Believer'S Lifestyle: Service and Leadership Training Courses

Book
7
SALT
Service and Leadership Training Courses
BELIEVER’S
LIFESTYLE
Revised, August 2003

B E L I E V E R ’ S L I F E S T Y L E
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1 ........................................................................................................................................................................ 4
THE BASIS OF THE BELIEVER’S LIFESTYLE.............................................................................................................. 4
Introduction........................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Man’s Creation in the Image of God............................................................................................................................... 4
Jesus’ Sacrifice for Man’s Sin ......................................................................................................................................... 4
Jesus’ Life – an Example for all Believers...................................................................................................................... 5
An Overview of God’s Word for our Lifestyle and Relationships ............................................................................. 6

OLD TESTAMENT: Ten Commandments .................................................................................................................... 6
NEW TESTAMENT: Sermon on the Mount................................................................................................................... 6
An Overview of the Study of the Ten Commandments .............................................................................................. 8

Introductory Notes: The Law’s Importance .................................................................................................................... 8
The Messiah and the Law............................................................................................................................................... 9
The Believer and the Law ............................................................................................................................................... 9
The Ten Commandments Today ............................................................................................................................. 10
CHAPTER 2 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 11
A DETAILED STUDY OF EACH OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS........................................................................... 11
Introduction - The mighty King announces Himself (Exodus 20: 2)....................................................................... 12
The Commandments of Freedom................................................................................................................................. 13

The First Commandment – Exodus 20:3 – “You shall have no other gods beside Me.”........................................... 13
The Second Commandment – Exodus 20:4 – 6 – “You shall not make for yourself an idol…..” ............................. 14
The Third Commandment – Exodus 20:7 – “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God …”.................. 15
The Fourth Commandment – Exodus 20:8 –11 – “Remember the Sabbath day” .................................................... 16
The Fifth Commandment – Exodus 20:12 – “Honor your father and your mother”................................................... 18
The Sixth Commandment – Exodus 20:13 – “You shall not murder” (“You shall not kill unlawfully.”) ..................... 19
The Seventh Commandment – Exodus 20:14 – “You shall not commit adultery.”.................................................... 21
The Eighth Commandment – Exodus 20:15 – “You shall not steal.” ........................................................................ 22
The Ninth Commandment – Exodus 20:16 – “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” ............. 23
The Tenth Commandment – Exodus 20:17 – “You shall not covet…........................................................................ 25
CHAPTER 3 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 28
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT - PART 1 .................................................................................................................. 28
A Brief Survey of the Sermon........................................................................................................................................ 28

Theme ............................................................................................................................................................................ 28
Purposes........................................................................................................................................................................ 28
Three mistakes .......................................................................................................................................................... 28
Is the Sermon on the Mount for us today?................................................................................................................... 29
The Sermon and Salvation ........................................................................................................................................... 29
True Righteousness as Pictured by Jesus (Matthew 5: 1 – 48)............................................................................... 30

What True Righteousness Is (Matthew 5:1 – 16) ........................................................................................................ 31
The Blessings Collectively (5:1 – 12) ....................................................................................................................... 31
The Blessings Individually (5:1 – 12)........................................................................................................................ 31
Salt and Light (5:13 – 16) ......................................................................................................................................... 32
How True Righteousness Comes (Matthew 5:17 – 20) .............................................................................................. 33
We can seek to destroy the Law (verse 17)............................................................................................................. 33
We can seek to fulfill the Law (verse 17).................................................................................................................. 33
We can seek to do and teach the Law (verse 19) ................................................................................................... 34
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How True Righteousness Works in Daily Life (Matthew 5:21 – 48) ........................................................................... 35
Murder (verses 21 – 26 and Exodus 20:13)............................................................................................................. 35
Adultery (verses 27 – 30 and Exodus 20:14)........................................................................................................... 35
Divorce (verses 31 – 32) ........................................................................................................................................... 36
Swearing (verses 33 – 37, Leviticus 19:12 and Deuteronomy 23:23).................................................................... 40
Retaliation (verses 38 – 42 and Leviticus 24:19 – 22)............................................................................................. 40
Love of enemies (verses 43 – 48 and Leviticus 19:17 – 18)................................................................................... 41
CHAPTER 4 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 42
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT – PART 2 .................................................................................................................. 42
True Righteousness Practiced in the Believer’s Life (6:1 – 7:12)............................................................................ 42

The Believer and Worship (6:1 – 18)............................................................................................................................ 42
Giving (verses 2 – 4) ................................................................................................................................................. 42
Praying (verses 5 – 15) ............................................................................................................................................. 42
Fasting (verses 16 – 18)............................................................................................................................................ 43
The Believer and Wealth (6:19 – 34)............................................................................................................................ 43
The Basic Principle (verses 19 – 24)........................................................................................................................ 43
Our Use of Wealth (Matthew 6:19 – 34).................................................................................................................. 43
The Believer’s Walk (7:1 – 12)...................................................................................................................................... 45
First Judgment: Our Judgment of Ourselves (Matthew 7:1 – 5)............................................................................ 45
Second Judgment: Our Judgment of Others (Matthew 7:6 – 12).......................................................................... 47
True Righteousness – The Three Tests (7:13 – 29) ................................................................................................... 48
The Basis for Judging (verses 13 – 20).................................................................................................................... 48
God’s Judgment of Us (Matthew 7:21 – 29) ............................................................................................................ 49
CHAPTER 5 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 51
THE BELIEVER’S LIFESTYLE IN SPECIFIC RELATIONSHIPS ................................................................................ 51
The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In Lifetime Marriage.............................................................................................. 51
The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In The Loving Husband ....................................................................................... 52
The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In The Submissive Wife ....................................................................................... 54
The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In The Obedient Child .......................................................................................... 56
The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In Godly Parents ................................................................................................... 57
The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In The Life Of The Faithful Worker..................................................................... 59
The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In The Life Of The Good Citizen ......................................................................... 60
The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In The Life Of The Helpful Neighbor .................................................................. 61
The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In The Life Of An Honest Merchant ................................................................... 62
The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In The Forgiving Brother ..................................................................................... 63
CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................................................. 65
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C H A P T E R 1
The Basis of the Believer’s Lifestyle
Introduction
When we speak of a person's lifestyle, we mean the way he or she lives. A person's lifestyle
includes his actions, what is important to him, and his relationships and attitudes toward other
people. It is the way a person conducts himself in the office, the market and the home, as well
as when he is around other believers.
A person's lifestyle is determined by his values and by whom or by what he sets those values.
One's values are based on what is important to him and why it is important. They include the
value he places on himself as a person and the value he places on others. A believer’s values
are set by his relationship to God and his commitment to God's Word. What does God want him
to be? How does God want him to act? How does God expect him to treat others?
In this book, we will study these questions as they relate to our personal lives and the lives of
those whom we serve. As you study, pray that the Holy Spirit will help you set and display God's
values and attitudes in your daily life.
Man’s Creation in the Image of God
The believer’s lifestyle is based on God and God's plans for His creation. In the beginning, God
created man in His own image. He created man in order to have fellowship with him. He gave
man the responsibility for all created things on earth. He commanded man in Genesis 1:28 to:
1. Be fruitful and multiply

