 19:5, 6). “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate” (v. 6b). One might argue, “A sexual tryst of a couple outside marriage certainly would not fall under God’s covenant unity designation. God would not join them in this case.” Sorry, but that is not what Paul said: “Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, ‘The two will become one flesh’” (1 Corinthians 6:17).

Second, the covenantal consummation is symbolic of the spiritual union that makes a believer one with the Lord: “But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him” (1 Corinthians 6:18). Therefore, Paul adamantly warned the saints, “Flee from sexual immorality.” As sexual sin is against the marriage covenant, it is also sinning against spiritual union with the Lord. Immorality is linked to idolatry as well, being a sin against the Lord’s covenant union.

In adultery one sins against both one’s spouse and the Lord. That is why Paul continued, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20).

The Greater Marriage Truth, Part Two

When questioned by the Pharisees on whether divorce was allowable for any reason, Jesus replied that their question indicated their lack of biblical knowledge. He asked, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made the male and female” (Matthew 19:4). This is the very heart of the issue of marriage: God created His image-bearers as two distinct but complementary genders (Genesis 1:27). Each possesses very different characteristics; yet these differences harmonize to further the purpose of God in marriage.

Satan’s plan is to destroy God’s kingdom and replace it with his own. The very first human society ordained by God is the family created through marriage to fulfill the divine mandate. Here is where the devil concentrates his effort to undermine the divine directive. Destroy marriage and God’s plan is successfully disrupted.

In the Garden of Eden, Satan’s effort started, tempting Eve to disobey God and destroying her relationship to Adam. In her sin, the order that God instituted was also damaged. Eve was created from Adam as a complementary help. This order of authority did not put Eve in an inferior position but in a submissive one. In her sin, she reversed the role and disobeyed the will of God.

When God entered the scene to pass judgment on the sin, He did not confront Eve but Adam, who stood by and passively received the forbidden fruit at Eve’s hand (Genesis 3:6). When confronted, Adam blamed Eve, who subsequently blamed the serpent (vv. 12, 13). In passing judgment, the Lord reversed the order: serpent, woman, and then Adam.

It is very significant that the serpent’s judgment involved Eve’s offspring. The very thing that the devil sought to destroy is what God would to use to defeat the devil (v. 15). To the woman God declared that her tendency would now be to resist submission to Adam’s rightful place in the order of things (v. 16). The divine “permission” of Deuteronomy 24:1 must be understood in light of this and not seen as the blessing of God on divorce, which was what the Pharisees thought. Moses’s instruction merely governed the actions of people who are sinful and defiant of God’s will in marriage.

One issue is the term translated indecency, which technically refers to nakedness. This points back to the garden and the sinful pair being aware that they were naked. They sought to hide this shame by covering themselves (Genesis 3:7). In a sense, divorce is a carnal effort to hide the shame of the failed marriage. Jesus’ reference to sexual immorality refers primarily to betrothal, which was the first stage of the marriage.

The simple fact is that if God’s means of defeating the serpent involves the offspring of the woman, then divorce is one of Satan’s varied efforts to prevent that offspring from being born. The one who was to crush the serpent’s head is the seed of a woman; the assumption is that there must also be a man who contributes the seed. Is it not interesting that Joseph, upon discovering Mary’s pregnancy, was of a mind to divorce her privately, unwilling to put her to shame (Matthew 1:19)?

The Greater Marriage Truth, Part One

The issue of adultery closely links to idol worship as evidenced in Israel’s history (Ezekiel 23). This theme is also reflected in the New Testament (Revelation 2:20–24). Idolatry is linked to sexual immorality because the two work together mutually to provide a sense of enjoyment and satisfaction that leaves Christ out totally. The simple definition of idolatry is anything that one puts in the place of Christ as a means of finding satisfaction. A believer must always search his heart with the question, is Jesus everything to me? If I were to lose everything—family, friends, possessions, health, or whatever—is Jesus enough for me? This is the basis of His radical requirements for all who would follow Him (Luke 9:23–26). 

