Jesus Came To Fulfill The Law

Before Jesus continues His sermon, He clarifies that what He is teaching and what He is about to teach is in absolute harmony with the teachings of the Old Testament Scriptures.  There is nothing in His teaching which in any way contradicts them.  He is letting them know that He is in complete disharmony with the teaching of the Pharisees and scribes.

So, He clearly told them “no, I did not come to destroy the law and the prophets” – but, rather He came to fulfill. Our verse today, Matthew 5:18, Jesus stated – For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one title will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.  He’s dotting all the i’s and crossing all the t’s in the law.  He’s changing nothing.

Jesus wasn’t changing the law. They had changed it.  They changed it by trying to clarify it and define what it meant. 

Now the law is simply the righteous standards of God.  God is holy and cannot handle sin – even the least of them.  Unfortunately, we can’t relate to that. Sin doesn’t bother us nearly enough.  Because He is holy, any sin separates us from Him.  It is much like  someone who was allergic to perfume needig to separate themselves from someone wearing it.  

Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets.   How did He do that? 

1.  He kept the law perfectly, without committing one sin

2.  He fulfilled all of the Old Testament prophesies about Him

3.  He fulfilled the  ceremonial law.  He was the substance of the Old Testament shadows in the ceremonial law.  The priesthood, the sacrifices, the feasts – all pointed to Him and the finished work on the cross.  Much of the book of Hebrews is dedicated to proving that fact.

4.  He paid the penalty prescribed by the law of God. 

And 5.  He gave His followers the power to obey the law – through the power of His Spirit.

2 Corithians 1:20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

Look at that list – do you know anyone who in all of history could make that claim and keep it?

Praise Him that He can; praise Him that He did. Praise God that the blood of Jesus Christ is the antidote to wash away the stench of our sins in God's sight.

Jesus and the Law

"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.  Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:17-20

  

Do not think – Jesus knows what many of them are thinking – so, He’s cautioning them not to think that way.  They had seen Him violate the Sabbath. They had seen Him hang out with sinners. They had seen Him stand up to and rebuke the Scribes and Pharisees. The Scribes were the writers of the Law. The Pharisees taught the people what it meant.  They had not been taught to mourn over their sin or to display meekness.  They had not been taught that mere man could be light.  The religious leaders did their deeds to be seen of men, for the praise of men – certainly not for God’s glory.  Was Jesus abolishing the law and the prophets – the teachings and predictions about Him by Moses and the prophets?

 Because Jesus had so disregarded the man-made rules of the day, that they had attached to the law of Moses, the people thought that He was against the law. You see, Jesus didn’t sound like the Pharisees, and He didn’t sound like the scribes.  It had been over 400 years since a prophet had spoken. So they really didn’t know what a prophet “sounded” like.  He didn’t echo the prevailing theology of the day.  He kept putting emphasis on inward morality.  They had not been taught that.  It would be natural to wonder whether He was really of God or not; whether His teachings were of God or not. 

Sadly, too many are making that same determination today – comparing the teachings of Jesus with current thinking – and then rejecting it because it doesn’t comply. Too many are saying, “Times have changed, the Bible doesn’t fit anymore.”  When the truth is – the way that things are today don’t fit the Bible anymore.  It’s today that is wrong, not the Bible. Jesus is telling them much the same – it’s the teachings of today that are wrong, not the true law of God.

Jesus was in total agreement with their father, David, who wrote in Psalm 119:97 I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. After all - Jesus wrote it!

Jesus Showing Through His People

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand,

 and it gives light to all who are in the house.

  Let your light so shine before men,

that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

 Matthew 5:14-16

Luke 1:77 tells us why Jesus came:  Luke 1:77-79 To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins,  [78] Through the tender mercy of our God,  With which the Dayspring from on high (that’s Jesus) has visited us;  [79] To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace."

This Christmas season, I am reminded of the prophecy of Isaiah 9:2… the people who  walked in darkness have seen a great light.  Those who dwelt in the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.  That light is Jesus.