2. Fill the earth and subdue it
3. Rule over it
When man chose to defy God and reject His leadership, his fellowship with God was broken.
Because of his sin man was driven out of the Garden of Eden.
Jesus’ Sacrifice for Man’s Sin
God re-established the intended relationship with man by sending His only begotten Son to die
for man's sins. Look carefully at these Scriptures:
“For the Messiah died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.
He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,” (1 Peter 3:18)
A man in the Messiah is God's new creation. God repeats an Old Testament commandment to
that man:
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“…Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy” (Leviticus 19:2, 20:26 and
1 Peter 1:16).
Through Jesus, God is our Father. As adopted sons and daughters, we must follow Him. This is
true of all our attitudes, relationships and actions.
Jesus’ Life – an Example for all Believers
Jesus is our Savior and Lord. He is also the example of the kind of life that we are to live. His
attitudes, both toward God and man, are to become our attitudes. The values He showed in His
own life are to become our values. We are to place the same value on the lives of other people
that He places on them.
Jesus' love caused Him to reach out and touch the leper. It caused Him to refuse to condemn
people such as the tax collector, the woman at the well and the woman taken in adultery. He
was willing to take criticism from the crowds when He ate at the house of Zaccheus. He was
patient with His disciples when they could not understand that His purpose was to die on the
cross. He forgave Peter, who denied Him three times. He prayed for those who were cursing
and laughing at Him, as well as for the Roman soldiers who nailed Him to the cross. He said:
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
These same attitudes and values should be dominant in the lifestyle of those who are called by
Jesus’ name. John called Him the light which “shines in the darkness'' (John 1:5). In John 8:12,
Jesus says, "I am the light of the world," but in Matthew 5:14 He says, "You are the light of the
world."
The believer’s lifestyle is directed by Jesus who is our example. It is empowered by Him, Who is
the source of our strength. The believer’s lifestyle is to give light to a sin-darkened world. It is to
be the salt that gives taste and is a preservative in society. In Philippians 2:5, Paul writes:
“Your attitude should be the same as that of the Messiah Jesus.”
Verses 6 – 8 then describe the "attitude of the Messiah” as being humble, serving, obedient to
God and self-sacrificing.
The Holy Spirit is the source of power and wisdom. He enables believers to have the "attitude of
Jesus." He is working within each of us to produce His fruit. This fruit should govern the
believer’s lifestyle: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control (Galatians 5:22 – 23).
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An Overview of God’s Word for our Lifestyle and Relationships
OLD TESTAMENT: Ten Commandments
The Bible, God's Word, is the book of instruction that outlines and explains how my life, as His
follower, is to be lived. In its pages we find both instructions and examples of how we are to live
and to treat others. In the Bible we see how God works in the lives of people to restore
relationships which sin has destroyed.
In the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1 – 17), God gave man some basic principles of how he
should live before Him. These commandments describe the proper relationship between man
and God and between man and his fellowman. The first four commandments deal with man's
relationship with God. They explain man's obligation to God Himself, to God's name, and to
God's day. A person must be in right relationship with the Lord before he can be in right
relationship with his fellowman. The fifth commandment describes a basic relationship of the
home: honor to parents. This commandment also gives a promise that is for both the family and
the entire nation: "that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you"
(Exodus 20:12). The sixth through tenth commandments are against the mistreatment of others,
of their property, or their name.
Since these commandments are directly from God, they emphasize that the primary relationship
and responsibility of man is to God. Man must answer to God both for his actions toward God
and toward his fellowman.
NEW TESTAMENT: Sermon on the Mount
In the New Testament, Jesus gives the Ten Commandments a fuller meaning in His teachings
found in Matthew 5 – 7. The goal of these teachings is recorded in Matthew 5:48: “Be perfect,
therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
In Matthew 5:21 – 22, Jesus gives a broader interpretation to the sixth commandment. He says
that murder begins in the heart. Therefore, He not only condemns uncontrolled anger, but also
harsh and contemptuous feelings toward others. Jesus condemns the attitude expressed in the
word "Raca", which means speaking of another person as if he had no sense. He warns against
the attitude expressed in the word "Fool," which considers another person as worthless. Jesus
says that when a person allows these feelings or attitudes toward others to linger in his mind, he
is in danger of hell itself. The value God places upon mankind, His creation, is clearly seen in
the cross where Jesus died for sinful men. Thus the believer’s lifestyle includes attitudes as well
as actions.
In Matthew 5:27 – 28, Jesus redefines adultery to include the lingering desire as well as the act.
He says that when a person continues to look at another with lust, he commits adultery with that
person in his heart.
In Matthew 5:33 – 37, Jesus explains the ninth commandment. He expands "You shall not give
false testimony against your neighbor," to include making false or empty promises. He teaches
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that believers should always keep their word. When a believer says "yes," he should mean to
say “yes,” and his "no" should mean “no.” His life should be a witness to the truth. There should
not be any need for him to swear, because his word is respected by other people on the basis of
his proven honesty.
In Matthew 6:12 – 15, Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray. He says we are to pray, "Forgive
us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us." In this simple request, Jesus points to an
attitude He demands in all His followers. The believer’s lifestyle must display forgiveness.
Actually in verses 14 and 15, Jesus warns that if we are not willing to forgive others, God will not
forgive us. When Peter asked Jesus how many times a believer must be willing to forgive
(Matthew 18:21), Jesus' answer meant "as many times as he needs forgiveness." The believer’s
lifestyle demands that we forgive others, even when they do not ask for our forgiveness.
The believer’s lifestyle is not one of confrontation or of repaying evil with evil. It is the lifestyle of
"turning the other cheek." It is a lifestyle of returning good for evil... a lifestyle that loves enemies
and prays for those who harm them (Matthew 5:39, 43 – 45). When a follower of Jesus behaves
in that way he acts like a son of his Father, God. He also may turn an enemy into a friend. Our
enemies cannot understand our love, concern and forgiveness. However, when we display
these attitudes they can see the Lord Jesus who lives in us.
In Matthew 6:19 – 21, Jesus says that our lifestyle must be one of generosity. He teaches that
when we give to Him and to others we are actually storing up riches in heaven. There our
treasures are under His protection.
In Matthew 7:1 – 6, Jesus warns His followers against judging others. He teaches that we
should look at ourselves and be sure that there is no sin in our lives. Often the one who judges
others is blind to his or her faults. Always, our example is Jesus. Therefore, we should not
compare ourselves with others. We should compare ourselves to Him.
Perhaps the best summary of these teachings about our relationships and attitudes toward
others is found in Matthew 7:12:
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law
and the Prophets.”
Even when others oppose or hinder him, the believer will treat them as he would like to be
treated. The apostle Paul writes in Galatians 6:10: “…as we have opportunity, let us do good to
all people…”
The believer’s lifestyle is that of a servant whose relationship with others is based on what is
good for them rather than what is desirable for himself. This is the lifestyle that Jesus taught and
this is the lifestyle that Jesus lived. So must we live.
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An Overview of the Study of the Ten Commandments

Introductory Notes: The Law’s Importance
No topic has been more misunderstood among believers than the Law of Moses and its
application to the New Testament believer today. To confuse the covenants of God is to
misinterpret the mind of God and miss His blessings, so the believer is wise to examine the
Word to determine the place and purpose of the whole Mosaic system.
NAME
Beginning with Exodus 19 and continuing to the cross of Jesus (Colossians 2:14), the people
were under the Mosaic system. This is called “the law of Moses,” “the Law,” and sometimes “the
Law of God.” For the sake of convenience, we often speak of “the moral law” (referring to the
Ten Commandments), “the ceremonial law” (relating to the types and symbols found in the
sacrificial system), and “the civil law” (meaning the everyday laws that governed the lives of the
people). Actually, the Bible seems to make no distinction between the “moral” and “ceremonial”
laws, since the one was definitely a part of the other. For example, the fourth commandment
about the Sabbath Day is found in the moral law yet is certainly a part of the ceremonial system
of Jewish holy days as well.
PURPOSES
To understand the law, we must remember that God had already made an everlasting covenant
with the Jews through their father Abraham (Genesis 15). He promised them His blessing and
gave them the ownership of the land of Canaan. The Mosaic Law was “added” to the Abrahamic
Covenant later, but it did not annul it (Galatians 3:13 – 18). The law “was added” to God’s
previous covenant (Romans 5:20) and was but a temporary measure (Galatians 3:19) on His
part. It was given only to Israel to mark them as God’s chosen people and His holy nation
(Exodus 19:4 – 6 and Psalm 147:19 – 20). God did not give the law to save anybody, because it
is impossible to be saved by the keeping of the law (Galatians 3:11 and Romans 3:20). He gave
the law to Israel for the following reasons:
¾ To reveal His glory and holiness (Deuteronomy 5:22 – 28)

¾ To reveal man’s sinfulness (Romans 7:7,13, 1 Timothy 1:9 and James 1:22 – 25)
¾ To mark Israel as His chosen people, and to separate them from the other nations
(Psalm 147:19 – 20, Ephesians 2:11 – 17 and Acts 15)
¾ To give Israel a standard for godly living so that they might inherit the land and
enjoy its blessings (Deuteronomy 4:1, 5:29 and Judges 2:19 – 21)
¾ To prepare Israel for the coming of the Messiah (Galatians 3:24)
The “schoolmaster” was a trained slave whose task it was to prepare the child for adult living.
When the child matured and entered adulthood, he received his inheritance and no longer
needed the schoolmaster. Israel was in her “spiritual childhood” under the law, but the law
prepared her for the coming of Jesus (Galatians 3:23 – 4:7).
¾ To illustrate in type and ceremony the Person and work of the Messiah
(Hebrews 8 – 10)
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The law is compared to:
A mirror, because it reveals our sins (James 1:22 – 25)

A yoke, because it brings slavery (Acts 15:10, Galatians 5:1 and Romans 8:3)
A child-trainer, because it prepared Israel for the coming of the Messiah (Galatians 3:23 – 4:7)
Letters written on stones (2 Corinthians 3) in contrast to the law of love written on our hearts by
the Spirit
A shadow, in contrast to the reality and fulfillment we have in Jesus (Hebrews 10:1 and
Colossians 2:14 – 17).
WEAKNESS
It is important to note what the law cannot do. It cannot accomplish these things:
Make anything perfect - Hebrews 7:11 – 19, 10:1 – 2

Justify from sin - Acts 13:38 – 39 and Romans 3:20 – 28
Give righteousness - Galatians 2:21
Give peace to the heart – Hebrews 9:9
Give life - Galatians 3:21
The Messiah and the Law
“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus the Messiah”
(John 1:17). There is obviously a contrast between the legalistic system of Moses for Israel and
the gracious position the believer has in the body of the Messiah. Jesus was born under the law
(Galatians 4:4 – 6) and fulfilled the law in every respect (Matthew 5:17). His Person and work
are seen in the law (Luke 24:44 – 47). He is the end of the law for righteousness to the believer
(Romans 10:1 – 13). He paid the law’s penalty and bore the curse of the law on the cross
(Galatians 3:10 – 14 and Colossians 2:13 – 14). The law no longer separates Jew and Gentile,
for in the Messiah we are one in the church (Ephesians 2:11 – 14).
The Believer and the Law
The New Testament makes it very clear that the believer is not under the law (Romans 6:14 and
Galatians 5:18) but rather he lives in the sphere of grace. In the Messiah, we died to the law
(Romans 7:1 – 4) and have been delivered from the law (Romans 7:5 – 6). We must not
become entangled again in the slavery of the law (Galatians 5:1 – 4), which means falling out of
the sphere of grace and living like a servant, not a son.
Does this mean that the believer is supposed to be lawless and ignore the holy demands of
God? Of course not! This is the accusation Paul’s enemies threw at him because he
emphasized the believer’s glorious position in the Messiah (Romans 6:1). Second Corinthians 3
makes it clear that the glory of the gospel of God’s grace far surpasses the temporary glory of
the Old Testament law, and that we believers grow “with ever-increasing glory” (3:18) as we
grow in grace. Actually, the New Testament believer is under a more demanding way of life than
was the Old Testament believer, for the Old Testament law dealt with outward acts, while the
New Testament law of love deals with inward attitudes. Being free from the law does not mean
being free to sin — freedom is NOT license. We have been called to freedom and we must use
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that freedom for the good of others and the glory of God (read Galatians 5:13 – 26). We are
under the higher law of love, the law of Jesus (Galatians 6:2). We do not try to obey God in the
energy of the flesh because this is impossible (Romans 7:14). The flesh is sinful and weak and
cannot submit to the law. But as we reckon ourselves dead to sin (Romans 6) and yield to the
Holy Spirit (Romans 8), the Spirit fulfills the law in us and through us (Romans 8:1 – 4).
To go back to the law is to exchange reality for shadows and freedom for slavery. It is to forfeit
the high calling we have in grace. Law means that we must do something to please God. Grace
means that God works in us to fulfill His perfect will.
The Ten Commandments Today
All of the Old Testament law is but an amplification and application of the Ten Commandments.
Nine of the Ten Commandments are repeated in the New Testament for believers today:
• Have no other gods before Me (Acts 14:15, John 4:21 – 23, 1 Corinthians 8:6,
1 Timothy 2:5 and James 2:19)
• Make no idols or images (Acts 17:29, Romans 1:22 – 23, 1 John 5:21 and
1 Corinthians 10:7, 14)
• Do not take His name in vain (James 5:12, Matthew 5:33 – 37, 6:5 – 9)
• Remember the Sabbath Day
This is not repeated anywhere in the New Testament for the church to obey today. Keeping the
Sabbath is mentioned in Matthew 12, Mark 2, Luke 6 and John 5, but these all refer to the
people of Israel and not to the church. Colossians 2 and Romans 14 – 15 teach that believers
should not judge one another with reference to holy days or Sabbaths. To say that a person is
lost or unspiritual for not keeping the Sabbath is to go beyond what Scripture says.
• Honor father and mother (Ephesians 6:1 – 4)