The section before us (Matthew 5:31, 32) presents a similar twofold message. Marriage is very sacred to God, so the breaking of that bond is very serious. What must be kept in mind as we read these verses is the key verse; “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (v. 20). Verse 31 refers to the Mosaic permission (Deuteronomy 24:1): “When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house.” Technically, this permission is not a permission at all but an attempt to control a practice learned in Egypt. It actually limits the man who would divorce his wife and forbids him to remarry her if she has become another’s wife after the divorce. It also gave some protection to the divorced wife, limiting the reasons for divorce and necessitating legal procedure in it.

When the Pharisees questioned Jesus about the legality of divorce (Matthew 19:3–9), Jesus pointed them to the original design for marriage (Genesis 2:24). They immediately reacted, arguing that Moses gave them permission to divorce. Jesus replied that Moses permitted them due to the hardness and sinfulness of the heart. The rule is simply put; “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” Divine design for marriage actually relates to God’s kingdom purposes, as demonstrated in Jesus’ reply to the disciples’ response. Marriage was originally instituted make possible the divine mandate to fill the earth with those created in God’s image. Sin spoiled this mandate. Jesus came to fulfill the original mandate to people the kingdom with those created in His image. He presented a higher calling that only those so gifted are able to fulfill—“There are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it” (Matthew 19:12). The issue of divorce is very difficult and much debated. It is a hard saying, but Jesus never said following Him would be easy.

Being Radical in Killing Sin

Our very existence in the flesh necessitates taking very seriously the warning of the Savior in Matthew 5:27–32. Jesus later said that what “proceeds from the heart defiles a person . . . evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality,” etc. (Matthew 15:18, 19). Paul described the characteristic sins of those who walk in darkness as “orgies and drunkenness, sexual immorality and sensuality, quarreling and jealousy” (Romans 13:13). “The works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality” etc. (Galatians 5:19). Sexual temptation is very powerful, using very strong lures to indulge these sins. Thus, we are warned: “You may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (Ephesians 5:5).

Judeo-Christian values have had some protective influence on Western culture; however, there has always been a consistent assault on those values. European society became openly immoral years ago, and America has followed close on her heals, much like the biblical sisters Oholah (Samaria) and Oholibah (Jerusalem) (Ezekiel 23). Israel had the Word of God and the presence of God like no other peoples; yet the lust of the flesh often overruled. “Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.’ We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day” (under the judgment of God; 1 Corinthians 10:6–8).  

Few are aware of the moral sewer that presently engulfs even our small rural community because it is covered in darkness and whispered in private. As ancient cultures were prone to indulge the flesh, so the tendency remains to throw off restraint and pursue perversity, particularly when there is no fear of God to prevent it. However, “God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous” (Hebrews 13:4). Thus, Paul warns believers to “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire” (Colossians 3:5). Putting the flesh to death is radical but necessary. Jesus used the same drastic language to press upon the listener how dangerous it is to give in to carnal lust, even when it is confined to just a look. “Everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. . . . And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away” (Matthew 5:28–30). Why so radical? “For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.” But you say you are a believer and safe in His grace? No, “You may be sure of this, that no one who [practices these sins] has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (Ephesians 5:5).

Breaking Covenant

Marriage is a covenant commitment between two individuals making them one. In responding to the Pharisees’ question on divorce (Matthew 19:1), Jesus turned their attention to the Creator’s original design, which is that a man should leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and, in this joining, the two are made one. The oneness is a covenant work of God and, thus, what “God has joined together, let not man separate” (Matthew 19:4–6). Divorce is simply the outcome of sinful man’s defiance of God, often to justify sexual urges.

Note that the immediate response to Jesus’ strong statement was a negative reaction, protesting that there must be legitimate bases for acceptable divorces (Matthew 19:7). Even the disciples had difficulty with their Lord’s inflexible position (vv. 10–12).

What is really at the heart of this issue? It is freedom to commit adultery without legal obstruction. This desired freedom is more deeply rooted in selfish need. Sexual urges are not in themselves sinful because they were designed by the Creator. However, because of sin and sin’s corruption of the mind and body, they must be governed by God as stated in the sixth commandment.