Since Jesus is THE LIGHT and we are little lights, our shining should take the same form as His.  We should be giving people the knowledge of salvation,  give His light to those who are in darkness and proclaiming Him to be the guide into the way of peace.

The gospel of John refers to Jesus over and over again as the light of the world.  In the first chapter, John the Baptist comes on the scene.  John 1:8 He (John the Baptist) was not that Light (Jesus), but was sent to bear witness of that Light (Jesus).  We too are lights that bear witness to the light – or reflect, the Light

2 Corinthians 4:6 NASB⁶ For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Jesus, when He was here, was like the light of the Sun.  When the sun goes down (leaves) the moon comes up.  The moon is a picture of believers – it shines, but it doesn’t shine by its own light.  It shines only because it reflects the light of the sun.  It glows only because of the sun.  We, too, shine only because of the Son; we glow only because of the Son. That’s why Jesus said to believers, you and you alone are the light of the world. 

I read a story of a man returning from a journey that brought his wife a matchbox that would glow in the dark.  After he gave it to her, she turned out the light, but it could not be seen.  Both thought they had been ripped off.  Then the wife noticed some French words on the box and asked a friend to translate them.  The inscription said:  If you want me to shine in the night, keep me in the light.

We have looked at how we are to shine.  Matthew 5:16 tells us why we are to shine.  It’s good Jesus added that, because all too often we shine and then forget where the light came from, don’t we?  Verse 16 tells us:  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. 

John 3:19-21 niv This is the verdict (or, this is why people are condemned) : Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. [20] Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. [21] But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Just like persecution can be the result of walking in the beatitudes, people will reject the light that you shine.  Neither are God’s intention – it’s just the down side of the light.  But, God’s purpose for the light is good – and those who live by His truth come into the light, and reflect that light, - so that it may be seen plainly that what He has done has been done through God – or as we see in Matthew 5:16, men will see our good works and glorify God or give God the credit or literally, get a proper opinion of God.  We are to live our lives in such a way that people get a proper opinion of God – know what God is really like.

One Sunday on their way home from church, a little girl turned to her mother and said, “Mommy, the preacher’s sermon this morning confused me”  The mother said, “Oh?  Why is that?”  The little girl replied, “Well, he said that God is bigger than we are.  Is that true?”  The mother replied, “Yes, that’s true, honey.”  And he also said that God lives in us?  Is that true, Mommy?  Again the mother replied.  Yes, that’s true honey.  “Well,” said the little girl, “if God is bigger than us and He lives in us, wouldn’t He show through?”

Over and over again in the Old Testament, God told Israel to separate themselves from the gentile nations – for the simple reason that they would be corrupted by those nations.  But, interesting...that’s not Jesus’ message.  In fact, the religious leaders chided Him for associating with sinners and tax collectors.  Here in this sermon, He is calling us to be influences on who?  The earth, the world – Everyone, but surely including people who do not know Him.  The difference?  Because of the work of the Holy Spirit, believers are now salt and now light.  We now have the power to influence others for Jesus.  Salt that has no flavor doesn’t influence. Light that is hidden doesn’t influence.  If we are not being salty and we are not shining the light of Jesus, we should not be around those in the world – for certainly they will trample us under their feet.  But, when we salt them and when we shine our light, they are affected by us.  That’s what the LIGHT, Jesus, did around sinners and that’s what we are to do.

Lights Are Expected To Shine

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand,

 and it gives light to all who are in the house.

  Let your light so shine before men,

that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

 Matthew 5:14-16

Light, like salt, has many purposes. Jesus focuses on one here.  He tells us something we are to do with our light and something we are not to do.We are to shine our light and we are not to hide our light. As we concluded that the earth is saltless without the influence of believers, so too, the earth is dark without the influence of believers. 