• Do not murder (1 John 3:15 and Matthew 5:21 – 22)
• Do not commit adultery (Matthew 5:27 – 28, 1 Corinthians 5:1- 13, 6:9 – 20 and
Hebrews 13:4)
• Do not steal (Ephesians 4:28, 2 Thessalonians 3:10 – 12 and James 5:1 – 4)
• Do not give false testimony (Colossians 3:9 and Ephesians 4:25)
• Do not covet (Ephesians 5:3 and Luke 12:15 – 21)
Note these “summaries of the law” in the New Testament - not one of them mentions the
Sabbath: Matthew 19:16 – 20, Mark 10:17 – 20, Luke 18:18 – 21 and Romans 13:8 – 10. Of
course, the “New Commandment” of love is the basic motivation for the believer today
(John 13:34 – 35 and Romans 13:9 – 10). This love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit
(Romans 5:5), so that we love God and others and therefore should need no external law to
control our lives. The old nature knows no law, and the new nature needs no law. The Sabbath
was God’s special day for the Jews under the Old Covenant. The Lord’s Day is God’s special
day for the church under the New Covenant. The Sabbath symbolizes salvation by works: six
days of labor, then rest. The Lord’s Day symbolizes salvation by grace: first rest, and then the
works follow. The Sabbath, the sacrifices, the dietary laws, the priesthood and the tabernacle
services were all done away in Jesus the Messiah.
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C H A P T E R 2
A DETAILED STUDY OF EACH OF THE TEN

COMMANDMENTS
Exodus 20: 1 – 17
And God spoke all these words:

2
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3 “You
shall have no other gods before me.
4
“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth
beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the
LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third
and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of
those who love me and keep my commandments.
7
“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone
guiltless who misuses his name.
8
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your
work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any
work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your
animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the
earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD
blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God
is giving you. 13 “You shall not murder. 14 “You shall not commit adultery. 15 “You shall not steal.
16
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 17 “You shall not covet your
neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant,
his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
Deuteronomy 5:6 – 21
6
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 7 “You
shall have no other gods before me.
8
“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth
beneath or in the waters below. 9 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the
LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third
and fourth generation of those who hate me, 10 but showing love to a thousand generations of
those who love me and keep my commandments.
11
“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone
guiltless who misuses his name.
12
“Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. 13
Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD
your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your
manservant or maidservant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor the alien
within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do. 15 Remember
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that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a
mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to
observe the Sabbath day.
16
“Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you
may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you. 17
“You shall not murder. 18 “You shall not commit adultery. 19 “You shall not steal. 20 “You shall not
give false testimony against your neighbor.
21
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s
house or land, his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to
your neighbor.”
Introduction - The mighty King announces Himself (Exodus 20: 2)
• God announces Himself in His majesty.
Look at Exodus 19:16, then Deuteronomy 4:10. The Israelites were to give honor to their God.
It is as if God is saying, “If I am the Father, where is My honor?” Now, the New Testament
church is called upon to serve God with just as much honor and respect.
(Hebrews 12: 18 – 21, 28 – 29)
• God announces Himself as the great Liberator, the great Giver of freedom.
For that reason, He is called Yahweh. Yahweh means “I Am Who I Am.” For example, “I am
the saving One, the liberating One, who fulfills the promises that I gave to your fathers Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob.” God had bound Himself by oath to Abraham and He was thinking back to that
covenant (Genesis 12:1 – 3, 15:5, 17:1 – 8, 18:18 – 19 and 22:15 – 18). The covenant,
established long ago, was being renewed at Sinai. The nation, set free from Egypt, knew what
kind of God had delivered them – The God who keeps His covenant.
(In “Believers Lifestyle,” we are also studying about walking in covenant relationship with God.)
Remember that the Israelites were set free in spite of their conduct and behavior toward God
(Exodus 5:21, 6:6 – 12, 14:11 – 12 and Deuteronomy 9:24). So this covenant is the covenant of
GRACE, and the deliverance of Israel was an undeserved deliverance! BY HIS GRACE!!
• God announces Himself as the Lawgiver.
Now, when God gave His ten commands, it was not like, “obey and be quiet!” Yahweh wants
His people to be free and to stay free. First, there was the exodus to freedom. And second,
there was the giving of the law. So now we have FREEDOM plus LIMITS. We are free, but
only when we listen to God’s law (James 1:25, the law of freedom). Deuteronomy 6:20 – 25 tells
us that the father was to tell his children about the deliverance, then talk about the
commandments.
Thus, we begin to see the purpose of the law of freedom…to keep those who have been set
free from going back to slavery. Now, life in accordance with the law is a holy life. Israel was not
to behave like Egypt or like Canaan. Yahweh had separated Israel so that they would belong to
Him, and He is holy. To a separate God belong a separate people (Exodus 19:6).
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Now, remember as we begin our study of the Ten Commandments that man is a sinner who
breaks the law. We do not look for our salvation by being decent, moral, etc. But the law of
God frees us from self-righteousness, and we are declared righteous only through the Messiah
and He had fulfilled the whole law!! Apart from Him, the law condemns us, but when we are in
the Messiah, it is our law of freedom and it teaches us how to live.
The Commandments of Freedom
The First Commandment – Exodus 20:3 – “You shall have no other gods
beside Me.”
In the Bible, you will find that much is written about many “gods.” The Canaanites served baal.
During the period of the judges the Israelites served the baals, which were male and female
deities. Solomon permitted shrines to the Ammonite god Milcom and the Moabite god Chemosh
(1 Kings 11.4 – 8).
Actually, these “gods” are not gods at all – people called them gods but they were the work of
human hands. They were wooden and stone idols. So, is this first commandment a warning
against something that does not exist? John says, (1 John 5.21), “Dear children, keep
yourselves from idols.” So, they are not “gods,” but only so-called gods. However, they are very
real powers and can enslave a person.
Let’s illustrate by asking, “Who was baal?” He was the Canaanite god of rain, thunder and
fertility. When the sun’s heat burned everything, they said baal was dying. When rain made
everything green again, they said baal was coming back to life! Now, baal did not exist, but new
green life was coming from the earth. So people started worshipping the creatures formed by
man’s hands instead of the Creator.
Time has passed --- Baal is gone, Zeus is gone, but there are other “gods.” Idolatry still exists,
and it can influence our lifestyle as believers. We can make idols or gods of such things as
our….
Strength - Habakkuk 1:11