Sin is very deceitful. Often the urge to sin is very strong, but due to the shame of having to face guilt if caught violating the law, a way is sought to satisfy that urge without actually violating the law. Merely looking with lustful intent is one way to avoid shame. What Jesus wants His followers to understand by His instruction (Matthew 5:27–32) is that covenant oneness is first of all a heart issue. Murder is the taking of another’s life and is generally motivated by selfish anger in the heart. Adultery is the taking of another’s covenant oneness motivated by selfish lust in the adulterer’s heart.  

One might argue that having sex with someone who is not one’s spouse is not a covenant issue. Paul answers that objection: “Do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, ‘The two will become one flesh’” (1 Corinthians 6:16). One might also argue that it takes two to commit adultery. Yes, but (and this is politically incorrect) the blame lies with the man. “Everyone [a nominative masculine singular adjective] who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).

The word translated lustful intent is often translated “to covet.” It is a compound of the preposition upon or against and a term signifying a violent movement of air or fire—a boiling up. Lust is seemingly uncontrollable. Giving into it, however, is sin. In 1 Corinthians 6:12–20, Paul warns of the sin of sexual immorality. He argues that the body is meant to honor the Lord, who has raised us up and made us members of Christ. Then he asks, “Shall I take the members of Christ and make them the members of a prostitute?” (v. 15). Clearly a covenantal connection is here, not just with a wife, but also with the Lord, Himself.

Sexual Lust and Idolatry

The Sermon on the Mount corrects the wrong views of the Jews about the kingdom of heaven and covenant responsibility. People tend to view rules as oppressive, limiting one’s freedom to find happiness and fulfilment in personal desires. Eve was tempted when Satan framed God’s prohibition in a negative way—that God was preventing her from what would truly fulfill her. The truth God wanted for Eve was to understand that trusting Him in obedience would lead her to experience real joy and fullness she otherwise could never imagine.

Whenever Scripture addresses the matter of obedience, the underlying assumption is that God not only wisely establishes the rules which, if obeyed, lead to personal contentment, but also provides the grace necessary to make that obedience possible (Philippians 2:12, 13). Sin is the violation of this principle; and sin begins first in the mind. Murder, for example (Matthew 5:21–26), is not simply the act of taking another’s life, but the result of a hateful thought process preceding it. Thus, when God says that we should not murder, He is actually telling us that loving and seeking the welfare of an enemy rather than hate will bring the obedient soul true joy and pleasure. Murder, however, leads to separation from God and others, guilt, greater anger, and, eventually, judgment.

Sexual lust is a strong natural desire, a God-given drive to enable reproduction for enlargement of the race. This was the original divine mandate to Adam (Genesis 1:28). Marriage was established in the Garden of Eden as the proper venue for satisfying sexual drive (Matthew 19:4–6). Satan, however, tempts individuals that one can truly be happy and fulfilled only when they can satisfy those desires, even outside of marriage.

The heathen nations actually harnessed sexual drive as a means to promote greater devotion to their gods. This worship became a powerful lure to the people of Israel. The incident at Mount Sinai with the golden calf demonstrates how the people of Israel were influenced in Egypt to pursue this means to worship Yahweh. In the wilderness when the people camped at Shittim, the people began to “whore” (Hebrew: zanah, a verb, whose primitive root means to be well-fed and therefore wanton) with the daughters of Moab. This transgression was motivated by the Moabites’ tempting the people to sacrifice to Baal of Peor (Numbers 25). This link to idolatry is very important to understand the sins of adultery and fornication.

On the other hand, Celibacy and sexual abstinence have long played a religious role under the mistaken notion that sexual satisfaction was, in itself, sinful, even within marital bonds. That notion, no doubt, came from the Greek term for adultery (moicheuo) which had clear idolatry overtones. The Hebrew term used in the seventh commandment is naʾaph (the LXX has moicheuo) and is often used to describe Israel’s infidelity to God (Jeremiah 3:9).

As we examine Matthew 5:27–30, we will see how adultery and lustful intent are rooted in human desire to be as gods, knowing good and evil.”     