A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  As they sat on that hill on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, when Jesus was preaching this sermon, they would have had such an awesome illustration of what He was talking about.  For the Galilee is surrounded by hills, and they built cities on those hills.  It’s a gorgeous sight at night as you can look across the sea and see dozen of cities all lit up by their shining lamps.  You can’t hide a city that is built on a hill.  Cities are built to be seen.  Consider Matthew 5:15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand.  Just as a city is built to be seen, a light is meant to be seen.  You don’t light a lamp and then put something over it to block out the light.  Because of the elements in the Israeli desert, the windows in the houses were often very small – so, even in the daytime, the light in the homes was minimal.   So, they would have a lamp lit all the time. Their lamps were not always very big.  The lamp would be set on a lampstand – a table, often in the middle of the room, that would give (as verse 15 tells us) light to all who are in the house.  It would be ridiculous to light the lamp and then put something over it.   So, just as light gives light to all who are in the house, verse 16 tells us that we are to let our light shine before men (not just in our own house) that they may see. 

Light influences darkness.  Darkness doesn’t influence or effect light – does it? And it shouldn’t influence light in the spiritual since.  In other words, if we are shining, darkness can’t put us out.  Light can eliminate darkness.  But, darkness can never and will never eliminate light.  Darkness really only makes us look brighter.  But, if we are hiding our light, darkness wins and we find ourselves even influenced by it, don’t we? Darkess can’t eliminate our light, but we can hide it.

This spiritual light reveals something very different than a physical light.  A physical light enables us to see the path before us, it helps us see if there are any dangers in the room.  A spiritual light does that, and it does this – it causes people to see our good works. 

1 Peter 2:9  But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;    

What does 1 Peter teach us?  Jesus came to redeem us to be His own special people.  What did He redeem us to do?  The reason given in this verse is that we may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

We are able to shine when we live in His marvelous light.  All believers have been called out of darkness into His marvelous light. His calling upon us? – Shine, show forth His light.

Light is an important word to God.  Thus He uses it often in His Word.  Let’s use the comment section and post some of those verses.  Refrain from posting verses that refer to Jesus as the light.  We will discuss that tomorrow.

Shine on….

You Are The Salt Of The Earth

Matthew 5:13  "You are the salt of the earth; 

but if the salt loses its flavor,

 how shall it be seasoned? 

It is then good for nothing 

but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

Jesus moved from the beatitudes to the similitudes – comparing one thing with another.  Jesus used two similitudes in comparing the believer to two things that we are all very familiar with – salt and light.  So, we have seen how we are to think, we have seen the result of that kind of thinking and now Jesus is going to tell us who we are – as believers – each and every one of us who name the name of Jesus as our Savior.

Something happened to you when you decided to become a follower of Christ.  We know we became new creatures. Here we have two aspects of that.  We have become salt and we have become lights.  And notice – the structure of each sentence that begins you are the salt and you are the light has the sense of you and you only, or you and you alone.  A person that is not a believer is not and can not be either salt or light in this world.  Here’s an assumption I think we can safely make.  Since we and we alone are the salt of the earth – then the earth is saltless, flavorless without the influence of believers.  It does not satisfy, it’s like flavorless egg whites.

Someone did a whole lot of research and claims that there are over 14,000 uses of salt.   We could get real intense over that and want to find that list, thinking if we are salt, that God wants us to function in all of those 14,000 ways – but, that is not His intent. 

Rather than review all or many of the uses of salt that parallel how a believer should behave, let’s concentrate on what Matthew 5:13 seems to be pointing to – salt’s ability to season food.  Man has understood that purpose for thousands of years.   Job 6:6 Can flavorless food be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?

Paul confirmed this in Col. 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Look at the next part of verse 13 in Matthew 5 – it begins with a term of contrast.  We are salt.  But, if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned.  So, only believers are salt – But, we can be flavorless salt.  Our effect, if we lose our flavor? We are good for nothing, spiritually, but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men

It’s pretty hard for salt to lose its flavor.  You can leave it out all day and it’s still the same.  But, if you lay salt on dirt (or for our lesson today, on the earth), it loses its flavor.  There’s a story of someone buying a huge quantity of salt.  It was piled in a warehouse on a dirt floor.  When they went in to scoop it up to send it out, it had lost its flavor – so, what did they do?  Exactly what this verse says – they scooped it all up and threw it outside and it was trampled underfoot by men.  Now, Jesus is talking about effective kingdom living here – not salvation.   Ephesians 2:8,9 very clearly remind us that we have been saved by faith not of works.  But, Paul didn’t stop there, lest we get lazy.  Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

We are His workmanship.  Creators, builders – create and build things for a purpose.  Our purpose on this earth while we are waiting for heaven is to do good works – not just any good works, but the good works He has individually chosen for each one of us.

