Welcome to Episode #155 of Way of the Bible podcast. This is our third of eight episodes in our Twentieth mini-series entitled, Sermon on the Mount. On today’s episode we’ll be looking at very short teaching of Jesus’ found in Matthew 5:17-20. While short, this teaching is perhaps the pinnacle teaching of Jesus in his humanity. Jesus came to fulfill the LAW.
We’re just getting started in the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus counsels his disciples on the moral and ethical behavior of believers in the kingdom of Heaven. A kingdom that Jesus brought to earth following his death, resurrection, and ascension. Entrance into the kingdom begins at rebirth in the Holy Spirit and is permanent.
Colossians 1:13-14 – He [God] has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
I encourage you to listen to our last episode (#154) where I go deep into that topic to address our being Salt and Light. Which was the lesson Jesus taught after beginning his sermon with the Beatitudes. Believers are Salt and Light while we live in the world but are not of the world. Remember, we are living in the kingdom of Heaven, not in the dominion of darkness.
Let me make a brief detour and cover this before moving on. Hopefully this will either affirm what you already know and be an encouragement or get you a little antsy as you do not yet conform to what the text says. I was very antsy once myself; so take heart if that is you. Listen to what the Holy Spirit is telling you as you hear this and then do what He says. I really don’t think he’d tell you to turn off this podcast; but that may just be me saying that – full disclosure.
Now about not being of the world. While Jesus was speaking this sermon to his disciples’ crowds of people “of the world” were gathering on the mountain side below them. Would Jesus have described his disciples as people of “the world?” Think again…
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