Gold – Job 31:24
Money – Matthew 6:24
Covetousness – Colossians 3:5
Stomach – Philippians 3:19
Further, we can make gods out of our desire for power or make a god of reason, nature,
tradition…anything that has HOLD OF OUR HEART… hobbies, work…anything!!
The first commandment gives us a choice ---- We may choose God, or we choose the idol,
which is the false god (Joshua 24:14 – 15 and Matthew 6:24). Choosing for God means loving
Him (Deuteronomy 6:4 – 5 and Matthew 22:34 – 40) and to love Him means that you will stay
with Him. You will stay with your choice. To love God with all of your heart means you are no
longer your own master. You may even face a martyr’s death.
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Finally, the one who loves God will keep God’s Word, and by keeping His Word we are
equipped to guard against idols (Deuteronomy 6:6 – 7, Luke 8:15, John 14:23, 1 Timothy 6:20,
1 John 3:24 and 5:2 – 3). We are to devote ourselves blamelessly and perfectly to the Lord.
“Perfect” and “blameless” have meanings of wholeness, with a whole heart, completely focused
on God. (Compare Genesis 6:9 with Matthew 19:21 and Matthew 5:43 – 48.)
Thus, obeying the first commandment leads to freedom while serving false gods leads to
slavery. We only get rid of false “gods” as we are totally converted to the ONE TRUE GOD.
The Second Commandment – Exodus 20:4 – 6 – “You shall not make for
yourself an idol…..”
[Note: Some Catholics/Lutherans view this as part of the first commandment, then they divide
the tenth commandment.]
As we look at the first and second commandments, we find that the first commandment rejects
all other “gods” and only Yahweh remains. Then the second commandment rejects every wrong
form of Yahweh worship. Therefore, we must get rid of all our idols, but in their place we must
not erect an image of Yahweh. Thus, the first commandment points to the one true God and the
second commandment points to true worship.
As we see from Deuteronomy 4:5 – 18 and Exodus 32:4 – 5, the idea of using a calf or a young
bull came out of pagan idolatry. Baal was worshipped in the form of a bull, a symbol of power.
They were making an image of Yahweh. They were not saying “we reject the Lord” (please see
Exodus 32:5), but they wanted to have Him with them in a way forbidden by the second
commandment. We see this same kind of thing in 1 Kings 12:28 when Jereboam, king of Israel,
erected the golden calves at Dan and Bethel. Remember, the first commandment deals with
idol worship and the second commandment deals with self-willed worship of Yahweh. Self-willed
worship means that I worship God the way that I choose, NOT the way that He chooses.
What is the significance of an idol or image in the mind of a non-believer? The image represents
the god. The image signifies the god’s presence. Thus, without the image, he would never
notice the god. And if there is no image, he will not receive the blessings of the god. Also,
handling the image requires great care. If the rituals are performed correctly and the images
handled accurately, then the gods will bless. Or so the non-believer thinks.
Therefore, why does God prohibit making images? Consider these three things:
• To capture Yahweh in an image is to misunderstand His freedom. We cannot control
Almighty God. He will not allow it.
• To capture the Almighty God in an image is to misunderstand His great majesty
(Deuteronomy 4:11 – 12,28, Isaiah 40:18, 41:7 and 44:15 – 20).
• To capture Yahweh in an image is to misunderstand His covenant. The Lord was not
visible or tangible, but Israel heard His voice. He made His covenant known
(Deuteronomy 4:12 – 14, 5:29, 6:24, 30:12 – 14 and Romans 10:6 – 8).
Self-willed religion arouses the spirit of jealousy in God much like a husband who sees his wife
love another. Remember this main point. Consider the bulls made by Aaron and Jereboam I.
They were mainly interested, not in picturing Yahweh, but in manipulating or controlling His
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power. What was the sin of Israel with the golden calf? Their sin was not in wanting to see
Yahweh. Moses wanted to see Yahweh. But their sin was in seeking to see or touch or satisfy
their curiosity in a stubborn and disobedient manner.
The Third Commandment – Exodus 20:7 – “You shall not misuse the name of
the Lord your God …”
The name of Yahweh (Lord) must not be spoken without meaning or with deceitful intentions.
Misusing God’s name is taking it un-righteously upon our lips. There are three errors that surely
lead to misusing God’s name. Let’s briefly look at these three things.
First, sorcery is to invoke the Lord’s Name in order to ask for His help. Sorcerers were not to be
tolerated in Israel (Deuteronomy 18:10 – 14). Remember the seven itinerant Jewish exorcists
who tried to use the Name of Jesus in their exorcisms, expecting that the use of the Name
would produce secret, magical powers (Acts 19: 13 – 17)? God does mighty miracles through
His children who call upon Him, but sorcery attempts to use God’s name for selfish ambition.
Sorcerers want to place life and death under their own power.
Second, there is false prophecy. This occurs when persons declare, “Thus says the Lord,”
when in fact they have not been sent by Him. False prophets pretend to come in the name of
Yahweh, but it is an empty and vain naming of the Lord.
Third, there are false oaths. By that, we mean that we are using God’s Name as part of an
“oath formula” (Leviticus 19:12, Jeremiah 5:2 and Zechariah 5:3 – 4). Here, we may be abusing
or misusing the name of the Lord without even mentioning it. You can probably think of many
ways of saying an oath, without actually saying the Lord’s Name, but you are making a veiled
reference to God.
Included within a person’s name is his whole being. Our reputation and our being are tied up in
our name. Thus, when the Lord’s Name is mentioned, even in a very slight way, we are
speaking of His supreme being, His honor and His reputation. So we must exercise caution in
the words that proceed from our mouths. Remember that these words originate in our hearts.
Also, when we attack one of God’s creatures, we attack His Name. For example, anyone who
mocks the poor insults their Maker (Proverbs 17:5). The Bible also says that you may not curse
a deaf person (Leviticus 19:14).
The Lord demands that people reverence His Name. We are asked to give the Lord the glory
due to His Name (Psalm 29:2, 66:2 and 96:8). The Hebrew word “kabod” equals the English
word “glory.” “Kabod” means “weight” or “burden.” The Name of the Lord is one of heavy weight.
Thus, if we treat something lightly, we despise it. We curse or blaspheme it. The penalty in the
Old Testament for blaspheming the Name of God was stoning (Leviticus 24:10 – 23).
Whenever Israel scorned Yahweh, it provided reasons for pagans to blaspheme the God of
Israel. Look at the example of David, Bathsheba and Uriah in 2 Samuel 11 and 12. God’s
reputation suffered because of David’s actions.
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In the New Testament, glory is given to the Name of Jesus (Acts 4:12, Philippians 2:9 – 11,
John 1:14, 5:23, 1 Corinthians 2:8 and Revelation 5:12 – 14). But the Name of Jesus can be
blasphemed by unholy actions or attitudes (see Titus 2:5 and Revelation 13:5 – 6).
Let’s think for a few moments about modern day profanity or cursing. Today, there is very little
fear of God or of the Messiah. Religion has become “contemporary paganism.” In homes and
on the streets of our cities and villages, many people use God’s Name in an unholy manner and
do not even think about what they are saying. People say such things as “The Man Upstairs,”
“The Big Guy,” “Oh my G..,” etc. There are many other expressions like these which you hear
every day. Surely these are gross violations of the third commandment and the violators are
usually unaware of the seriousness of their speech. God has many wonderful Names given in
His holy Word to describe Him. We must properly use these Names and we must clearly teach
the meaning of God’s Word as it refers to His Names.
Finally, consider the question: What value does God’s Name have in our lives and in our
relationships with others? Our conviction must produce a believer’s lifestyle that is preoccupied
with giving honor to God in all of our words as well as our actions.
As long as it’s our name and our honor that suffer abuse, Paul says that we must endure much
abuse. But the honor of God and of Jesus the Messiah are other matters altogether. We
should have passion for God’s honor. That requires us to oppose all that brings dishonor upon
the majesty of the Lord. This unique honoring of the Lord must be at the very center of our
whole being. It is the primary duty in Christian living.
THINK ABOUT THIS……..
Sometimes, silence is better. If mentioning God’s Name might give someone the opportunity to
ridicule Him, then silence may be better (Proverbs 9:7, Matthew 7:6, 26:63 and 27:14).
The Fourth Commandment – Exodus 20:8 –11 – “Remember the Sabbath day”
First of all, the Israelite was commanded to rest on the Sabbath, in order to be refreshed
(Exodus 23:12 and 31:17). God observed the Sabbath rest after creation. Likewise the Israelite
may rest. Even the servant of the house must be able to observe a Sabbath rest. For the
people of Israel, the Sabbath was a commemoration of liberation from their slavery in Egypt.
Let’s look at the parallels:
Israel celebrates the annual feast of Passover.

Israel celebrates weekly the Exodus.
The Church celebrates the annual feast of Easter.
The Church celebrates weekly the Resurrection.
What Jesus did on the Sabbath conflicted with the Jewish interpretation of the Old Testament
law, not with the law itself. But when Jesus said, ”The Sabbath was made for man, not man for
the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27), He made it clear that the Sabbath is a gift and blessing for man. It’s
not just a legal regulation meant to be a burden. Jesus restored the fourth commandment to its
original beauty.
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This does not mean that the Sabbath is only for our relaxation. God speaks of it as His Sabbath
(Exodus 31:13, Leviticus 19:3, Isaiah 56:4 and Ezekiel 20:12). The Sabbath is consecrated to
Yahweh, our God. Clearly, it was to be a day filled with praising the Lord (Psalm 92) and having
fellowship with Him. Thus, resting goes together with holding sacred assemblies and praising
God (Leviticus 23:3 and Numbers 28:25). Keeping the Sabbath holy meant, very simply, not
routinely working on that day (Exodus 31:14 and Jeremiah 17:24). The Sabbath is a joy for man,
but man finds his deepest joy in the Lord. So, why was there conflict between the Pharisees
and Jesus? Let’s try to answer that question.
Many Jews wanted to work on the Sabbath to make money (Isaiah 58:3, Amos 8:5 and
Nehemiah 13: 15 – 22) and not really to honor God with praise and rest. Thus, many Jews did
not trust God to graciously provide for them as He had promised, but they were still trying to
control their own lives and pocketbooks. So the Jews began to make up their own set of rules
to define “work” and as they began to forbid different kinds of activity, they destroyed the festive
nature of the Sabbath day.
Let’s discuss the importance of the Sabbath and Sunday, because that’s important for us today
as believers. Both days are festive, or feast days. On both days salvation is remembered. It is
deliverance from slavery in Egypt and deliverance from slavery of sin. On both days, worship is
very important. The Sabbath was made for man and also Sunday was made for man. John
Calvin, a famous theologian during the Reformation, said, “Just as Israel was to observe
externally a complete rest on the seventh day, so we should rest inwardly, by putting to death
our own will and by allowing God to work in us.” But what about these particular passages:
Romans 14:5 – Is this about the Sabbath? The context (verses 1 – 4) is about days of fasting.
Remember the proper meaning of Sabbath is feasting not fasting.
Galatians 4:10 – Is this only about the Sabbath? No. Remember the Galatians were threatened
by a Judaizing doctrine requiring observance of the entire Jewish system of rituals. Observance
of all of these days, weeks and months was said to be necessary for salvation! Paul said “no.”
Colossians 2:16 – 23 – Paul describes all of these Jewish observances as “a shadow of the
things that were to come” (verse 17). Thus, the “shadow” disappears because the “reality,” the
true “substance” (the Messiah), has come. The “shadows” of circumcision, Passover and
Sabbath made room for the realities of baptism, the Lord’s Supper and Sunday.
Thus, Jesus the Messiah has become the fulfillment of the Sabbath. He was already visible in
the laws and commands of the Old Testament, but now that He has come, He has fulfilled the
law, and brought complete light to dispel all of the shadows.
The early church worshipped on Sunday and they received Sunday as a day of joy – and this
was exactly like the original intention of the Sabbath. It was a day of praising God, resting from
normal work as much as possible and finding deep joy in the Lord Himself. Now, what should all
of this mean to us today, as modern day believers? We should celebrate and enjoy Sunday.
We should celebrate our freedom in the Messiah as we remember His resurrection and our
deliverance from sin. We must not be enslaved to our work seven days a week OR be enslaved
to our hobbies. We should enjoy other people. When Sunday is properly celebrated, it involves
the whole community of believers and everyone is equal.
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Though it is a day for man for rest, we rest as we honor God and devote the day to Him.
Remember, it is God alone who judges our observance of Sunday. He alone knows our hearts.
He knows if it is truly a day of joyous celebration.
One further note - in order to properly rest and really enjoy Sunday, you may want to do some
preparation on Saturday. Then, let Sunday be a day of rest, worship, fellowship and true joy.
The Fifth Commandment – Exodus 20:12 – “Honor your father and your
mother”
As we look at this commandment, there are two things to consider. First, we must honor our
parents. Second, we must respect the teaching of our father and mother (Deuteronomy 6:6 – 7,
Proverbs 1.8 – 9, 2:1 and 3:1 – 2). In this commandment there is also a promise. God says that
He will reward children who honor their parents who have passed on to them His
commandments. Such children will enjoy a long life in the Promised Land and it will go well for
them there (Deuteronomy 5:16). Paul quotes this command in Ephesians 6:1 – 3. We must not
downplay the promise. Anyone who honors his parents, and accepts God’s commandments
through them, will receive benefit from doing so, not only in our heavenly life but also now in our
earthly life.
There is great meaning to the word “honor.” The basic meaning of honor is “heavy.” Do you
remember the word “kabod” that was discussed in the third commandment? Someone who
should be honored is someone of “weight.” This is true of parents. God places them over their
children and they share some of the “kabod” (glory), or the honor belonging to God.
In order to gain a better understanding of this word “honor”, let’s also think about the word
“respect.” As we know, the opposite of “respect” is “disrespect.” You could truthfully say that
something (or someone) who has “weight,” or who should be respected, if he is not respected,
then he is being treated as if he were LIGHT. In other words, a heavyweight is treated as a
lightweight. For example, a child who views his parents as “lightweight” treats his parents with
disrespect, without honor. Even in their old age, we continue to respect them.
How does this relate to our believer’s lifestyle? The following are several aspects of honoring
our parents:
Children are to take to heart the instruction given by their parents. To honor one’s
parents is to listen, to hear carefully their instructions.
To honor our parents is to show deference toward our parents. They deserve our
respect (1 Kings 2:19). Children should be taught to let the parents speak first and
answer respectfully. They should be quiet when parents are speaking to them. They
must learn to say “thank you” when they receive something from them. Good manners
show respect (This is true in all cultures.).
To honor our parents means that we love them. Love is a form of gratitude, a way of
giving back something to our parents for all they have meant to us and for all they have
done for us.
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To honor our parents means being faithful to them. We do this especially when they
become old.
To honor our parents means that we help them out when they have times of financial
need (Matthew 15: 4 – 9 and 1 Timothy 5:4).
To honor our parents means that we give them spiritual support, visiting them, easing
their feelings of loneliness, etc.
To honor our parents we have them involved in the decision of our marriage.
But there are LIMITS as to how much to honor a parent. For instance, consider the following
situations:
We worship God, not our parents.
When parents do not teach the child about God, but rather teach the opposite, the child
must choose the path of following the Lord (2 Kings 18:3). John Calvin said that if
parents are teaching children to go against God’s laws, they have a right to regard them
not as parents, but as strangers (Matthew 10:37, Luke 9:59 – 60 and 14:26).
Our highest honor belongs to God and if it is necessary, children must choose for God
and against parents. Children must obey their parents “in the Lord” (Ephesians 6:1).
Obedience is not proper, if out of respect for parents, they choose against the Lord.
Remember: Obeying the fifth commandment will always involve problems and sometimes it
may be very painful to obey, or to choose to disobey.
The Sixth Commandment – Exodus 20:13 – “You shall not murder” (“You shall
not kill unlawfully.”)
Obviously this command is to protect human life. The command is concerning the lives of other
people. We must respect human life since we are all made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26 – 27).
We must not attack our fellowman’s life, or even curse him (Genesis 9: 6 and James 3: 9). God
alone has control over life and death.
In the original Hebrew text, this commandment is dealing with “unlawful killing” which violates
justice. The word “rasah” [or, “unlawful killing”] never appears in the context of God putting
someone to death or putting to death an enemy in wartime. Nor does this command prohibit a
killing that has been ordered by the court. Rather, it prohibits a kind of killing that does not serve
society but instead violates society.
One may ask, “Why not translate this simply, ’you shall not murder’”? The answer to this
question lies in the fact that “unlawful killing” includes far more that what we usually mean by
“murder.” Consider first of all that there are various types of “killing.” We may classify at least five
types, which are:
Premeditated, calculated, “cold blooded” murder
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Intentional, voluntary manslaughter – For example, if someone kills in a fit of rage (or,
“hot blooded” killing - under the impulse of strong emotions)
Recklessness – For example, killing someone when driving a car, such as a “reckless
homicide”
Carelessness – For example, a nurse giving the wrong kind of medicine to a patient and
thereby causing the patient’s death
Accidental – no one is responsible (Deuteronomy 19:5)
Now, to which of these situations was the sixth commandment applied in Scripture? The answer
is – to all of these situations. They are all “unlawful killings.” Thus, the translation “you shall not
murder” is inaccurate and is not correct, because the sixth commandment encompasses MORE
than a condemnation of “murder” alone.
(In Israelite society, the killing of a person, even if accidental, was so serious that “cities of
refuge” were provided as a safe haven to protect the person who killed accidentally. Vendettas
or family feuds were very common.)
Now, let’s think about the modern day issue of abortion. Many believers have to deal with this
problem. Unless there is a definite medical argument to save the mother’s life, abortion is
unlawful killing. In which of the above five categories would you place abortion?
Another related topic would be the question of “suicide.” How does Scripture handle this type of
killing? Of course, we are not to kill someone because he or she is created in the image of God.
And that applies to ourselves as well – we are not to destroy the image that we ourselves are.
But remembering that God alone is Judge, we must be careful in our judgment of those who
have taken their own lives.
Note: In God’s Word, there are six suicides listed, including Samson’s, but he was not
condemned. Few suicides occur after “cool, calm deliberation.” Suicide is not necessary,
because as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor in the 1930’s and 1940’s, says, “…. in Jesus
the Messiah there is refuge and hope for those who are most desperate.” God is sovereign, but
we are not. But what does all of this say about our believer’s lifestyle? God’s command
penetrates our heart, because He hates the root of all “unlawful killing” (envy, hatred, anger,
revenge). But, when God forbids envy, hatred, anger or revenge, He does not stop at that. He
then commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves. He commands us to be patient, peace –
loving, gentle, merciful, friendly, to protect them from harm as much as possible and to do good
to our enemies. We will discuss this later in the Sermon on the Mount.
So then, we must look behind the act of killing to consider everything that can lead up to it.
First, our words can “kill.” They can dishonor others (1 Samuel 25:10, 2 Samuel 16:7 – 8 and
Proverbs 12:18 and 18:21).
Proverbs 12:18 – “Reckless words pierce like a sword….”