When, we as salt, aren’t salty – we are of no use in this life.  Salt influences what it is put on, right?  But, rather than being put on people to flavor them, to influence and affect them, we are put under them and stepped on by them and treated as nothing – of no value or worth to them. Rather than being an influencer of the things it touches, salt, when it loses its flavor, becomes influenced by the things that touch it.

How do we flavor? Just like salt does.  All lives outside of Jesus, are bland – blah – without purpose, without meaning, without fulfillment.  Salty believers can offer them what or really who, alone, can give them those things. We show them what a salted life is like.  The message of the salty believer is this: Psalm 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! And his actions prove that he believes it.  

This Morning's Message from Pastor Dale

Let's take today and reflect on this morning's message.  I encourage you to post a comment.  I love the way the Lord is using the comments.  Please keep posting - and thank you to those of you who are obeying God's "nudging".  Your comments have been a blessing. 

Love in Jesus,

cathy

Unto Us A Child Is Born, Unto Us A Son is Given

Isaiah 9:2

    The people who walked in darkness

    Have seen a great light;

    Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,

    Upon them a light has shined.

Isaiah 9:6-7

    For unto us a Child is born,

    Unto us a Son is given;

    And the government will be upon His shoulder.

    And His name will be called

    Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

    [7] Of the increase of His government and peace

    There will be no end,

    Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,

    To order it and establish it with judgment and justice

    From that time forward, even forever.

    The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. The definition of zeal is ”an intense desire to possess”.  That word was never better used than it is here in Isaiah 9:7.  Because of God’s intense desire to possess you and me, He sent His Son to save us from our sins.

I was listening to a verse recently from the song Away in the Manger:  “Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care and fit us for heaven to live with Thee there."  Jesus fit Himself in the womb of Mary, so He could fit us for heaven to live with Him.  I wonder what is the bigger miracle!

Merry Christmas to each of you, precious ones.

   

Do You Smell Like Jesus?

Matthew 5:10-12 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The reward?  The reward for suffering persecution for righteousness’ sake is the kingdom of heaven – amplified in verse 12 – great rewards in heaven.  How does that sit with you? 

All of the other beatitudes promised earthly and heavenly rewards – this one focuses primarily on the heavenly.  Look at the last part of verse 12: for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  What would those prophets say to you and me?

Hebrews 11 tells us about those prophets who were before us.  How did the writer of Hebrews describe their persecutions?  They were tortured, not accepting deliverance, they were mocked and scourged, chained and imprisoned, stoned, sawn in two, tempted, slain with the sword, destitute, afflicted, tormented. 

Hebrews 11:39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,

They didn’t see the payoff in this life. The payoff in this life wasn’t what motivated them.   Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

The next chapter in Hebrews begins with these words – some of my very favorite words to teach on - Hebrews 12:1-2  Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, [2] looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

What do these witnesses cry out to us?  What do these who were so persecuted say to us?

They say the same as Jesus said in Matthew 5:10-12  Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,  For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.[11] "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. [12] Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.   

They say – we’ve been there; we’ve suffered greatly for righteousness’ sake.  It’s worth it.  Run!  Run for Jesus. The great rewards in heaven far exceed any suffering we experienced while we were on the earth. 

I pray that you have been challenged by the beatitudes.  I certainly have.  If you and I are truly living in these beatitudes, it will be visible to others; it will affect others -

    2 Cor. 2:15-16 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. [16] To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?

