More Matthew
Posted on July 27th, 2007 by Reformed Pope into the Reading Matthew categoryThe next section of Matthew 5 for me is verses 17-20 where Jesus talks about "THE LAW"…I'm not ready for that yet, so let's back track to look at the Salt and Light again. I just read a commentary on Bible Gateway regarding Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, which told a rather interesting story:
Until my conversion in 1975 I professed to be an atheist in part because I looked at the roughly 85 percent of my fellow U.S. citizens who claimed to be Christians and could not see that their faith genuinely affected their lives. I reasoned that if even Christians did not believe in Jesus' teachings, why should I? My excuse for unbelief-and the excuse of many other secularists I knew-continued until God's Spirit confronted me with the reality that the truth of Christ does not rise or fall on the claims of his professed followers, but on Jesus himself. The faith of nominal Christians may appeal to non-Christians who can use it to justify their own unbelief, but such "Christians" will have no part in God's kingdom. Instead they will be thrown out and trampled (Matthew 5:13).
If its true that "such Christians will have no part in God's kingdom" then heaven is going to be an empty place…at least for "American Christians". It seems to me that most "Christians" just live their life to exist as "Church goers" believing that will be enough. While the Bible does say that you just believe in Jesus you will be saved (sorry Jews) there are plenty of scriptures that talk about "Christians" who think they have it figured out, but in the end…don't.
Salt, light, sheep, and goats…I think it comes down to the "Golden Rule" (which really should have something to do with the Prosperity Doctrine…maybe that's why so many are confused, the rule is Golden…Give unto thy church and God will give Gold unto you. Damazio 7:12) Anyway…I think it comes down to the Golden Rule which says:
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12)
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July 27th, 2007 at 9:27 am
I think that it’s not so easy to say, “This person will be in heaven and that person will not”.
The bible makes it clear over and over that:
1. God “chose” certain people to be saved.
2. God has given all of creation to Jesus. Jesus presents these saved people back to God, purified and cleaned, through his sacrifice on the cross.
3. God “choses” people based on their hearts.
It is #1 and #3 that are the mystery, as we, who exist in a four dimensional universe, are simply not capable of comprehending the full concept and realization of things like “predetermination”, “predestination”, “free will” and how these all fit together in a puzzle where God is still absolute master, but yet we have ability to deny Him (or rather, reject Christ’s salvation and thus, continue apart from God).
Anyway… yes, I believe that there will be “Christians” who will not be not “recognized” by Jesus on judgement day. These are people who know Christ, intellectually, but have not truly accepted His salvation in their hearts.
It is one thing to know about Jesus, but quite another to know Jesus.
I think that what this scripture is saying. If you love others as you love yourself, then it is impossible to do this without also loving Christ (since he is love)..
July 27th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
Jesus!
Jp your last 5 post have been very boring. At least Justin posts funny videos when he’s got nothing to write.
July 27th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
Keep up the good posts, JP. Previous poster just needs a good nap!!!!!Ha.Ha.
July 27th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
JP, don’t listen to “picking on Love”. I’ve found your posts on Matthew to be very interesting and insightful.
July 27th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
I’m loving the “Matthew series”… don’t stop, keep up the good work, JP!
July 27th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
Erroneous! Erroneous!
You quit projecting.
July 27th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
You shut your mouth when you’re talking to me.
I’m hanging by a thread…reading don’t kill myself books…kindly leave. Kindly leave.
July 28th, 2007 at 10:11 am
July 29th, 2007 at 3:50 am
Whaaat?
Gotta be a quote from a movie
July 29th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
JP, sometimes I wonder if being in the kingdom and not in the kingdom is more dynamic / fluid than evangelical Christians seem to believe … typically, people point to the “day I was saved” when they uttered the sinners prayer, or when they’re going to church, or tithing, etc. But what if being in/part of the kingdom is a moment by moment thing - an organic thing - based on how we are living in the moment - am I presently living the crucified life, walking in/by the spirit, or, am I living by the flesh demanding what I want when I want it?