Proverbs 18:21 – “The tongue has the power of life and death….”
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Secondly, hatred is a form of “killing” (1 John 3:15). The sixth command penetrates right down to
the root of all killing, and thus forbids any wrong attitude of heart. Not only wrong actions, but
wrong attitudes.
Thirdly, we must take one more step. Saying “No” to death means saying “Yes” to life. We have
not obeyed the sixth commandment if we simply avoid killing or hating our neighbor. We must
not only avoid killing or hating our neighbor, but also our enemy. Not that we simply spare our
neighbor the worst, but that we give him the best. That is God’s design – that is His idea of how
we believers are to live.
[One final note: “Killing” is permissible in such things as self – defense, war and capital
punishment (Genesis 9:6 and Romans 13:4). The basis for capital punishment is respect for
human life. God has given the “sword” to the government to execute wrath on those who
practice evil (Romans 13:4). God has also given the sword to the government to protect citizens
against evildoers from “without.”]
The Seventh Commandment – Exodus 20:14 – “You shall not commit

adultery.”
The Hebrew word for “adultery” says that a man who is married or unmarried has sexual
relations with a married woman. Thus, he destroys the marriage of his neighbor. He has taken
into his possession the woman who belongs to another man. It is still considered to be adultery
even if she is merely engaged to be married (Deuteronomy 22:23 – 24).
If the woman was not married or engaged, it was not called adultery in Israel. This is because it
was as if adultery was considered a crime against property. Thus, because the woman was the
property of the neighbor, she must not be touched. However, it is not really the proper and exact
teaching of the Old Testament if we consider adultery simply as a question of property.
The seventh command does not mean simply, “Keep your hands off of your neighbor’s
property,” but it goes much deeper than that. The man who violates his neighbor’s wife also
violates that neighbor’s honor (Proverbs 6:34 – 35).
The uniqueness of the seventh command is even clearer when we consider what the Old
Testament says about God’s relationship with His people. His relationship to Israel is compared
to a marriage. God is a jealous God (a jealous Husband), who takes revenge against other
“gods” when they seek after His “wife.” Nor does He tolerate Israel herself (His wife) when she
goes after other gods. Again, He is a jealous Husband (Jeremiah 3:8 – 9, 5:7, Ezekiel 23:37
and Hosea 2 and 3). The result is that God’s honor and His love are being violated. Thus, a
married man who has sexual relations with another man’s wife not only injures the other man,
but he also destroys his own marriage. When a man is unfaithful to his wife, he is unfaithful to a
covenant witnessed by God (Malachi 2:14 – 16).
Later, as we discuss the Sermon on the Mount, we’ll discuss what Jesus sees as the “spirit” of
the law, not just the act of adultery. But we want to ask another question, and that is, how
should we live in the relationship of husband and wife? Let’s try to answer this question.
First, let’s remember that marriage is an institution of God.
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Second, God created man and woman on the sixth day and looked back and said “and it was
very good” (Genesis 1:31). Then, we know that God created man and woman with a common
order, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28).
Next, in Genesis 2:24, God commanded the man and woman to cleave to each other and
become one flesh. “Cleave” refers to an intense love that radiates in body and soul throughout
all areas of fellowship. And now, in the same way that Jesus is leading, nurturing and protecting
His church, the husband has the task of leading, nurturing and protecting his wife (Ephesians 5).
One final note about adultery – Adultery does not mean that the marriage must end in divorce.
God repeatedly showed grace to His people, even though the nation had been guilty of adultery
(Jeremiah 3:1 and 30:14 – 22). Every marriage partner must have a forgiving attitude. The Word
says that a person may not divorce “except for marital unfaithfulness” (Matthew 5:32 and 19:9).
The Eighth Commandment – Exodus 20:15 – “You shall not steal.”
This command forbids robbery in general, without specifying the object of robbery. For example,
one might steal a thing or a person. From the text we can understand that robbery can involve
“man stealing.” Verses concerning kidnapping are (the actual Greek word is “man stealer” or
“slave trader”) Exodus 21:16, Deuteronomy 24:7 and 1 Timothy 1:10. What types of “man
stealing” are there? Consider the following examples:
¾ Stealing children
¾ Stealing people, selling them into slavery
¾ Stealing children, using them as beggars, prostitutes, etc.
¾ Stealing young girls, against their wills, to marry them
¾ Stealing people for ransom
Remember that as God gave the ten commands, He was announcing freedom. He is the
Deliverer. Therefore, since Israel had been freed from slavery, she must realize how serious
stealing is. Stealing people (kidnapping) is robbing them of their freedom.
There is another way in which someone can “steal” another person. We can “steal” another’s
heart. If we say that someone has stolen our heart that sounds good. Someone has won our
love. We are thus allowing that person to “steal” our heart. But also, we can be tricked or
deceived by someone. We can be fooled. We can be manipulated (Genesis 31:20 – 26).
Absalom, King David’s son, tricked the Israelite people. “He stole the hearts of the men of Israel”
(2 Samuel 15:6). Hitler and Stalin stole the hearts of many people, tricking millions into believing
their schemes. When we allow our hearts to be stolen, we share in the responsibility. In this
command is also included the idea that one shall not steal land or swindle the poor out of their
meager possessions. He shall not embezzle money from someone. Enlarging a country’s
boundary through unjust war is another prohibition under this command (Deuteronomy 5:19,
Jeremiah 22:13 – 17, Isaiah 5:8, Amos 8:4 – 6 and Habakkuk 2:9 – 12).
Jesus spoke against those pious leaders who devoured the houses of widows (Matthew 23:14).
James spoke against those who despised the poor (James 2:6) and withheld (stole) their wages
(James 5:4). We believers are not to have these kinds of attitudes against the poor, the
widow or the orphan. Rather, we should share (Exodus 23:11, Leviticus 19.10 and 23.22) and
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not close our hand against the poor (Deuteronomy 15: 8,11). In the land blessed by God, there
should not have been any poor (Deuteronomy 15:4 – 5).
Stealing can happen in a number of ways. For example:
Cheating others with false weights/measures