Those who live godly, those who live these beatitudes will smell – to some we will smell really sweet, to others we will be a stench.  Our place is to live in a way that our lives produce the fragrance of Christ – how we smell is up to others.  But, “if” we smell is up to us.  The religious, pious Jews, put the perfume on from the bottle, from the outside – Jesus is calling us to allow His fragrance to exude from our insides – If we do, we will not only be blessed and experiencing the wonders of the kingdom of God right here and right now, but we will be inviting others to join us.

    

Safety or Obedience?

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  Matthew 5:10-12


Let’s stop for a minute and define persecution. It is this.  It comes from the root word “to follow” and means to follow or go after someone to do them harm. That means to harm someone physically or harm emotionally.

We live in a country that, to this date, does not allow physical persecution of Christians.  However, more and more, we are seeing Christians verbally persecuted and shunned – at least those who would live godly.   Christians in many countries can’t avoid persecution – not if they are willing to admit they belong to Jesus.  But, here we can.  But, that’s not the challenge that Jesus would put before us today.  It’s not, “can we”, but “should we”?

 

More than 100 years after the New Testament times, a man came to Tertullian, one of the early church fathers.  The man had a great dilemma about living out his Christianity.  He thought it almost impossible when considering the very real possibility of persecution. He ended his pleadings with Tertullian by saying, “What can I do, I must live”.  Do you know what Tertullian’s response was?  It was this:  “must you?”.  Many believers would think that a strange answer.  For what he was saying was “If you die of starvation or die burning at the stake, it’s better than if you compromise”.  You and I don’t face that kind of dilemma.  I’m sure it’s going to get rougher for us, but it’s not like that today.  All we face today is the possibility of rejection and people not liking us; maybe people shunning us or saying bad things about us.  Yet, too often, we guard our favor with others like this man guarded his life.

Look at Jesus’ further description of persecution in verse 11 – people reviling against you and saying all kinds of evil against you falsely.  Words, words designed to cause harm can be persecution.  Now, before you jump on the “I’m so persecuted wagon” note the qualifying words of verses 10 and 11.  These are persecuted for righteousness sake, for Jesus’ sake.  They are persecuted for doing righteousness, or as Paul said to Timothy – living godly. 

2 Tim. 3:12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

Will you choose to live godly or choose to be safe?  I heard a quote from Elizabeth Elliot this summer.  It was something like this:  Safety is not your concern.  Obedience is your concern.  And it is God’s responsibility to take care of the consequences of your obedience. 

If you were honest, what determines your behavior?  Safety or obedience?  Your answer will quite possibly determine whether you will be persecuted or not. 

"We Were Taking Our Lives in Our Own Hands"

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  Matthew 5:10-12


“We knew we were taking our lives in our own hands”.  That was a comment I heard someone declare on the Today Show recently.  I found myself just staring at the television.  How could anyone so boldly say that? It made me shutter, just to hear it.  These people were recounting a recent shipwreck that they barely survived.

Why would anyone want to take their life in their own hands, thus taking it out of God’s hands?  Not that they would have avoided the shipwreck.  Lives placed in the hands of God, still suffer pain and tragedies.  Consider Paul in his account of his life in 2 Corinthians 6.   He was regarded as an imposter.  He was regarded as unknown.  He experienced dying, beatings, sorrow, poverty and having nothing – all as His life was placed in the hands of God.  Paul suffered the same things that people who “take their lives in their own hands” suffer – probably worse. 

But, because Paul’s life was in God’s hands, in spite of those things, he was known by God, lived productively, rejoiced, made many rich with true riches, and possessed all things.

Now that’s kingdom living! Too many of us live, taking our lives in our own hands, thinking we can avoid the struggles.  But, sadly, in our attempt to avoid those troubles, we fail to experience the blessings that only those who place their lives in God’s hands experience.  All suffering is not due to persecution.  Let us not live our lives with the goal to avoid suffering of any kind.  Rather, may we live to please the One who longs to hold us in His hand and have His way in us and through us.

Here's a challenge:  Be watchful today as you react, as you plan, as you make decisions.  In whose hands did you place those reactions, plans and decisions?  May it be His.

