“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 
                                                       -Matthew 7:24

 

A building is only as strong as the foundation upon which it is built. Whether a humble home or a towering skyscraper, a poorly laid foundation will leave any structure in ruins as soon as the ground gets the least bit shaky. Even if it has a steel frame and beautiful interior, this usually just means it will fall twice as hard when it does crumble. In the same way, Christians must take heed to set there lives on the right foundation if they intend what they are building to last.

“According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

                        -I Corinthians 3:10-11

According to Paul, the only sturdy foundation is Jesus Christ. That may not mean He is the only foundation out there to choose from, but it does mean He is the only foundation that will endure the fire of Judgment Day. Paul goes on to say, “If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” (v. 14 & 15) Even the good works we perform here on earth will only count if they are built on the foundation of Jesus Christ! We can be a saint in the eyes of the world and still a sinner in the eyes of God if we build on a foundation of pride and arrogance.

“And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven.
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

                     -Matthew 6:16-18

Contrary to what many have told us throughout the years, Jesus was not saying that Peter would be the foundation of  The Church. After all, why would the Lord establish His eternal bride on a foundation of temporal flesh and blood? Rather, He was saying that the revelation Peter had received – that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God – would be the at the heart and core of everything the church stands on. It is this very foundation that each individual child of God must stand upon if we plan on making it to the end. 10,000 years from now, may it be said of us that “…the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.” (Matthew 7:25)

“And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.”

                   -Matthew 5:41

We live in a society of incredibly low expectations. Even in my own life, I’ve noticed that many people immediately classify me as a good person simply because I don’t smoke, cuss, or participate in some of the other sinful things people my age typically indulge in. In other words, all in takes to impress this world is to stay in school, don’t do drugs and, in essence, “behave yourself.” You don’t really have to do anything good; just stay away from anything bad. The problem with this, however, is that we often feel like we’re something special simply because we’re “above average.” Staying away from the bad might be enough to impress the people around us, but God has much higher expectations for us to fulfill.

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”

                                                            -Hebrews 12:1

God is no more impressed with neutral Christians than we would be of our favorite Olympic athlete if he simply sat down on the tracks while everybody else ran the wrong way. Perhaps we’re not headed in the wrong direction, but are we headed in the right direction? Standing still might be all it takes to impress our peers, but it certainly won’t impress God or get us to the finish line. Though we might be considered exceptional in a mediocre society, could it be that we’re just exceptionally mediocre?

All the great men and women of history who are worth remembering were people who used their life to accomplish something good. Abraham Lincoln was known, not for his refusal to own a slave, but for his efforts to abolish slavery altogether. King David was known, not for being a better king than Saul, but as being a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). In the same way, we should live our lives so that people can remember us for what we did do – not for what we didn’t.

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

                            -Matthew 7:13-14

Many months ago, I listened to a radio sermon by Pastor Alistair Begg. During his message he shared the story of a critic asking him if he thought Christianity was the only way to heaven, alluding to the millions who have not so much as heard of Christ, let alone had the opportunity to accept Him. He was live on the air at the time, so he knew it was especially important that he didn’t mess this one up. He certainly didn’t, and his response to this man has stuck in my mind all these months. He said, “I have no choice but to affirm that Christ is the only Saviour, because He is the only One qualified to save.”

Though there are many religions in the world today, there is only one Savior. I say this, not because I’m narrow-minded or judgmental, but because it is impossible for there to be more than one Savior. After all, the redemption of mankind required the sacrifice of One that was completely innocent of sin: a requirement that only Christ Himself could fulfill. All humans have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23); if we died on a cross, we’d simply be getting what we deserved.

The Way to heaven is clearly marked, but scarcely traveled. It’s a narrow, often difficult, road to walk that has many hills and valleys, but no turns; it is straight, and will remain straight. The pavement might have a few cracks in it, but don’t worry. It turns to gold toward the end.

“But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:
Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.”

                    -Matthew 5:34-37

In Jesus’ day, the ultimate way of proving your sincerity in any given matter was to swear an oath. Someone would swear by the temple and, in an attempt to outdo the other, someone else would swear by the gold in the temple. One person would swear by the altar, and another would swear by the sacrifice that was laid on the altar (Matthew 23:16-18). In the same way, this way of life has been almost perfectly mirrored in today’s society, where a person’s word alone is rarely enough to convince someone of the truth. Instead of taking one another at their word, how many times have you heard a conversation like this break out among friends?:

Guy #1: “Wow! Did that really happen?”

Guy #2: “Yes, I’m telling the truth.”

Guy #1: “Do you promise?

Guy #2: “Of course I promise.”

Guy #1: “Do you really really promise?”