Laying up money or treasure on earth (so that money becomes our god) is a form of
stealing
Borrowing and wasting large sums of money
Not paying the proper taxes
Not returning borrowed possessions (A cup of flour, 2 eggs, a hammer)
Gambling
Laziness (Proverbs 6:6 – 11,12:24 and 2 Thessalonians 3:6 – 10)
Now we should ask this question:
Why is it stealing if it is OUR OWN money or possessions that we are wasting or squandering?
When we take our stewardship seriously, then we see the eighth command in its fullness. NO
ONE is an owner in the absolute sense. God is the Owner. We are the stewards, or managers.
It’s His money. He has simply allowed us to use it. A steward is quite simply a manager. He
manages the property of another (God’s property). And we will all have to give an account of
our stewardship, or management (Matthew 12:36 and Romans 14:12).
We must be ready to lose our property and possessions for the sake of the Messiah’s Kingdom
(Matthew 19:16 – 30 and 1 Corinthians 7:29 – 31). We must be ready to forsake everything
external, which requires being prepared internally (Matthew 6:19 – 21 and 1 Timothy 6:7). Do
you remember the command against stealing given by Paul, in Ephesians 4:28? Positively,
Paul says, instead of stealing, we should work hard in order that we will have something to
share with the needy. That is the opposite of stealing, and that is fundamental in our believer’s
lifestyle. (1 Thessalonians 4:11 – 12, Proverbs 12:24 and Deuteronomy 16:15)
We need to remember one more important point - The Bible speaks of robbing or stealing from
God (Malachi 3:9 – 10) when we do not tithe. The New Testament believers are to be GRACE
GIVERS, or else we steal, and by stealing we are breaking the eighth commandment.
The Ninth Commandment – Exodus 20:16 – “You shall not give false
testimony against your neighbor.”
The ninth command involves first of all a judicial or courtroom matter. The Hebrew speaks
literally about someone who might testify against his neighbor before a judge. This is the primary
meaning outside the courtroom as well.
In the days of the Judges, “court” was held at the city gates. Remember Boaz and the elders of
Bethlehem? Samuel was called a “circuit judge” who traveled from town to town to hear cases
(1 Samuel 7:16 – 17). In those days, justice was not complicated. Everything depended upon
what the witnesses said. So witnesses could hold sway over life and death. Their words could
be fatal (Proverbs 18:21 and 25:18). So the words of the witness were very serious. If someone
were found to be a false witness, he received the punishment the accused would have received
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(Deuteronomy 19:16 – 19). This was very important for justice in the nation of Israel. This
system of justice existed for the people, for their welfare. And if the system of justice were
corrupt – if witnesses lied and if judges took bribes – then there was no safeguard to protect
human honor, life, marriage or property. Let’s simply say that the court of law is very important in
every society. Where justice reigns, peace also reigns (Psalm 72:1 – 20). Righteousness and
peace “kiss” (Psalm 85:10).
Lying is mentioned throughout the Bible as sin. Hosea 4:2 mentions 5 different sins – cursing,
lying, murder, stealing and adultery. Do you see the Ten Commands? Paul said in Ephesians
4:25, “put off falsehood.” The ninth command aimed at preserving the reputation and the good
name of the Israelite citizen. That reputation could be attacked in many ways, such as the
following:
Backbiting or gossip – [Note: gossip may not always be “lying,” but it is always hurtful. Saying
things that are true, but in a slanderous manner, is deceitful.] Usually, we humans would rather
hear something bad about our neighbor than something good. Martin Luther said, “Reputation
is something quickly stolen, but not quickly returned.” Sometimes, we even feign “reluctance”
when we gossip. We say, for example, “Well, I’ve known this for a long time…” or, “but he has
his good points, too.” Someone said, “There is a big difference between knowing about sin, and
talking about sin.”
Judging rashly – Making quick judgments or decisions that may be wrong (Matthew 7:1 – 3).
Often when we judge quickly, we harm our neighbor’s reputation. Or maybe we judge without
being asked to judge. “Who made you a judge over us?” Earlier we talked about silence (third
commandment). The same is true in situations where we are not asked to give judgments. We
should not say just whatever comes into our minds (Jude 9 and 1 Corinthians 4:5).
Libel – One who libels is openly and intentionally lying. This is an intentional attempt to rob one’s
neighbor of his reputation. Often, we libel by twisting someone’s words. Even a slight twist of
meaning can often communicate exactly the opposite of what was intended.
The opposite of all this is that I must love the truth, speak and confess it honestly, and do
whatever I can to defend and promote my neighbor’s honor and reputation. The tongue can do
so much evil. It can be full of deadly poison but we can use the tongue for putting into practice
“the wisdom that comes from heaven” (James 3:17).
Now here in the ninth command, for the first time, is the mention of our neighbor. If we look at
the third and ninth commands together, we see some interesting things such as the following:
Both commands involve names and reputations

Both commands also involve a false witness
In the third command, it deals with attacking God’s Name by using it idly, or by misusing
it. The ninth deals with attacking our neighbor’s name.
And we should ask, who is our neighbor? In the Old Testament, a neighbor was a fellow
Israelite. However, Jesus extended the circle very wide, to include all men (Luke 10:25 – 37 and
Romans 13:8 – 10).
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Concerning the central issue surrounding this ninth commandment, let’s ask the question “Why
do we lie?” Jesus knew the answer. Our sinful inherited nature is a lying nature (James 3:2 – 10,
John 8:44 and Romans 1:25, 3:9 – 18). Lying lives very deep within us, because we have been
defiled with lying by the “father of lies.” The world of idolatry is a world of lies. We lie when we
still seek to control our own lives, instead of letting God control. There is only one cure for lying –
RADICAL CONVERSION. We must put off the old nature, put on the new nature, put away
lying and begin to speak the truth (Ephesians 4:22 – 25). We must wage war against lying. As
believers, we know and accept by faith that only by speaking the truth in love will we live safely
before God and among our neighbors.
Note: Beware of the “joking” lie if it deceives and puts down our neighbor. This is no longer
joking but rather lying (Proverbs 26:18 – 19).
Summarily:
The ninth command forbids lying.
The ninth command requires us to love the truth and to speak and confess the truth.
Sometimes it is better to be silent. Some things we know about we must keep secret.
[We may not betray secrets that are entrusted to us unless this could cause great harm
to others.]
Keeping silent is not the same as hiding information.
So, the ninth command instructs us that we are not to be false witnesses and we must work for
our neighbor’s well being. We are true witnesses when we help our neighbor with our words.
The Tenth Commandment – Exodus 20:17 – “You shall not covet…..

…. your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his
manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to
your neighbor.”
[Covet means to set your desire on.]
If we set our desire upon something, we are out to get what we desire. Thus, to “set our desire”
means we are inwardly forming a plan to be put in motion as soon as the opportunity arises.
For example, in Joshua 7:21, Achan set his desire on the beautiful Babylonian robe. And in
Micah 2:2, people set their desires on fields that they later steal. Thus, “covet” is not simply an
inner attitude, but involves forming a plan for getting what we covet, getting the object of our
desires. For example, the Israelites weren’t permitted, to “covet” the silver or gold of the
Canaanite idols. They weren’t permitted to appropriate this silver or gold (Deuteronomy 7:25).
Thus, the primary meaning of the tenth command is anyone who sets his desire on his
neighbor’s wife, his house, his employee, his animals, will not be able to keep his hands off…..
So, Do Not Covet! Do not set your desire on that which belongs to someone else. For instance,
the seventh and eighth commands say basically, “Do not commit the deeds of adultery and
stealing.” But the tenth command says to the heart, “Do not covet,” “Do not make plans to
commit adultery or to steal.”
Someone has said that the whole history of the human race could be stated under the theme
“You have coveted what belonged to another.” Think of “envy” as it is connected with coveting:
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• Adam and Eve desired to be like God and they started the whole human race into sin
and misery.
• Cain’s envy led to the murder of Abel. What did God tell Cain (Genesis 4:7)? Sin had its
desire for Cain, but he must master that desire. [But often times, our desires master us.]
• Envy also causes unrest in our lives. Envy cannot tolerate someone having more than
we have, even if it is of little value.
• Envy blinds a person to what he has and he sees only what he does not have. Do you
remember the story of David, Bathsheba and the prophet Nathan’s story of the ewe lamb
in 2 Samuel 11 and 12?
The desire for other things can dominate a person (Mark 4:19). Possessing material goods is
not forbidden in the Bible. However, craving and DESIRING to possess is what is forbidden in
the Bible. Coveting can so dominate a person that it really should be called a form of idolatry
(Luke 12:15, Ephesians 4:19, 5:3, Colossians 3:5, 1 Timothy 6:10 and 2 Peter 2:3,14).
Today, believers have to beware of coveting in our daily lives. Recall how the Israelites longed
to return to the “pots of meat” of Egypt (Exodus 16:3) because they were dissatisfied with the
spiritual food and drink they received from God (1 Corinthians 10:1 – 13). So too the New
Testament believer continually struggles with the temptation to return to a lifestyle led by the
desires of the sinful nature flesh (Galatians 5:16 – 21).
This power of desire is so strong that John calls it “ the world and its desires” (1 John 2:17).
Ever since the fall of man, satan whispers in man’s ear that he should have more than he has
and that by eating the “fruit” he will become like God (Genesis 3:5 – 6).
Again, let’s remember what God said at the very beginning of the Ten Commandments. He has
freed Israel. And now He provides in His commands the “fence” within which His people can
remain genuinely free. We find our true freedom in Him. God said to the Israelites that…..if they
worship no other gods….if they observe the Sabbath….if they respect authority and life and
marriage and property and truth…..then they are kept in freedom.
In the New Testament, we say we are kept in the freedom we have in the Messiah. Thus, we
can live in the bodies that we have, in the houses that we own or rent, with the husband or wife
that God has given us, with the job that we have and BE FREE. And I am free in the knowledge
that my house is the best one for me, my wife is the best one for me, etc. There is nothing
wrong with working hard to do better, but be careful that you do not “set you desire” [covet] on
something that some one else has. Ever since the Garden of Eden, satan has urged man and
woman to want to be more and to want to have more.
You must realize that life is more than consuming, getting and achieving. For example, look at
gambling, betting and lotteries. People spend money in the hope of getting a large amount of
money in return for no work. Gambling appeals to human greed. Make no mistake about that.
We must always be on guard against coveting. We should be willing to give to a needy cause
without getting something in return.
We are talking about a believer’s lifestyle. We must spend our money responsibly. And while we
know that “possessing” is not condemned, we understand that the desire to possess more is
condemned. Therefore, we do not gamble or do other things that simply stimulate our desire to
possess or which stimulate a covetous desire within us.
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God does not intend to condemn every possible desire. Our natural desires of hunger, thirst and
sleep are not sinful. The desires of husband for wife, wife for husband, longing for children,
thirsting for God and His virtues, these are all perfectly good desires.
Someone has explained it this way: Good desire means we are walking with Jesus and we are
satisfied with what He gives. Paul talks about this in 2 Corinthians 9:8. The Word says that, in
the Messiah, we have received enough. It is sufficient; we have all that we need. This is not self-
sufficiency, like the Pharisee who brags that he is quite satisfied with himself (Luke 18:9 – 14).
No, our sufficiency is from God and the result is that we are CONTENT. We are content with
what we have and with what God has given us. It is sufficient for us (Philippians 4:11,19 and
1 Timothy 6:6). But let’s not forget that our sufficiency overflows in good works toward God and
our neighbor. We have received in order to give.
Finally, what about those deep, hidden desires? What about those spontaneous desires deep
within our hearts that we never plan to carry out, and which never drive us to outward action?
They are still very wrong and sinful. What about those desires (Psalm 19:12, 90:8, 139: 23 – 24,
Jeremiah 17:9, Genesis 6:5, 8.21 and Romans 7:8, 21)? Can I help it if I glance at a person’s
wife, or his property, and suddenly begin to desire them? What if it happened in my dreams?
The Bible says that evil desires come from an evil heart.
So what is the answer? Matthew 22:37 – 40 says that our love for God and our neighbor must
be so radical that it must consume all of our heart. Not simply putting the evil desires to death,
but replacing the evil desires with good desires. We must hate sin with all our heart and delight
in all righteousness.
Perhaps we should remember the words of a pagan tribal chief who said, “I would rather have
the 7777 commandments and prohibitions of my tribal laws that the Ten Commandments of the
believers. For the Ten Commandments demand my whole heart, whereas the 7777 ancestral
commands and prohibitions leave room for a lot of freedom!”
In the light of love’s radical demand, we discover our utter sinfulness. Along with Paul we must
cry out,
“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God –
through Jesus the Messiah our Lord!” (Romans 7: 24 – 25)
That is the New Testament fulfillment of the words with which the Ten Commandments begin:
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery”
(Exodus 20:2).
Thus, the proper interpretation of the tenth commandment, just like the other nine, is impossible
without going back again and again to the beginning. From the land of slavery known as sin
there is but One who has delivered us and can always deliver us again – The LORD, the God of
Israel, who has revealed Himself in Jesus the Messiah.
Now, we move on to the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus further explains how we are to live
as His followers. He will expand our horizons.
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C H A P T E R 3
The Sermon on the Mount - Part 1