Pursuing Peace

Isaiah promised that when the Spirit was poured upon His people, justice would dwell in the wilderness and righteousness would abide in the fruitful field. “And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever” (Isaiah 32:15–17).

In the wilderness Israel fell to the temptation of the Midianites to practice sexual immorality, which, according to Revelation 2:14, was due to Balaam’s teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel. The priest Phineas acted quickly to stop God’s judgment on the nation by a plague. Phineas “was jealous with [the Lord’s] jealousy among them” (Numbers 25:10); thus, God said, “Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace” (v. 12).

The psalmist wrote, “Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it” (34:14). This charge is echoed in the New Testament: “Strengthen your weak knees [spiritual strength] . . . make straight paths for your feet [practical righteousness] . . .. Strive for [pursue] peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:12–14). When believers are exercised by Divine discipline, they share His holiness (Hebrews 12:10).

The performance of mere outward service to God displeases Him. In Malachi the Lord rebuked the priests for failing Levi’s covenant of life and peace (2:4, 5). It was also a covenant of fear—the fear of the Lord. Levi, “walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity” (v. 6). The priests of Malachi’s day, however, turned aside from the Lord’s way, causing many to stumble, not being careful to pursue righteousness.

This is the heart of what Jesus said to correct the supposed righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:17–20). When a Jew went to the altar to offer his gift—his freewill offering of worship—and there became aware of something that disrupted the peace of the body due to some unrighteous deed (whether real or supposed), the offeror was obligated to restore peace through reconciliation with the offended brother. This worshiper was to be like selfless Phineas who acted with the Lord’s jealousy for righteousness in the body. When he did so, he evidenced the Lord’s covenant of peace. When this occurs in the present day, the Lord is pleased and blessing settles upon the church.

The peace of reconciliation with God and with others is so important that it comes before formal worship. However, lest some think that Jesus disregarded worship, He says, “First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (v. 24).

We live in a day when both worship and peace are despised. The only gauge of one’s spiritual state seems to be the self-evaluation of what makes one comfortable and at ease with himself. Thus, the Lord closes this section with what at first seems out of place, but it is rather a warning. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Reconciliation and Worship

A great deal of confusion in the reading of the Sermon on the Mount, as well as many other passages, is due to one’s failure to understand the nature of one’s relationship to God. He is God, and we are not. As God, He has established the rules governing our acceptable conduct. If we are to have a proper relationship to Him, we must conform to His expectations of us.

The grace of salvation must not be confused here. No one is saved by keeping the rules. The problem is that we have already failed in rule-keeping. Due to His great mercy, God has chosen to save a host of rule-breakers by grace through faith. Jesus Christ stood in the stead of these violators and suffered their just punishment. However, the redeemed, while free of judgment due to past offenses, are not free of the obligation to keep rules. God is holy, and those who would seek His favor must also be holy. Grace does not give one a pass to continue in the lifestyle that originally condemned him. Grace, rather, provides the enabling work of the Spirit of God to pursue obedience to His will.

In Matthew 5:21–26 Jesus reveals that anger leading to hatred of one’s brother makes the guilty party liable to judgment. The Jews were content to condemn only the external acts, such as murder and adultery, as specifically pronounced in the commandments as worthy of the judgment. What occurred in a person’s heart was not condemned. Jesus corrects the record. It is what is the heart that is the problem. “How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:34–37). It is the evil of the heart to leads to hatred and murder.

Matthew 5:23 begins with “so,” meaning subsequently or then, and gives the reader the Lord’s practical solution to the anger issues of the heart. The first is a matter of worship. If you are making an offering in the worship of God and, in the process, remember that your brother has something against you, you are to fix the problem first, then worship. The root issue here is peacemaking. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). The assumption is that the worshiper has in anger offended another in word or deed. The offender is obligated to humble himself and pursue reconciliation. Why is this important? God will not accept worship from a worshiper with a bad heart. His Spirit in grace has brought the matter to the worshiper’s memory for the purpose of repentance and confession. However, forgiveness demands that peace be restored between the offender and the offended. “First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:24).

