Thursday, September 17, 2020

PT-1 "The Perspective of Divine Truth" (Matt. 5:39-42)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/17/2020 11:05 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                Focus:  PT-1 “The Perspective of Divine Truth”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference: Matthew 5:39-42

 

            Message of the verses:  39 “But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 “If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 “And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 “Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.”

 

            John MacArthur begins this section with what is the truth about this section of Scripture, something that has been misunderstood for a very long time:  “In the command ‘do not resist him who is evil’ Jesus rebuts the Pharisees’ misinterpretation and forbids retaliation in personal relationships.  He does not teach, as many have claimed, that no stand is to be taken against evil and that it should simply be allowed to take its course.  Jesus and the apostles continually opposed evil with every means and resource.  Jesus resisted the profaning of God’s Temple by making a scourge of cords and physically driving out the sacrifice sellers and moneychangers (Matt. 21:12; John 2:15).  We are to ‘resist the devil’ (James 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:9) and all evil that he stands for and inspires (Matt. 6:13; Rom. 12:9; 1 Thess. 5:22; 2 Tim. 4:18).”

 

            As I begin to talk more about this section the author, John MacArthur is in a fight with the people of Los Angelos over whether or not churches should meet because of Covid 19.  He has been threatened of jail time and to close down his church.  He is resisting evil, the evil that is surely coming from Satan in our country as Satan is trying to take down our country, making it a society of Socialism so that church will be outlawed and Christians will be targeted for their faith. MacArthur continues in his writings from his sermons in 1978 “A proper resisting of evil includes resisting it in the church.  When Peter compromised with the Judaizers, Paul ‘Opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned’ (Gal. 2:11).  When there is immorality in the congregation, God says, ‘Remove the wicked man from among yourselves’ (1 Cor. 5:13; cf. Deut. 13:5).  Jesus said that a believer who sins should first be reproved in private, and then before two or three other church members if he does not repent.  ‘And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-gatherer’ (Matt. 18:15-17).  Paul echoes Jesus’ teaching when he says that those in the church who continue in sin should be rebuked ‘in the presence of all, so that the rest also may be fearful of sinning’ (1 Tim 5:20).”  I realize that this is talking about church discipline and not what the church has to stand for in an evil world like what is happening in our country today and especially to John MacArthur’s church.

 

            Paul talks about Civil government in Romans 13:4 and Peter also in 1 Peter 2:13-14, verses we will look at in a moment, but first I want to say that the principle of nonresistance does not apply to governmental authorities as it is seen in the verses mentioned above “for it [civil government] is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.”  “13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.”  I want to bring up what the apostles stated in the book of Acts when they were told by the civil government of the time not to preach in the name of Jesus anymore.  Their response was that “we have to obey God and not man.”

 

            Why are believers to obey the law?  They do it for the sake of God’s righteousness, as well as for the sake of human justice.  Believers are to report crime as well as to do this is an act of compassion, righteousness, and godly obedience as well as an act of civil responsibility.  MacArthur adds “To belittle, excuse, or hide the wrongdoing of others is not an act of love but an act of wickedness, because it undermines civil justice and divine righteousness.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I desire to obey God and when human government is trying to stop me from doing this I need to do it anyway.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  To pray for what is going on in our country, knowing that in the end that all who are following Satan will end up with him in the lake of fire forever.

 

9/17/2020 11:42 AM

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