Matthew 5.21-48 - ‘Our Actions Matter [part 002]’

R&R Devotional Bible Study
040 - Matthew 5.21-48
'Our Actions Matter [from Intent to Action]
[part 002]'

The Law of Yahweh is to show us that we cannot adhere to the Law of Yahweh on our own...
-When we are told that we are not to have ill will toward our fellow man, that is to show us that we do in fact have ill will toward our fellow man from our heart...
-This tie in with '...hungering and thirsting for righteousness...'

The good works that we are to walk in start from the inside...

Genesis 6.5-6:
'5-Then Yahweh saw that the evil of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6-And Yahweh regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.'

Responsibility vs. ability
-We are responsible to repent and believe...
-We do not have the ability nor the capacity to do so...

The only ability we have is if God is working is us through The Lord Christ Jesus under the gracious indwelling of The Holy Spirit...
-The fruit of The Spirit...

The good works that we are to walk in start from the inside...
-Out of the heart so speaks the mouth...
-Whilst we can make a list of humanitarian efforts and call them good works, they are not primarily good works...
-Good works on their own do not equate with salvation, there can be moralistic works done without being regenerate, but without The Holy Spirit working in a person, these are not good works...

In looking at outward works without understanding the spiritual reality, we then tend to base our understanding of salvation on the good works we do, and we do not focus on God and the work that He does...

Once again, we see The Lord Christ Jesus raising the standard back to where it needs to be, because the standard is actually perfection from the heart continually...
-We are told that our righteousness must surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees...
-They had a piety in their actions, and thought themselves right with Yahweh; but inside they were spiritually dead...

Good works do not start with outward actions...
-Good works start within us via the gracious indwelling of The Holy Spirit...
-Good works also must start with our focus on Yahweh with the express purpose to glorify Him, and walk in the newness of life, and not focus on ourselves anymore [which is antithetical to our natural condition where we only focus on ourselves all the time]...
-As we will see later on in Matthew 7, there is no room for self in entering through the small gate. It requires the total and complete abandonment of self...
-Then they flow out in how we view one another, and interact with one another; hence The Lord Christ Jesus first exhorting us to not have ill will [animosity] toward our fellow man...

If we look at the ten commandments, the tenth commandment is do not covet...
-To covet means: To greatly desire [to lust after], to find beauty in; to lust after that which belongs to another...
-This is the through-line through the other 9 commandments...

Ill will and animosity really flow out of our self focus and self will because we think that we are the center of the universe, and that everyone should bow down and worship us...
-We see this in the mindset of: I will live my life with no regard for how it effects you, and you have to deal with it...

There is no room for loving self in loving Yahweh...
-Everything belongs to God: our bodies, the things in our possession, even our very souls...everything belongs to God, and we are not to focus on the creature but The Creator...

In having our focus on The Creator, and understanding everything belongs to God, we are not supposed to have animosity toward one another...
Leviticus 19.16-17:
'16-You shall not go about as a slanderer amongst your people, and you shall not stand against the life of your neighbor; I am Yahweh. 17-You shall not hate your neighbor in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, and so not bear sin because of him. 18-You shall not take vengeance, and you shall not keep your anger against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am Yahweh.'

We can reprove, correct, and call out someone who is sinning and will not repent...
-We are not to hate them, or sin because of them, or slander them, nor take vengeance...
-When we reprove, correct, and call out sin, that is actually loving...and is actually a good work...

Only Yahweh is allowed to hate the sinner, which He does because of sin...
-Yahweh's hatred is holy, righteous, and just and is a directed at those who have transgressed His Agape...which the entirety of mankind has done...

Furthermore, when we think of love, we tend to think of it as an emotional infatuated state, and we are then told to revel in that feeling...all of which is self-focused and self-serving...
-The only kind of 'love' that semi fits this description is 'eros'...
-We are commanded to 'Agape', and 'Philio' really flows out of 'Agape'
-'Agape' is unconditional benevolence and charity
-For The Father so showed His unconditional benevolence and charity upon the world that He sent His only begotten Son...

'25-Make friends quickly with your opponent at law whilst you are with him on the way, so that your opponenet may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26-Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last quadrans.'

Make friends [be at peace] with your opponent at Law, lest you be handed over to the judge...

This is actually the call of the gospel:
-Be reconciled to God The Father...
-Through the substitutionary atoning work of The Lord Christ Jesus...
-Under the gracious indwelling of The Holy Spirit...

The Law if fulfilled in Christ, and is not abolished...
-If we are not in Christ, we are still under the Law...
-If we are under the Law, we are required to fulfill the Law, from the heart...not just actions...
-Responsibility vs. Ability

The Law is meant to show us our inability to adhere to the Law of God...
Romans 8.7-8 tells us:
'7-...because the mind set on flesh is hostile toward God, for it does not subject itself to the Law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8-and those who are in the flesh are not able to please God.'

If we are under the Law of God, there is absolutely no way that we keep the Law, yet we are required to keep the Law...
-In our natural state, on our own accord, we will be cast into hell for all eternity rightly and justly by Yahweh for not keeping the Law...
-Those who are cast into hell will be there until they repay the debt that is owed to Yahweh...
-Every single one of us owes Yahweh an insurmountable debt that we cannot pay off, let alone begin to repay...

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