If Guy #2 doesn’t “really really promise” that he’s telling the truth, his friend probably won’t believe him anymore. Sadly, many Christians today unwittingly compromise the integrity of their everyday speech by playing this twisted game of pinky-promises and triple-swears. After all, shouldn’t the followers of Jesus Christ – the Way, Truth, and Life (John 14:6) – be able to convince someone of the truth based on their word alone?

To the best of my knowledge, Christ never promised or swore in order to establish His words or teaching. He simply affirmed the truth of the matter at hand with the words, “Verily (i.e. truly) verily I say unto you.” (John 12:24) Likewise, we need not to do more than give somebody our  simple word of faith when the truth of a matter is questioned. Whatsoever is more than this cometh of evil.

 

Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount covers three full chapters of his gospel (ch. 5, 6, & 7), and I know it would take more time than I have to do each verse justice on this blog. Even so, I want to go through this wonderful portion of Scripture and pick out some of my favorite verses to study and write about. I don’t know how long it will take, or how many posts it will consist of, but I’m trusting God to speak to each of us in a special way through His Word.

Out of all the sermons that have been preached through the years, none have been equal to the Sermon on the Mount. No Billy Graham or Charles Spurgeon has ever come close to delivering a message so moving and so powerful as this, and that is why I feel compelled to at least devote a handful of posts to its teaching.

Anyway, be sure to check back in a few days for the start of what I trust to be an exciting series! If there are any particular verses you especially want me to post on, don’t be shy of commenting and sending me your requests!

 

NOTE: Many of you will remember the series I did back in June on the beatitudes, so I’ll probably not touch on those first 12 verses again. If you want to check out my thoughts on those particular teachings, you can find them in my June archives at the bottom of my sidebar.

"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."

                            -Matthew 5:10, 11 

In the past, I've spend a lot of time focusing on how privileged American Christians are. But the fact is, even American Christian will face a degree of persecution (II Tim. 3:12), and we need to be prepared for when it comes.

If you have been serving the Lord very long, then you've probably faced persecution for it. No, I'm not talking about going to jail; I'm talking about being made fun of, criticized, and mistreated because of your faith. If you have ever experienced any of these things then, rest assured, great is your reward in heaven. By enduring persecution, you are taking part in Christ's suffering (I Pet 4:13), and we should rejoice when we face such trials (Acts 5:41). After all, if we're being mistreated because of our faith, that is an indication we are doing our job right: living out our faith for all the world to see.


In my life, I've heard many people say that they don't think America will ever become like other nations, and take away our Bibles, and our right to worship. Admittedly, I've probably said that a few times myself. But the truth is, we can't be sure. Who knows? It could be that next year being a Christian will be against the law. But what about today? If you were arrested on the charge of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? If they looked at the visited websites on your browser, would they conclude you are a Christian? If they looked at your DVD collection, your CD collection, and even the clothes in your closet, would they say, "Never mind. We see now that you are not a follower of Christ. You are just like everybody else."? If so, then be aware that God will probably say the same words to you on Judgment Day.


As a final thought, I heard once that life is like a never-ending downward escalator. Being a Christian requires turning around, and running full speed in the opposite direction. Naturally, you'll get a few awkward glances as you march your way up, but what else do you expect? If you don't bump any shoulders, it's probably because you're heading in the same direction as everybody else.

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."

                            -Matthew 5:9 

All you have to do is turn on the news and you'll soon realize that peace is not abounding in this world by any means. Violence runs rampant at both a national and local level, and even homes are being torn apart because of society's inability to simply get along. The saddest part of it all is that this spirit of strife and discord has even found its way into the church itself! How foolish we must look to the world as we claim to worship Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), while arguing and backbiting over things that are often insignificant!

As Matthew Henry wrote, "The peace-makers are happy. They love, and desire, and delight in peace; and study to be quiet. They keep the peace that it be not broken, and recover it when it is broken. If the peace-makers are blessed, woe to the peace-breakers!"* Did you see it? If being a peace-maker brings God's blessing, then surely being a peace-breaker will provoke His wrath! In fact, in the book of Proverbs, we find that "he that soweth discord among brethren" (6:16-19) is an abomination in the sight of God.

In order to be a peace-maker on a larger scale, we must first make peace with those we are close with. Is there somebody in your family, your church, or even in your neighborhood that you need to make peace with? If so, don't delay in doing so today! As Christ said, the peace-makers "shall be called the children of God." If you want to be a witness for Christ, being a peace-maker is one of the best ways to let people about the change He has made in your life.

"If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men."

                            -Romans 12:18

* Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."