Could our lack of revival and demonstration of divine power be due to our prideful refusal to examine our hearts before the Lord as to our guilt in offending others, even as we act as judge and rule that our offenses are innocent and justifiable? Has the Lord truly accepted our worship?

Righteousness and Anger

   After declaring that the righteousness necessary to gain entrance into the kingdom of heaven must exceed that of Judah’s then current teachers of the law (Matthew 5:20), Jesus proceeded to give several examples (vv. 21–48). The first two were taken from the sixth and seventh commandments: “you shall not murder” (vv. 21–26) and “you shall not commit adultery” (vv. 27–30).

Six sections comprise this passage, each of which begins with some variation of “You have heard that it was said to those of old.” In each section, Jesus was not commenting on the moral law but rather demonstrating the shortcomings of the righteousness practiced by the scribes.

The section before us opens with “You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.” Murder is forbidden and punishable in judgment. However, lest anyone reading the law might suppose that murder was far more serious than merely expressing anger, Jesus added “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.” The judgment referred to might be thought to refer only to the state’s responsibility to punish the guilty. Indeed, Jesus referenced “the court” and “Sanhedrin” in verse 22. However, imagine how overwhelmed the courts would be if every outburst of anger were treated as murder.

Jesus was not expanding murder to include anger, even though most murders occur when someone is driven by anger and rage (v. 22). Rather, the Lord argued that anger is sufficient to make one as guilty before God as one who broke the sixth commandment. They should not worry about the court; they should fear “the hell of fire.”

Some manuscripts add “without a cause,” which was probably added as an interpretive note, reminding the reader that there is also righteous anger. While this is true, it is unlikely that Jesus uttered these words because most anger, even that which is often justified, is a carnal response to provocation. Most aggravations provoke in the flesh an angry response more often than a righteous reaction of spirit. Jesus is merely comparing anger and murder because both are sinful. 2 Enoch 44:3 reads, “He who expresses anger to any person without provocation will reap anger in the great judgment. He who spits on any person’s face, insultingly, will reap the same at the Lord’s judgment.” This is exactly what Jesus was saying,

Verse 22 poses a real interpretive problem. Most commentators see a progression in the seriousness of angry responses. However, the terms used here (Aramaic: raca and Greek: fool, moros) are both very mild, often used in family and friendly situations, such as calling someone feather brained or silly headed. Jesus used hyperbole to emphasize the seriousness of the matter. What some might shrug off as inconsequential and unworthy of addressing in human courts was far more serious than imagined. Jesus simply stated that as murder is sin, so is anger. The guilt of any sin subjects the sinner to God’s judgment. We must not treat anger lightly. We must not treat any sin lightly.
  Lest anyone suppose that salvation depends on such superior righteousness, be informed that, due to one's own sinfulness and guilt, no personal righteousness will ever satisfy God in the judgment. Salvation is only possible if Jesus saves the sinner by applying the fruits of His sacrificial death and imputing His perfect righteousness. This alone assures acceptance with God. However, no one would recognize his need for Christ without his first being brought to see that his own sinfulness and guilt puts him in jeopardy to God's Judgment (Acts 4:12). 

Justifying Righteousness

Jesus began His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–7:29) with an emphasis on blessing, the fruit of grace. Yet, He also emphasized that grace does not excuse one from the righteous standards of the law. The blessed man is privileged to obtain citizenship in the kingdom of heaven; on the other hand, privilege must not make him pridefully independent. Rather, he is to be characterized by the true recognition of his condition as a Spirit-enlightened sinner. He will express true sorrow for his sin as revealed by the law and genuine humility in submission to God’s gracious covenant promises. This work of the Spirit will also result in the desire to be righteous (v. 6; 1 John 3:7). The evidence of such an alignment will be opposition and persecution from the unregenerate (vv. 10–12).

