Post by Notoptional on Jun 29, 2023 15:15:15 GMT -8
By the Spirit, we are told to put to death the deeds of the flesh. The more we do that, walking in the Spirit, we inch closer to perfection or completion, as the Greek word says.
I strongly disagree that Jesus did not expect us to obey His words in His sermon on the mount, but we're only to discover how incapable we are. We already know that we are unable without Him, so WITH Him, we can obey His commands. We are NOW the temple of the Holy Spirit, individually and corporately, so by the Spirit, we can NOW put to death the sinful deeds of the flesh. If we cannot obey His words NOW, then His admonition in Matthew 7:24-29, to build our house on the rock would be meaningless. No one claims that we can obey Him perfectly, but we are to strive for that.
The beatitudes are NOT some kind of trick that Jesus is playing on us, knowing that we could never fully follow them. The same is true of the entire sermon on the mount. His words are meant to be obeyed. Jesus' parting words shortly before He ascended back to the Father were: "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THAT I COMMANDED YOU; ..."
This is not optional or impossible. Paul said, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." We can too.
I strongly disagree that Jesus did not expect us to obey His words in His sermon on the mount, but we're only to discover how incapable we are. We already know that we are unable without Him, so WITH Him, we can obey His commands. We are NOW the temple of the Holy Spirit, individually and corporately, so by the Spirit, we can NOW put to death the sinful deeds of the flesh. If we cannot obey His words NOW, then His admonition in Matthew 7:24-29, to build our house on the rock would be meaningless. No one claims that we can obey Him perfectly, but we are to strive for that.
The beatitudes are NOT some kind of trick that Jesus is playing on us, knowing that we could never fully follow them. The same is true of the entire sermon on the mount. His words are meant to be obeyed. Jesus' parting words shortly before He ascended back to the Father were: "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THAT I COMMANDED YOU; ..."
This is not optional or impossible. Paul said, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." We can too.