                            -Matthew 5:8 

I don't know about the rest of you reading this, but when I imagine heaven, the first thing I think about is getting to see my Lord. In my opinion, the streets of gold don't really matter; the gates of pearl are of secondary importance; and fishing in the crystal sea will be the last thing on my mind (hey, who says there won't be fishing in heaven?). The first thing I want to do when I get to heaven is to see Jesus.

I read a book by Max Lucado once (my memory fails to recall which one it was), and in it he asked the question, "If you could live however you please - doing whatever sins your heart desired - and still make it to heaven, would you do it?" (I'm paraphrasing here.) However, he then proceeded to explain that, if you were to accept the deal, you would not get to see God once you got there. Yes, you would still get to have eternal life, you'd still get to see your loved ones that have passed away; but you just couldn't see the Lord. My answer to that question, without hesitation, is a resounding "NO!" After all, getting to see Christ is the only reason I want to go in the first place! You could change the golden street into a gravel road and the crystal see into a dirty pond, but if Jesus is there, it would still heaven!

There's a song that my Aunt sings in church from time to time that brings tears to my eyes almost every time I hear it, and I want to share the words with you today:

I dreamed of a city called Glory,
So bright and so fair.
When I entered that gate I cried holy;
The angels all met me there:
They carried me from mansion to mansion,
And oh what sites I saw.
But I said, "I want to see Jesus,
He's the One who died for all."


Chorus:
Then I bowed on my knees and cried,
"Holy, (holy) holy, (holy) holy."
Then I clapped my hands and sang, "Glory,
Glory to the Son of God."


I thought as I entered that city,
My friends all knew me well.
They showed me the streets of heaven;
Such scenes too numerous to tell;
I saw Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Mark, Luke and Timothy.
But I said, "I want to see Jesus,
He's the One who died for me."*

*NOTE: I do not own the copyrights to this song. Please obtain permission from the owner before use.

"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy."

                               -Matthew 5:7 

The Word of God tells us time and time again that, in order to be forgiven ourselves, we must forgive others. Or, in other words, in order to obtain mercy we ourselves must be merciful.

"And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." 

                            -Matthew 6:12

I recently commented during Sunday School at our church that, by praying these words, many Christians are really praying a curse on themself. By asking God to forgive us in the same was we forgive others ("as we forgive our debtors"), many times that would mean, "Lord, please forgive me...that is, until I do something else wrong. Then you can rehash it all, and hold everything I've ever done against me." After all, that seems to be the way in which most "Christians" forgive others, isn't it? As sad as it may be, many times children of God haven't the slightest idea of what it means to truly forgive someone.

"For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell."

                            -Psalm 86:13 

The mercy of God is immeasurable. Likewise, our mercy should also me immeasurable. We should grant forgiveness to those who ask it, as well as to those who don't ask it. In doing so, we are assured that we will be shown mercy by God Himself - and if you're like me, you need all of His mercy that you can get!

According to Psalm 51:4, all sins are ultimately against God Himself. If someone lies to us, they've sinned against God and violated His holiness. If someone steals from us, they've done more than just do us wrong; they've transgressed the express commandment of the Lord Almighty (Exodus 20:15)! With that said, we should be able to grant mercy to those who sin against us without hesitation, if the One Whose name is Holy is able to be merciful toward them (Isaiah 57:15).

"It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." 

                            -Lamentations 3:22-23

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."

                            -Matthew 5:6 

I must say that this beatitude has to be my favorite. As the inspired Word of God, each of these Scriptures are of infinite value (see Psalm 19:10), but this one in particular speaks to me in a special way.

The Lord didn't say that those who hunger and thirst after righteousness might be filled, or that they would most likely be filled. No, He gave us an unconditional promise that they shall be filled. But what does it mean to be filled with righteousness? It means to be conformed more and more each day to the image of Christ Himself. It means to present our bodies a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1), and be emptied of ourselves so we can be filled with God. Just like turning on a light switch will not only dispel the darkness, but also fill the room with light, likewise, if we are emptied of ourselves we will be filled with God!

"Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."

                            -Romans 6:6 

God is not like human parents that force-feed vegetables to their children. He won't make us become righteous. If He gives it to us, it's because we were hungry for it, and therefore sought after it. As Christ said just two chapters later, if we ask, we will receive; if we seek, we will find; if we knock, the door will be opened (Matthew 7:7)

Empty me of the selfishness inside,
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride,
And any foolish thing my heart holds to.
Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with You.*

*Empty Me- Chris Sligh
I do not own the copyrights to this material. Please obtain permission from the copyright holder before use. 

Seeing as I recently defined meekness in my series on the fruit of the Spirit (click here to refresh your memory), I won't waste time trying to explain what it means to be meek. Instead, I'll jump right into the second half of this beatitude, and focus on what Christ was telling us with the words, "...they shall inherit the earth."

