Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-style-parent:””; font-size:10.0pt;”Times New Roman”;} In a letter to Dr. Benjamin Rush dated April 23, 1803, President Thomas Jefferson wrote, “To the corruptions of Christianity I am indeed opposed, but not to the genuine precepts of Jesus himself. I am a Christian, in the only sense in which he wished anyone to be: sincerely attached to his doctrines in preference to all others, ascribing to himself every human excellence, and believing he never claimed any other.” Attached to the letter was a brief “syllabus” comparing Jesus to Greek and … Continue reading Authority (Matthew 7.28–29)

Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-style-parent:””; font-size:10.0pt;”Times New Roman”;} A few years ago, after months of rain had softened the ground beneath them, houses on Blue Bird Canyon in Laguna Beach began to slip their foundations and slide down the hills. For the homeowners, whose dreams and fortunes slid with those houses, it was an agonizing experience. For us, it is a vivid picture of Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built … Continue reading Therefore (Matthew 7.24–27), Part 2

Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-style-parent:””; font-size:10.0pt;”Times New Roman”;} Whenever you read the word therefore in Scripture, you should ask what it’s there for. Consider the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders, which concludes the Sermon on the Mount: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But … Continue reading Therefore (Matthew 7.24–27), Part 1

What is the fate of a false prophet?   Jesus provides the answer in Matthew 15.21–23:   “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”   With these words, Jesus identifies two false paths to salvation. The … Continue reading Watch Out for False Prophets (Matthew 7.15–23), Part 3

In Matthew 7.15–23, Jesus gives us a warning against false prophets, a test for recognizing them, and a description of their fate.   A prophet is a spokesman for God. For example, Isaiah begins a prophesy by saying, “Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth! For the Lord has spoken” (1.2), and “Hear the word of the Lord” (1.10). He ends it with these words: “For the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (1.20). He often prefaces other prophecies with the words, “This is what the Lord says…” (18.4; 21.6; 31.4; 37.6, 33; 38.1; 45.1, 14; 49.8, 25; 50.1; 52.3; 56.1, … Continue reading Watch Out for False Prophets (Matthew 7.15–23), Part 2

In Matthew 7.15–23, Jesus says:   “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.   “Not everyone who says to … Continue reading Watch Out for False Prophets (Matthew 7.15–23), Part 1

We live in an open-minded age. This fact represents an opportunity for the spread of the gospel, as well as an obstacle to it. The opportunity arises because in their open-mindedness, people are willing to consider the spiritual claims of Jesus Christ. But the obstacle gets in the way because far too many people are so open-minded that are unwilling to commit themselves to Jesus in any way that might preclude a change of spiritual commitments at some later point. They are Christian today, Kabbalist tomorrow, and Scientologist the third day, so to speak.   What we need to help … Continue reading Enter Through the Narrow Gate (Matthew 7.13–14)

Much of our behavior toward others is reactive. If someone sends us a gift for our birthday, we feel obliged to send them one for theirs. If someone speaks about us behind our back, we find opportunities to return the favor. And if someone slaps us in the face, our hand is already halfway toward that person’s right cheek before we even begin to wonder whether retaliation is such a good idea. In Matthew 7.12, Jesus articulates a proactive ethic in what has come to be known as the Golden Rule: “So in everything, do to others what you would … Continue reading The Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12)