Persecution results from the greater purpose of God, which is set forth in verse 13, “You are the salt of the earth.” The declaration is given with a warning that when salt loses its effectiveness when corrupted, it is good for nothing. What keeps it pure? The answer is the law: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law” (v. 17). Paul argues that the gracious work of God in saving His people required establishing a gracious covenant, beginning with Abraham. Abraham was justified, not by the law, but by faith in God’s promise (Galatians 3:6, 7). There is no way that Abraham or his spiritual descendants could be justified by keeping the law because it demanded perfect obedience, which no one can do. Neither is law-keeping of faith (Galatians 3:11, 12).

The error of many is to think that Jesus was contrasting law and grace in the Sermon on the Mount. However, A. W. Pink rightly observes that such a view “pits the Son against the Father.” Rather, Jesus argued that the righteousness of His followers must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees who thought their self righteousness satisfied the law. Only the imputed righteousness of Christ satisfies perfectly. Again, Paul reveals that those justified by faith alone through the promised work of Christ stand with faith-justified Abraham (Galatians 3:13, 14). The law was added to the promise given 400 years earlier (Galatians 3:19). It was added because of transgressions “until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made.”

Although no one is saved through law-keeping, the law is necessary to reveal the moral standard of the kingdom as based on God’s character and to support His government. The authority of His law was made clear in His preface to the commandments: “And God spoke all these words, saying, ‘I am the Lord (Yahweh, His covenant name) your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me,’” etc. (Exodus 20:1–3). Thus, Jesus made it clear that He came, not to annul the law, but to fulfill it. It should also be noted that in illustrating the need for His peoples’ righteousness to exceed that of scribes and Pharisees, it is the errors of the latter that are the focus of His teaching.

Holiness, Righteousness, and the Kingdom

Jesus declared, “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). As already observed, the Pharisees assumed the secondary duty of the Levites due to the rise of synagogue worship—to teach the people the Word of God so that they might know God and how to relate to Him in submission and obedience of love (2 Chronicles 17:9). In Matthew 23 Jesus supported this observation by the declaration, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do” (vv. 2, 3). 

Sadly, while the Pharisees’ goal was to maintain the purity and holiness of Israel, their practice degenerated into legalism and prideful self-promotion. They became overlords demanding exact observance of their directives while failing to exemplify their teaching by their own obedience, making them hypocrites. “They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others” (Matthew 23:4, 5). In short, the Pharisees were externalists, “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:5). Nevertheless, they were convinced that their righteousness exceeded that of others. They were those “who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt” (Luke 18:9). This is what provoked Jesus to argue that His followers’ righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees if they were to enter the king of heaven.

Righteousness describes the character and behavior of one who lives in the presence of God. To judge what is righteous is not the privilege of the follower of God, but of God. God is holy, that is, wholly separate from all He has made. Indeed, God is infinitely separated from His creation. There is no standard of righteousness to which God submits, for He is that standard. If any of His sentient creatures is to dwell with Him, they, too, must be holy (1 Peter 1:16). The divine requirement to be holy is perfect righteousness.

Only Jesus was able to satisfy that requirement. Hebrews recounts, “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence [fear of God]. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect [in His obedience], he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 5:7–10).

Being the second Adam, Jesus, through adoption, is transforming a host of sinners, redeemed and saved by Him to be like Him and, thus, able to live forever in the presence of God, “holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27). Although salvation is the sole work of Christ, the result of this work is evidenced in the obedience of His people to Him resulting in practical righteousness and the pursuit of holiness (Hebrews 12:11, 14). In this way, Christian righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees.

Righteousness That Exceeds

Jesus emphatically declared that, although He came to fulfill the Law, fulfilling did not mean that He abolished the Law. “For Christ is the end [fulfillment] of the law for righteousness” (Romans 10:4). Law reflects the character of God and can be abolished only when God no longer exists. The issue here involves the kingdom of heaven and the responsibility of kingdom citizens.

Kingdom citizens must keep kingdom laws; however, they must do so in a way that transcends the reputation of the scribes and Pharisees (v. 20). To understand what this means, one needs to know who the scribes and Pharisees were. The Sadducees were not included because they basically rejected the authority of the Scriptures, so why obey them? On the other hand, the Pharisees were set on preserving the purity and integrity of Judaism. The Pharisees took upon themselves the responsibility of the Levites (Sadducees) as “teachers of the law” (Luke 5:17). Those so devoted were called scribes. They were also referred to as lawyers due to their claim of expertise.