The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 – 7)
A Brief Survey of the Sermon
Few passages in the Bible are more misunderstood and misapplied than the Sermon on the
Mount. Often people will take single verses or phrases from Matthew chapters 5 – 7 and then
disregard the context. It’s important that we have a total overall view of this important sermon
before we attempt to study the various chapters and parts of this passage.
Theme
Jesus gives us the theme in 5:17–20 — true righteousness as opposed to the false
righteousness of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. It’s important to remember that the
people looked to the teachers of the law and the Pharisees as their models and teachers in the
things of God. They set the rules and determined what was holy and what was unholy. One
reason why the teachers of the law and the Pharisees hated Jesus is because He exposed their
shallowness and deceit in this sermon (See also Matthew 23).
Purposes
There are three basic purposes for the Messiah giving this sermon:
To tell His followers what true righteousness is, as opposed to the false righteousness of
the teachers of the law and the Pharisees
To describe the laws of His kingdom, the spiritual principles He uses to govern the lives
of men
To relate His message to the Old Testament Law and the traditions of the teachers of the
law and Pharisees.
Three mistakes
Many people make one (or all) of three mistakes when studying the Sermon on the Mount:
They apply it to nations when it is really meant for individuals.

They apply it to the unsaved when it is meant for believers.
They make it into a “believer’s law” that is to be obeyed, when it is really a description of
what a believer is like when the Holy Spirit is working through his or her life today
(Romans 8:1 – 4).
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Is the Sermon on the Mount for us today?
Since Matthew is called the “Gospel of the Kingdom” and at this stage the King (Jesus the
Messiah) has not been rejected, some students say that the Sermon on the Mount applies only
to God’s people during the future kingdom age. They say that if Israel had received the Messiah,
then these laws would have been put into practice. However, since they rejected Him, this
passage of Matthew 5 – 7 must await the Millennium for its fulfillment. One may hold to this view
if he so chooses. However, if the Sermon on the Mount applies only to the kingdom age, then
will there be thieves in the Millennium (6:19)? Will there be Pharisees (5:17 – 20)? Will there be
false prophets (7:15)? If satan is bound during the Millennium, then why pray in 6:13, “Deliver us
from the evil one?” Will there be fasting in the Millennium (6:16 – 18)? Why must we pray, “Your
kingdom come,” (6:10) if we are already in the kingdom?
The Jews (led by the teachers of the law and the Pharisees) were expecting a political kingdom
and had forgotten the spiritual element. Jesus upset their thinking in this sermon by announcing
the spiritual basis for His kingdom. These principles will apply in every age. In fact, most of the
material in the Sermon on the Mount is repeated in one way or another in the New Testament
letters to the church. So, while Matthew 5 – 7 may have some meaning for the future
kingdom age, we dare not say that these chapters are not for the church today. Indeed, they are
for the believer today.
The following chart shows the contrast between the righteousness that the Messiah gives and
the righteousness of the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees:
Sermon on the Mount Pharisees

1. Righteousness is first inward, then 1. Righteousness a matter of outward acts
outward (5:1 – 16) (Matthew 23:23 – 28 and Luke 11:37 – 41)
2. Sin is a matter of the heart, not only the 2. Sin is mainly in outward actions only
actions (5:17 – 48) (Luke 18:9 – 14 and Mark 2:13 – 28)
3. Righteousness is for God to see, not for 3.Want to be seen of men
men to praise (6:1 – 18) (Matthew 23:2 – 12)
4. God first; money second (6:19 – 34) 4. Covetous (Luke 16:14)
5. Not to judge (7:1 – 12) 5.Harsh in judging (Luke 18:9 and
Matthew 12:24)
The Sermon and Salvation
Millions of people think that obeying the Sermon on the Mount as if it were a law can save them.
They think it is easier than trying to obey the Ten Commandments. How foolish! Nobody was
ever saved by obeying any law (Galatians 2:16 and 3:10 – 11), and the Sermon on the Mount is
much stricter than Moses’ law. Under his law, if a man murdered another, he was guilty, but
Jesus says that hatred in the heart is the moral equivalent of murder. Lust is adultery in the
heart. Please keep in mind that the “Blessings” come first. They describe the kind of person
who, under the power of the Spirit, can live the way Jesus described in Matthew 5 – 7. Note the
progression in the “Blessings:”
Poor in spirit — this means humble before God

Mourn — this means sorrow for sin, then repentance
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Meek — waiting before God for His mercy

Hunger and thirst — asking and seeking after God’s righteousness
Merciful — condemning self, not others
Pure in heart — this is the result
Peacemakers — trying to win others to the Messiah
Persecuted — this happens to all who live godly lives
The Sermon on the Mount does not mention the Holy Spirit or the blood of the Messiah, yet the
basis for the Sermon is Calvary, and the power to live the Sermon is by the Holy Spirit. Again,
keep in mind that these are not just commandments to obey — like a “believer’s law.” The
Sermon on the Mount describes the character of the truly righteous person – character that
comes from a walk with the Lord. It’s the spirit of this sermon that is important. Keeping it
according to its letter is going back to the very Pharisaic righteousness that Jesus is
condemning. Now let’s look specifically at Jesus’ teaching and see how this teaching shows us
how to live as a believer.
True Righteousness as Pictured by Jesus (Matthew 5: 1 – 48)
As we mentioned earlier, the Sermon on the Mount is one of the most misunderstood messages
that Jesus ever gave. One group says it is God’s plan of salvation, that if we ever hope to go to
heaven we must obey these rules. Another group calls it a “charter for world peace” and begs
the nations of the earth to accept it. Still a third group tells us that the Sermon on the Mount
does not apply to today, but that it will apply at some future time, perhaps during the tribulation
or the millennial kingdom.
Perhaps Matthew 5:20 is the key to this important sermon:
“For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers
of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
The main theme is true righteousness. The religious leaders had an artificial, external
righteousness based on law. But the righteousness Jesus described is a true and vital
righteousness that begins internally, in the heart. The Pharisees were concerned about the
minute details of conduct, but they neglected the major matter of character. Conduct flows out
of character.
Whatever applications the Sermon on the Mount may have to world problems, or to future
events, it is certain that this sermon has definite applications for us today. Jesus gave this
message to individual believers, not to the unsaved world at large. What was taught in the
Sermon on the Mount is repeated in the New Testament letters. Jesus originally gave these
words to His disciples (Matthew 5:1), and they have shared them with us.
In this chapter [chapter 5], Jesus gave three explanations about true, spiritual righteousness:
What True Righteousness is (verses 1 – 16)

