Primary Text: Matthew 7:1-27
Memory Verse: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14
Introduction:
The uniting theme of Matthew 7 is to remind the Christian that God sees all that we do, and we will one day be judged for the manner in which we lived. The particular subjects Jesus chose to teach on pertain mainly to how we relate to other people, but ultimately, this affects our relationship with God. The paradox of daily living is that to interact best with people, we must have the presence of God active within us tempering our personalities, and enabling us to be more patient and wise in all our dealings, yet, He is watching everything we do so that one day accurate judgment may be rendered for the way we chose to live. Put another way, we must have a good relationship with God to always treat others well, but we will one day be judged for how we treated others. The ultimate thing that matters is what God thinks of us.
The requirements Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount show that the Christian life is one that must be linked desperately with God. No one can live up to the standards of perfect righteousness without the ever-abiding presence of Christ living within us. We must live each moment by the power of the Holy Spirit. Our reassurance is that this is exactly the way God intended us to live, righteously. Try to apply the Sermon from the power of the flesh, and failure is certain. Infused with the powerful anointing of God, and it is impossible to fail. Therefore, clinging to God throughout our lives is the primary thing.
This also means that we must let go of all worldly things. We can’t live the Christian life tied to this world. We must understand that we are strangers and foreigners here, and are merely passing through on our way to our wonderful, eternal home. Our stamp collections, the sports teams we rooted for, the daily jobs we held, the cars we drove, the clothes we wore, and the vacations we enjoyed won’t matter in eternity. What will matter is the way we lived, the relationships we nurtured, and the things we did for the kingdom of God. Let go of the world, cling to God!
Studying the Word
Lesson Study
- Discuss the qualities of a condemning spirit. (See Sunday’s Daily Devotion.)
- If we have a condemning spirit toward others, what will be the result? Matthew 7:1-5; Luke 6:37-42
- Why did Jesus teach that we shouldn’t “give what is holy to dogs; nor cast [our] pearls before swine”? Matthew 7:6
- What are the important underlying principles of a Christian’s asking, seeking, and knocking? Matthew 7:7-11; Luke 6:31
- Did Jesus teach that we should treat others the same way they treat us, or that we should treat others the way we would always want to be treated? Matthew 7:12 Does God treat us by the same principle?
- How can we tell a false prophet by what he does, or even more, by what he does not do? Matthew 7:15-20
- What false hope do many people have for their salvation? Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:43-45 (See Writer’s Note below)
- What were the similarities and differences between the two men who built houses in Jesus’ final illustration in the Sermon on the Mount? Matthew 7:24-27; Luke 6:46-49
[Writer’s note: it is hard to understand how a person can demonstrate spiritual power, and actually perform works for the kingdom of God, and yet be lost in the day of judgment. But wasn’t this the case with Judas Iscariot? Let’s examine ourselves (1 John 3:3). If our main interests are in attending Christian meetings, exploring spiritual phenomena, organizations or denominations, the social (rather than personal) aspects of Christianity, apologetics (defense of the faith), an academic approach to theology, an over-interest in prophecy, an intellectual or trivial approach to the Bible, or an over emphasis on grace at the expense of Christian duty, we may have a serious problem. Our primary emphasis must be to know Christ! (Philippians 3:7-11). If our relationship to Him is unsure, or secondary to other things, we are in peril. All things, including all religious things, must be counted as loss, valued as dung, in comparison to our relationship to Jesus Christ.]