SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/6/2020 8:13 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-3 “The
Attitude behind the Act”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matt.
5:21-48
Message of the
verses: As mentioned in my last SD I
have posted the verses on the first SD that I wrote on this section and can be
seen there.
We have been talking about the term “the ancients” as
seen in verses 21 and 33 and this was often referred to as what is called “fathers
of antiquity.” Jesus was contrasting His
teachings, which are the true teachings found in the Old Testament Scriptures
with the Jewish written and oral traditions that had accumulated over the
previous several hundred years that had so terribly perverted God’s revelation.
MacArthur writes “As Martyn Lloyd-Jones pointed out, the
condition of Judaism as the time of Christ was remarkably like that of the church
in the early sixteenth century. The
Scriptures were not translated into the languages of the people. The liturgy, of prayers, the Scripture
reading, and even most of the hymns and anthems were in Latin, which none of
the common people knew or understood.
When a priest gave a sermon of homily, the people had nothing by which
to judge what he said. They had no idea
as to whether or not his message was scriptural, or even whether or not being
scriptural was important. The Bible
taught that the church said it taught.
The church, therefore, placed its own authority over that of Scripture.”
What is being talked about in this last quote was of
course the things that went on in the Roman Catholic church, which as mentioned
was similar to that was going on during the time when Jesus was on earth. Since Jesus condemned what was going on in
His time then we can be sure that He did not like what was going on in the 16th
century.
A lot of the things that were going on with the scribes
and the Pharisees began after Israel returned to the Promised Land after their
time spent in Babylon, and many of the people of that day did not have all of
the Old Testament Scriptures to read. I
have to say that having the Bible in the language that I speak and write is
truly a blessing.
I want to now move onto another quote that is found in
John MacArthur’s commentary, which he quotes John Calvin who wrote:
“Let
us agree that through the law man’s life is molded not only to outward honesty
but to inward and spiritual righteousness.
Although no one can deny this, very few duly not it. This happens because they do not look to the
Lawgiver by whose character the nature of the law is to be appraised. If some king by edict forbids fornication,
murder or theft, I admit that a man who does not commit such acts will not be
bound by the penalty. That is because
the mortal lawgiver’s jurisdiction extends only to the outward political
order. But God, whose eye nothing
escapes and who is concerned not so much with outward appearance as with purity
of heart, forbids not only fornication, murder and theft but lust, anger,
hatred, coveting and deceit. For since
He is a spiritual Law giver, He speaks not less to the soul than He does to the
body.”
MacArthur gives five basic principles that summarize the
central thrust of Matthew 5:21-48 and I will summarize them as we end this
Spiritual Diary, which will end the overview of this chapter in his commentary.
I. The spirit of the law is more important than the letter. What is this important? The law was not given as a mechanical set of rules by which men in their own power could govern their outward living. It was given as a guide to the type of character that God requires.
II. This second principle of the law is both positive as well as negative. Its purpose not only is to prevent both inner and outward sin but to promote both inner and outward righteousness.
III. This third principle is an end to itself. The deeper purpose goes beyond purifying the lives of God’s people. Its supreme purpose is to glorify God Himself.
IV. The fourth principle is to judge men and the reason is because He alone can judge hearts. Only the Creator has the right and ability to judge the deepest inner workings of His creatures, after all He created them.
V. Every human being is commanded to live up to the perfect divine standard to which the law points. Now because that command is impossible for man to fulfill, God Himself has provided fulfillment through His Son, Jesus Christ. The Demander of righteousness is also the Giver of righteousness; the Lawgiver is the Redeemer. This is the best that it can get for all who understand this principle.
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: I am thankful for this last principle,
something that God showed me over 46 years ago to which I am thankful for and
will always be thankful for through eternity for it was on that day in January
of 1974 that God gave me eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ.
My Steps of Faith for Today: To do what the Lord has called me to do, and
that is to tell others about His grace and mercy through Jesus Christ.
8/6/2020 8:47 AM
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