Honestly, I don't recall ever thinking deeply about this promise until now. I guess it's one of those verses that you hear so many times growing up that you just take it for granted. Anyway, as I began to consider the meaning of this passage, I immediately discarded the idea that Christ was saying the meek will overtake the earth is such a way that the entire population will have this virtue. On the contrary, I'm sure we'd each be hard-pressed to find 1 meek person in 100. Without a doubt, meekness is an exceedingly rare attribute.


So what was Christ saying then? Well, I personally believe He was referring to His 1,000 year millennial reign on earth, during which time His children will rule with Him (Revelation 20:6). In that sense, we will inherit the earth because Christ will place us in authority over it. Now obviously we shouldn't serve the Lord just to be rewarded in this way, but as we are told in Luke 14:11, those who exalt themselves will be abased, and those who abase themselves (a.k.a. being meek) will be exalted. If we don't seek positions of honour in this life, Christ will place us such a position in the life to come. If we seek to be honored on earth, that will be all the honor we get.

Inheriting the earth is only one of the benefits meekness incurs, for blessings flow freely upon those who align themselves with the Word of God. Will you follow Christ's example and pursue a life of meekness and humility (Matthew 11:29)? I can assure you, it is well worth it.

"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted."

                            -Matthew 5:4 

As we saw in yesterday's devotion, the word "blessed" generally means "happy" when found in Scripture. To some, then, this beatitude may seem paradoxical. After all, if you are mourning, that is an indication that you are not happy, right? In some ways this may be true; but a child of God can retain their joy even in the midst of life's darkest nights. How? Because we are not alone. As Christ says in this verse, "we shall be comforted."

The depths of this promise are nearly indescribable. Those who mourn for sin can be comforted in confession. Those who mourn because of life's various hardships can be comforted by the sweet peace of God that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). No matter the reason for our sorrow, or the magnitude of our sorrow, we have it in writing that God will be there every step of the way, comforting us and helping us through.

"Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." 

                                -II Corinthians 1:4

Christian or not, we will all go through difficult times in life. But the child of God has the promise of comfort in those times - not only for our benefit, but for the benefit of others. When we understand what it means to be comforted, we will be able to comfort others as well, and hopefully lead them to the ultimate Comforter in the process (John 15:26). (And just to clear up any confusion, I'm not referring to a nice bed.)

God comforts those who are cast down (II Corinthians 7:6). If you fit that description, cast all your care upon Him. He cares for you (I Peter 5:7).

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

                            -Matthew 5:3 

The poor in spirit are not those who are lacking in God's spiritual blessings. Rather, they are the opposite of those who are haughty and arrogant in spirit. Being poor in spirit does not mean constantly being down on yourself, thinking that you are no good; it means viewing yourself and your accomplishments in the light of God's glory and grace. When we do this, we will realize that even our greatest achievements are nothing in comparison with God's excellency, and will therefore praise Him, not the person we see in the mirror.

Notice that the condition of such a person is described as "blessed", or, in modern terms, "happy." This is because obedience to the will of God, no matter what it is, always brings inner peace and joy (John 13:17). Not only are the poor in spirit happy because they are in the will of God, but they can also find delight in knowing that "theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Nobody has greater happiness than he who knows his name is written in the Lambs Book of Life, and that he will one days spend eternity in the kingdom of heaven.

Are you poor in spirit? If not, then be aware that you are robbing yourself of a great and indescribable "blessedness." You might like focusing on how great you think you are but, let's face it, we're never as great as we think.

"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."

                            -Romans 12:3

"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour;
Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein:
Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found,
Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering."

                            Leviticus 6:1-5 

Restitution is the act of making right sins committed against another individual, and it is something that we are required of God to do after we are saved. These verses in the book of Leviticus should eliminate any doubt in our minds as to whether or not restitution is necessary, for the Lord says that not only should things such as stealing be made right, but also "smaller" thing such as dishonesty ("...or hath deceived his neighbour..."). The seriousness of the sin in our eyes is not important, because in God's eyes all sin is serious.

Sadly though, many Christians today have forgotten the importance of making restitution. It's as if they are willing to confess their sins to God when nobody else is listening, but they don't dare let anybody else know they were wrong.

"...When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the LORD, and that person be guilty;
Then they shall confess their sin which they have done: and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof..." 

                            -Numbers 5:6-7

Setting things right with people we have sinned against is important because by not making restitution, we are giving the impression that we don't think we were ever wrong in the first place. How can we honestly expect to be a witness to somebody we have lied to, cheated, and stole from, when we have never made amends with that person?

"Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought 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."     

                            -Matthew 5:23-24