Avoiding Persecution By Avoiding Conflict

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  Matthew 5:10-12   

This beatitude confirms that peacemakers are not people that believe in a peace that keeps people happy. This beatitude appropriately follows that of peacemaking, because it is often the result of godly peacemaking – and that is persecution. That’s what Jesus experienced; that’s what the disciple’s experienced.  The result of being a godly peacemaker is not the Nobel Prize. It is not the ability to keep people from being angry at you. The result is often persecution. So, the person who lives these beatitudes will be one that behaves in a way that may provoke persecution. 2 Timothy. 3:12 teaches us: Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

What do we do with verses like Jesus taught here in these last verses of the beatitudes?  What do we do with statements like what Paul wrote to Timothy?  Do we dismiss them as only relating to the early Christians or to those in countries that are intolerant of the gospel?  Or are these words for us today – we who live in the 21^st century in the nation that claims to be under God?

Now, look at 2 Timothy 3:12 again.  What is it that provokes persecution?  Living godly.  I thought of two things that seem to rile up people to persecute God’s peacemakers. John 3:19-20  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. [20] For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

#1.  They love darkness and hate the light

And #2.  There are so many examples of this, I’ll just give you one.

1 Kings 22:8 So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the Lord; but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil."…

Over and over and over again the prophets were persecuted because their message was not what people wanted to hear.  Remember the prophets (they called themselves that, but they were false prophets) – but they were the ones the people liked – why?  Because they told the people what they wanted to hear.

There’s a key to avoid persecution. These false prophets were looked upon by the people as prophets of God, just like the real ones.  But, the false prophets weren’t persecuted.  Why?  Simply this:  they avoided conflict by telling the people what they wanted to hear.

These men were appeasers, not peacemakers.  

God's Promise to Those Who Make Peace

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they shall be called sons of God.

What happens when we are peacemakers?  Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:9 that we will be called the sons of God.  Now, there are two aspects of that.  People will acknowledge that we are the sons of God (anyway those who have received the peace we are declaring will) and God will declare it.

Family resemblances are interesting, aren’t they?  There are two ways we resemble family members.  One, by hanging out with them, we pick up on their characteristics.  We warn our teen-agers of that often.  It can happen so easily to each of us. Often, we don’t even notice how we have picked up on someone’s thinking or behaviors and are soon acting and behaving like they do.  In the same sense, the more time we spend with the Lord, the more we expose ourselves to Him, the more we will act like Him.  Then there is that genetic resemblance - in physical appearance, but in behaviors too.  We’ve all seen it in our children and in our grandchildren – characteristics that are so much like us, simply because we are born into the same family.

Well, Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born again, by the Spirit.  When that happens the Holy Spirit comes to dwell inside us and begins that refining process in us to make us more like Jesus.  We begin to behave differently, respond differently, and care differently.  And you know that it’s not something you have caused. It has been caused by the work and power of the Holy Spirit.  You have begun to resemble your Father in heaven.  And people, especially people that knew you before, know you are related to someone you weren’t related to before. Somehow you are related to God.

John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

What did the Father call Jesus?  We see it twice in the gospels.

Matthew 3:17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Mark 9:7 And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!"

What did Jesus call God, the Father?  Father.

Now, what does God call us?  Here’s a few references:

2 Cor. 6:18  "I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty."

Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Don’t miss this – God calls you the same thing that He called Jesus – son (or daughter).  He chooses to claim you and me!

Galatians 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!"

And - we get to call God, Father.  And not only that – Abba, Father – Daddy!

Now, all believers get that title whether we live as peacemakers or not.  But, does that fact cause you to kick back and settle for that?  Or does it spur you on to bring the peace that God has brought to you into the lives of others?  You see, for me, yes I love thinking that God freely declares, this is My beloved daughter.  But, I want to hear the rest of that sentence too – the part that says, in whom I am well pleased – don’t you?

This Morning's Message from Pastor Dale

Let's take today and reflect on this morning's message.  I encourage you to post a comment.  I love the way the Lord is using the comments.  Please keep posting - and thank you to those of you who are obeying God's "nudging".  Your comments have been a blessing. 