There’s that scene with peter, where one moment he says “you are the Christ, the Son of God” and Jesus tells Peter that he is blessed for that is revelation from God and He calls peter ‘the rock’ (presumably ‘of faith’); yet in the next moment, Peter is telling Jesus He must not die and Jesus is rebuking him for speaking words in opposition to God’s will for Jesus (Peter was speaking from the flesh/satan) … so in the one moment, Peter was in touch with the Spirit, speaking of revelation - He was connected to God’s heart/mind, and in the next moment, Peter is connected to, well, let’s call it the ‘anti-christ’ spirit that stands in opposition to God’s will in Christ.
Perhaps what the Father means by salvation, or by ‘kingdom living’ is a moment by moment thing - that one moment we are walking according to the kingdom/our salvation and the next moment we are walking by our flesh/carnality.
Sure would put a different view/twist on the whole notion of one person being ’saved’ and another being ‘condemned’ … surely as often as we walk by the flesh, where the flesh is scheduled for destruction, it is not wrong to say of the person who is walking IN the flesh (at the moment) that they are walking in condemnation … and for the person walking in the spirit (at that moment) that they are in/of the Kingdom …
I wonder how our ‘evangelical’ view of salvation and condemnation/damnation would change IF we had a God’s-eye view of time and not our human, chronological, fixed-point understanding of events? I don’t think we can possibly compare - when God says “Christ was crucified before the foundation of the world” and we say “Christ was crucified 2000 years ago” …
Sam (who is home now after 4500 mile road trip)
July 30th, 2007 at 10:42 am
That is a very insightful viewpoint.
Indeed… we must always consider and realize that God is not bound by our limited dimensions of space and our single dimension of time. After all.. as the creator, he *must*, be definition, have ability to access at least one more of each. (4 dimensions of space and 2 dimensions of time) We already can mathematically model 11 dimensions that exist “within” our universe.. so it’s most likely that God has at least 12 dimensions in order to create our 11 that we know about.
Anyway… to God, who is the judge, it possibly means that Christ is *always* dying on that cross. Christ’s death (and thus, our salvation) is not a single linear-based event in the eye’s of God. This is how we can have a relationship with a God who, by definition, is not able to stand our sin. We are not worthy of a relationship with God, so if Christ died 2000 years ago.. how can we today have a relationship with him? It’s only possible if God is *currently* viewing us through the blood of Jesus, and event that happened, is happening now, and forever more at precisely “this” moment.
Anyway… the bible says that there will be those who stand before Jesus and will be rejected. “Depart from me, I never knew you.” These people will claim they cast out demons in Jesus’ name. How can they do that action, yet still be denied by Christ? It’s clear that simple knowledge of Christ is different then faith in Christ as our necessary and only savior.
After all, even the demons recognize and believe that Jesus is the son of God.
July 31st, 2007 at 8:39 am
I get all giddy when Henri starts talking about quantum physics! Dang bro…you need to start your own blog where you edu-ma-cate idiots like me about about this kind of stuff. I LOVE IT!
July 31st, 2007 at 4:58 pm
I love your comments on Matthew, RP. It shows a wonderful aspect of the Lord.
In contrast, the Bible study I joined is tackling Deuteronomy. Talk about a different aspect of God! Like Henri said, it’s not enough to know about the Lord. My prayer for years has been to know God. And I like knowing Him through Matthew and John — even Isaiah and Jeremiah — and especially Psalms. But knowing Him through Deuteronomy, now that’s a challenge.
He really is far beyond anything that we can ask or think. But then, that is the definition of God. I am thankful that Jesus came to give us the opportunity to know Him in as limited a way as we can.
August 1st, 2007 at 11:32 am
I recently heard a rumor that cbs(small letters) has a new satelite franchise outlet in the Bend-Redmond area. Anybody know anything of this?
I may soon move over there and want to make sure in my search for a new Church home I don’t accidently go there .
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:29 am
lol