They “sit on Moses’ seat” (Matthew 23:2), a colloquialism for teaching the Law. However, they became legalistic because there is no power in the law to change the heart of anyone. Thus, as Paul states of them that, “Being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to God’s righteousness” (Romans 10:3). They were hypocrites. “They preach, but they do not practice” (Matthew 23:3b). They expected their followers to take up “heavy burdens hard to bear” while “they themselves are not willing to move them with their little finger” (Matthew 23:4). They were also externalists, praying and giving before others just to be seen and admired (Matthew 23:5).

Knowing the Pharisees to be lovers of money, Jesus rebuked them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God” (Luke 16:14, 15). Each of God’s children must search his own heart in the light of this revelation of the Pharisees. Do we demonstrate a loving relationship with God through sincere and humble obedience to His will, or are we slavishly devoted to impressing those around us of our spiritual piety with empty and sterile hearts before God?

The Lord began His discussion (vv. 21ff) with the second table of the Law, not the first, because the Pharisees reasoned that if they kept the second table in their public conduct, they must be faithful to the first table as well. However, Jesus sought to reveal how evil and deceptive the heart truly is.

Righteousness is simply doing what the Law requires. We may think that we have fulfilled our obligation, for example, by not murdering someone. What we fail to understand is that not loving our neighbor in godly obedience, harboring hate and anger towards him, makes us guilty of breaking the sixth commandment. May God grant us spiritual sight to see whether our righteousness is merely Pharisaical, or if it exceeds as Spirit-generated to the glory of God.     

Dismissing the Authority of the Law

The Law has great power and authority. Jesus stressed that He did not come to abolish or destroy (kataluo, from luo, meaning to loosen) when He introduced the kingdom of God. His intention was not to undo or dissolve the Law or its authority. He came to fulfill; indeed, He was the fulfillment. In fact, Jesus’ reference is to the whole of the Old Testament. Fulfilling means to cause God’s will (revealed in the Law) to be correctly obeyed and God’s promises (revealed in the Prophets) to be fully realized.

Some might think that the beatitudes were designed to replace the Law. Thus, Jesus began this section with the warning, “think not,” meaning that none should approach this subject with any judicial prejudice, such as that of the scribes and Pharisees (v. 20). The will and promises of God stand unaffected until everything in them is fully accomplished. When that is done, the kingdom of God will be completely implemented as revealed in Revelation 11. When the seventh angel blows his trumpet, it will be announced: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” The twenty-four elders before the throne of God fell on their faces and worshiped, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name” (Revelation 11:17, 18).

The reign of God requires all His subjects to joyfully submit to His authority with absolute loving and willing obedience to all He wills. When the Bible speaks of fearing the Lord or His name, it refers to a state of mind that fully recognizes the Lord’s majesty and authority over every detail of His creatures’ lives. which requires careful and diligent obedience to His will as expressed in the Law. As King Solomon stated: “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14).

“Therefore, whoever relaxes (luo, the same word used in verse 17, but without the preposition, kata, which makes loosing emphatic in that location) one of the least of these commandments and teaches other to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven” (v. 19). If Jesus did not come to relax one of God’s standards, who thinks anyone else can relax the least commandment with impunity? What an affront to God! Yet, how many of God’s people seek to justify themselves while breaking His commandments. The Sadducees destroyed the Prophets and the Pharisees destroyed the Law. Professed followers of Jesus are prone to condemn these enemies of Christ on the one hand yet mimic them in justifying their own relaxing of His Law. They all put their own will over His will. 

Perfect Obedience Necessary

The importance of the Law as set forth in Matthew 5:17–20 is demonstrated in four ways. First, Jesus came to fulfill the law, not abolish it. Since the law reflects the moral character of the Person who gave it, Jesus, being Divine, could neither abolish nor replace it.