Love in Jesus,

cathy

Righteousness and Peace Have Kissed

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they shall be called sons of God.

Let’s consider our great Peacemaker, Jesus.  As we have discovered in the beatitudes, except for mourning over sin, which Jesus cannot do, Jesus is our example for each of them.  Now, just a reminder, lest I lose some of you who are thinking – wait a minute, Jesus wasn’t poor in spirit either.  Well, Jesus showed us what poor in spirit looks like as He showed us His dependency on the Father, didn’t He?

Let’s look at His example.  He confronted those who misrepresented God; He turned over the tables in the temple; He refused to be politically correct and obey Sabbath rules that were not ordained by God; He exposed hypocrisy; He created division; He didn’t appease.  Consider Paul or Peter and the other disciples as the book of Acts records how they spread the gospel of peace throughout the known world.  Did the religious rulers and those who clung to the ways of the world consider them peacemakers?  Absolutely not. These followers of Jesus provoked riots and anger.

So, how can we call Jesus or any of His followers peacemakers?  What did they do that provoked peace?  Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, "your God reigns!"

Remember what the angels proclaimed to the Shepherds on the night of Jesus’ birth?  Luke 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" God has goodwill toward men – and He sent Jesus to proclaim peace – to make peace by making a way for man and God to be reconciled to one another – a way for man to have peace with God.  That’s a peacemaker.  And we see Jesus doing that over and over again, as He offered forgiveness to the adulteress, as He called tax collectors to follow Him, as He continually, over and over and over again pointed to the love of God and the power of God and the peace of God.

Jesus didn’t avoid conflict.  He stirred conflict – Why?  To cause division; to divide; to separate righteousness from unrighteousness.  I love Psalm 85:10 Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed.  Only God, through our Lord Jesus, can bring these together.  

Only a peacemaker can do that – God requires truth; God requires righteousness.  A peacemaker brings mercy to the truth about us; a peacemaker shows how we can have peace in spite of God’s pure righteousness. Peacemakers are blessed people.

Believers Can Be Peacemakers!

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they shall be called sons of God.

We have arrived at an action word – a word that describes not how we are towards God, but how we are towards others.  Now this one, even unbelievers believe. It’s a blessed thing, a good thing to be a peacemaker.  I doubt that they care about God’s promised reward for those who are truly peacemakers.  But, they would agree that it’s a good thing to be.  The problem lies in the definition of peacemaking.  The world’s definition is not God’s definition.

Peace can be described as lack of friction or trials or conflict or war or strife.  Jesus, the greatest peacemaker of all, said we would have trials in this life; He didn’t tell us to help people not have trials. Jesus, who told His followers in  John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.

This Jesus told those who did not belong to him something very different:    

Luke 12:51 Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. Division means to divide up.  Jesus came to divide up – those who would come to Him and those who would not. 

God doesn’t use the world’s definition of peace. In fact, with God, He promises us a peace in the midst of those things.  So, the goal of a peacemaker, as Jesus would describe her is not to alleviate or avoid friction or trials or war.

The Bible uses the word peace 429 times. That tells me that peace is important to God -  that He desires peace for us.  Not only does He desire it for us, He calls us to be peacemakers.  Here’s the definition I found in my Zodhiates Bible Dictionary   The one who, having received the peace of God in his own heart, brings peace to others.  He is not simply one who makes peace between two parties, but one who spreads the good news of the peace of God which he has experienced.

That puts a criteria on who can be a peacemaker – only those who have received the peace of God.  Kind of like comforters – we are to comfort others with the comfort we have experienced from God.  Peacemakers offer the peace we have received from God.

So, Nobel peace prize winners are not peacemakers, people that avoid conflict are not peacemakers.  It’s not blessed are the peace lovers, or blessed are the peace keepers, but blessed are the peace makers.

Only those who belong to Christ can be peacemakers.  But – only those submitted to the will of Christ and the power of Christ are peacemakers. As a believer, what have you discovered about the ability God has made available to you to be a peacemaker?