Second, the law protects God’s creatures “until all is accomplished” (v. 18). Christ came to save His people, not from obligation to the law but from its condemnation. When salvation is fully accomplished, the law will pass away as an external objective standard. The new covenant makes the law an internal guide for His people (Jeremiah 31:33, 34; Ezekiel 36:26, 27). The time will come when the character of the redeemed will correspond perfectly with God’s, making the law no longer necessary.   

Third, the law requires perfect loving obedience (vv. 19–20). The important aspect that is often missed is that loving obedience to God is the heart of Creator/creature relationship (Matthew 22:34–40). Law-keeping is not just observing rules in the hope of making one’s life better. Neither is God like the pagan deities, requiring certain routines and gifts to placate fickle whims.

On the other hand, many modern Christians live as though grace releases them from the law to live their own lives. They know that they ought to worship and serve the Lord if only they could talk themselves into it. They no longer keep the law since it is now regarded as an obsolete requirement from Old Testament days. True grace, however, teaches a different lesson because it puts within the believer a knowledge of Christ. The law of Christ (1 Corinthians 9:21; Galatians 6:2) gives Him the right to govern everything in a believer’s life. Grace calls on the saints to present their bodies as living sacrifices to God and to glorify Him in all that they do.

Fourth, Jesus informs us that, in His coming, the kingdom of God has invaded the kingdoms of the world (Matthew 3:2 cf. 4:8). The whole of the Sermon on the Mount is designed to inform Christ’s disciples of their duty to Christ in this new kingdom. The kingdom of God previously existed in Israel and was governed by the law of Moses. However, the trespasses and sins of Israel’s leaders were roundly condemned in this Sermon (v. 20; see Matthew 23:28). This failure brought about the change Christ was instituting (Matthew 21:43). The glorious truth is that when all is fulfilled, the renewed and holy character of the redeemed will enable them to live in perfect righteousness in the kingdom of heaven to the eternal praise and glory of God.

In the meantime, the teachings of this sermon inform Christ’s followers of their duties and privileges in the kingdom of heaven while they await the end and destruction of the kingdoms of the world and their full sanctification at the second coming of Christ. Thus, the saints are charged, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (6:33). Only in this way will their righteousness exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees.   

Practical Righteousness (Matthew 5:17–20)

Considerable confusion is evident in Christianity, its doctrine and history, arising from the failure to distinguish between two aspects of righteousness—positional and practical. The gospel is based on positional righteousness. Sinners are saved because of Christ’s righteousness imputed to them through faith (Genesis 15:6; Romans 3:21, 22, 26; 4:6, 13; 8:4; 9:30; 10:4). This is the righteousness one needs if he is to find acceptance with God.

However, there is another aspect of righteousness, practical righteousness, that is also vitally important. It comes from obedience to God’s rules. This is what Christ addressed in Matthew 5:20: “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” The section ends with “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). The doctrine of sanctification makes practical righteousness possible. The Spirit and the Word are the means of developing this righteousness: “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments” (1 John 2:3–6). Jesus provides both grace and discipline to encourage believers’ obedience. Peter wrote, “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17).

In Revelation 22, Jesus declared three times, “I am coming soon” (vv. 7, 12, 20). Without getting too technical, know that the verb, coming, is in the present tense, which in Greek indicates continuous action—it is a continual coming. This is supported by the use of the term, soon. In other words, these “comings” are scattered throughout church history to prepare the church to enter the kingdom of God. The result of these “comings” is seen in the verse, “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14 NKJV).

This is a gracious work for His Church, and it involves correction and reformation. What if there are some believers who do not keep His commandments? Said believers may indeed be under His covenant protection and will be saved but, in the meantime, their failings must be corrected. When Jesus comes to take His bride, she will be ready, clothed in fine linen which is “the righteous deeds of the saints” (Revelation 19:7, 8).

How is she prepared for this wedding? There is a hint found in the letters to the seven churches (Revelation 2; 3): “I will come to you soon . . .” (2:16; which is also the present middle indicative). These chapters are full of judgment threats and calls for repentance and correction. Jesus will not take a bride unto Him until she demonstrates practical righteousness. Christ intends to “sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water by the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:26, 27).