How True Righteousness Comes (verses 17 – 20)
How True Righteousness Works in Daily Life (verses 21 – 48)
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What True Righteousness Is (Matthew 5:1 – 16)
Being a master Teacher, our Lord did not begin this important sermon with a negative criticism
of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. He began with a positive emphasis on righteous
character and the blessings that it brings to the life of the believer. The Pharisees taught that
righteousness was an external thing, a matter of obeying rules and regulations. Righteousness
could be measured by praying, giving, fasting, etc. In the “Blessings” and the pictures of the
believer, Jesus described godly character that flowed from within.
Imagine how the crowd’s attention was fixed on Jesus when He uttered His first word: “Blessed.”
This was a powerful word to those who heard Jesus that day. To them it meant “divine joy and
perfect happiness.” The word was not used for humans. It described the kind of joy experienced
only by the gods or the dead. “Blessed” implied an inner satisfaction and sufficiency that did not
depend on outward circumstances for happiness. This is what the Lord offers those who trust
Him. The “Blessings” describe the attitudes that ought to be in our lives today.
The first sixteen verses of Matthew 5 describe the true believer and deal with our attitudes and
our character. The rest of the Sermon on the Mount deals with conduct that grows out of those
attitudes and character. Character ALWAYS comes before conduct, because what we are
determines what we do. In 5:1 – 16, Jesus shows us that true righteousness is inward, and in
5:17 – 48, He points out that sin is also inward. Thus, He exposed the false righteousness of the
Pharisees. They taught that holiness consisted in religious actions, and that sin was what you
did outwardly. How often we make these mistakes today. God looks upon the heart, for there is
where our life’s destiny is decided.
The Blessings Collectively (5:1 – 12)
There is definite progression in these verses. They show how the person begins with his or her
own sense of sin and finally becomes a child of God and the results that then follow. Note that
these verses deal with attitudes — what we think in our hearts, our outlook on life. These
characteristics and attitudes ought to be in our lives if we are believers. Let’s quickly look
at each attitude, beginning in verse 3.
The Blessings Individually (5:1 – 12)
“Poor in spirit” (verse 3)
We must be empty before we can be full. The opposite of this is self-sufficiency. Our sufficiency
is not of ourselves (2 Corinthians 3:5). The world promotes self-sufficiency, yet God dwells with
the person whose heart is broken (Isaiah 57:15). This does not mean false humility or
cowardice. It means a proper attitude toward self, realizing how weak and sinful we are apart
from Jesus. Look at the two men in Luke 18:9 – 14.
“Mourn” (verse 4)
This is sincere sorrow for sin – both our sin and the sins of others. How careless we are about
sin. We excuse it, yet God hates it, and sin breaks God’s heart. Beware of the sorrow of this
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world (2 Corinthians 7:8 – 10). Peter mourned with godly sorrow and was forgiven; Judas only
had remorse — the sorrow of this world.
“Meek” (verse 5)
Meekness is not weakness! Jesus was meek (Matthew 11:29), yet He drove the money-
changers from the temple. Moses was meek (Numbers 12:3), yet he judged sinners and even
faced Aaron with his sin. Meekness means not asserting my own rights, but living for the glory of
God. It means strength under control. Believers are to show meekness (Ephesians 4:1 – 2 and
Titus 3:2). We are prone to be self-willed.
“Hunger and thirst” (verse 6)
A true believer has an appetite for spiritual things. Ask people what they desire and you will
know what they are like.
“Merciful” (verse 7)
This is not legalism, but merely the working of the biblical principle of sowing and reaping. If we
show mercy, because Jesus has been merciful to us, then mercy will come back to us (see
Matthew 18:21 – 35, James 2:13 and Proverbs 11:17). We do not earn mercy, but we must
have hearts prepared to receive it.
“Pure in heart” (verse 8)
This is not sinlessness (1 John 1:8) but the truth within (Psalm 51:6). It means a single heart,
not divided between God and the world. The pure in heart focus upon God.
“Peacemakers” (verse 9)
Titus 3:3 describes this world at war. Believers have the Gospel of peace on their feet
(Ephesians 6:15), so that wherever they go, they bring peace. This is not the “peace” of merely
saying “yes” to others, but peace based upon the holiness of God (see James 3:17 and
Hebrews 12:14). Compromise is not peace, but believers should not be contentious as they
contend for the faith.
“Persecuted” (verses 10 – 11)
[See 2 Timothy 3:12 and 1 Peter 4:15 – 16] Note that we should be accused “falsely.” We
should never be guilty of deliberately asking for persecution. If we live godly lives, suffering will
come. Note the rewards: we are in the same company as Jesus and the prophets, and we shall
be rewarded in heaven.
Salt and Light (5:13 – 16)
There are two pictures of the believer: salt and light. Salt speaks of inward character that
influences a decaying world. Light speaks of the outward testimony of good works that point
to God. Our task is to keep our lives pure that we might “salt” this earth and hold back corruption
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so that the Gospel can get out. Our good works must accompany our dedicated lives as we let
our lights shine.
How True Righteousness Comes (Matthew 5:17 – 20)
Certainly after the crowd heard our Lord’s description of the kind of person God blesses, they
said to themselves, “But we could never attain that kind of character. How can we have this
righteousness? Where does it come from?” They wondered how His teaching related to what
they had been taught all their lives. What about Moses and the Law?
In the Law of Moses, God certainly revealed His standards for holy living. The Pharisees
defended the law and sought to obey it. But Jesus said that the true righteousness that pleases
God must exceed that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law — and to the common
people, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were the holiest men in the community. If they
had not attained true righteousness, what hope was there for anybody else?
Jesus explained His own attitude toward the Law by describing three possible relationships.
Let us examine these three relationships.
We can seek to destroy the Law (verse 17)
The Pharisees thought Jesus was doing this. To begin with, His authority did not come from any
of the recognized leaders or schools. Instead of teaching “from authorities” as did the Pharisees
and the teachers of the law, Jesus taught with authority.
Not only in His authority, but also in His activity, Jesus seemed to defy the law. He deliberately
healed people on the Sabbath Day and paid no attention to the traditions of the Pharisees. Our
Lord’s associations also seemed contrary to the law, for He was the friend of sinners.
Yet, it was the Pharisees who were destroying the law. By their traditions, they robbed the
people of the Word of God. By their hypocritical lives, they disobeyed the very law that they
claimed to protect. Their rejection of the Messiah when He came to earth proved that the inner
truth of the law had not penetrated their hearts.
Jesus made it clear that He had come to honor the Law and help God’s people love it, learn it,
and live it. He would not accept the artificial righteousness of the religious leaders. Their
righteousness was only an external mask. Their religion was a dead ritual, not a living
relationship. It was artificial – it did not reproduce itself in others in a living way. It made them
proud, not humble. It led to slavery, not freedom.
We can seek to fulfill the Law (verse 17)
Jesus fulfilled God’s Law in every area of His life. He fulfilled it in His birth because He was “born
under law” (Galatians 4:4). His parents performed every prescribed ritual for a Jewish boy on
Him. He certainly fulfilled the law in His life, for nobody was ever able to accuse Him of sin.
While He did not submit to the traditions of the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, He always
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did what God commanded in the law. The heavenly Father was “well pleased” with His Son
(Matthew 3:17 and 17:5).
Jesus also fulfilled the law in His teaching. It was this that brought Him into conflict with the
religious leaders. When He began His ministry, Jesus found the living Word of God coated over
with man-made traditions and interpretations. He broke away this thick coat of “religion” and
brought the people back to God’s Word. Then, He opened the Word to them in a new and living
way — they were accustomed to the “letter” of the law and not the real “word of life.”
But it was in His death and resurrection that Jesus especially fulfilled the law. He bore the curse
of the law (Galatians 3:13). He fulfilled the Old Testament types and ceremonies so that they no
longer are required of the people of God (see Hebrews 9 – 10). He set aside the Old Covenant
and brought in the New Covenant.
Jesus did not destroy the law by fighting it. He destroyed it by fulfilling it. Perhaps an illustration
will make this clear. If I have an acorn, I can destroy it in one of two ways. I can put it on a rock
and smash it to bits with a hammer. Or, I can plant it in the ground and let it fulfill itself by
becoming an oak tree.
When Jesus died, He tore the veil of the temple and opened the way into the holiest place
(Hebrews 10:19 – 20). He broke down the wall that separated the Jews and Gentiles
(Ephesians 2:11 – 16). Because the law was fulfilled in the Messiah, we no longer need temples
made by men (Acts 7:48) or religious rituals (Colossians 2:11 – 17).
Today, how can we fulfill the law? We fulfill the law by yielding to the Holy Spirit and allowing
Him to work in our lives (Romans 8:1 – 4). The Holy Spirit enables us to experience the
“righteousness of the law” in daily life. This does not mean we live perfect lives, but it does mean
that the Messiah lives out His life through us by the power of His Spirit (Galatians 2:20).
When we read the “Blessings,” we see the perfect character of Jesus. While Jesus never had to
mourn over His sins (He was sinless), He was still a “man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering”
(Isaiah 53:3). He never had to hunger and thirst after righteousness since He was the holy Son
of God, but He did delight in the Father’s will and find His satisfaction in doing it (John 4:34). The
only way we can experience the righteousness of the “Blessings” is through the power of Jesus
the Messiah.
We can seek to do and teach the Law (verse 19)
This does not mean we major only on the Old Testament and ignore the New Testament.
Second Corinthians 3 makes it clear that ours is a ministry of the New Covenant. But there is a
proper ministry of the law (1 Timothy 1:8 – 11) that is not contrary to the glorious message of
God’s grace. Jesus wants us to know more of the righteousness of God, obey it, and share it
with others. The moral law of God has not changed. Nine of the Ten Commandments are
repeated in the New Testament letters and commanded to believers. The exception is the
Sabbath command, which was given as a sign to Israel (Nehemiah 9:14).
We do not obey an external law because of fear. No, believers today obey an internal law and
live because of love. The Holy Spirit teaches us the Word and enables us to obey. Sin is still sin,
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and God still punishes sin. In fact, we in this present age are more responsible because we
have been taught and given more.
How True Righteousness Works in Daily Life (Matthew 5:21 – 48)
Jesus took six important Old Testament laws and interpreted them for His people in the light of
the new life He came to give. He made a fundamental change without altering God’s standards.
He dealt with the attitudes and intents of the heart and not simply with the external action. The
Pharisees said that righteousness consisted of performing certain actions, but Jesus said it
centered in the attitudes of the heart. Also, the Pharisees had a list of external actions that were
sinful, but Jesus explained that sin came from the attitudes of the heart. For instance, anger is
murder in the heart and lust is adultery in the heart. The person who says that he “lives by the
Sermon on the Mount” may not realize that the Sermon on the Mount is more difficult to keep
than the original Ten Commandments! Let’s look at these six laws that Jesus explained in more
detail to His followers.
Murder (verses 21 – 26 and Exodus 20:13)
Most murders are “crimes of passion” caused by anger among friends or relatives. Jesus did not
say that anger leads to murder – He said that anger is murder. There is a holy anger against sin
(Ephesians 4:26), but Jesus is talking about an unholy anger against people. The word He used
in Matthew 5:22 means “a settled anger, malice that is nursed inwardly.” Jesus described a
sinful experience that involves several stages. First there is causeless anger. This anger then
explodes into words: “Raca — empty-headed person!” These words add fuel to the fire so that
the person then says, “You fool — rebel!”
Anger is such a foolish thing. It makes us destroyers instead of builders. It robs us of freedom
and makes us prisoners. To hate someone is to commit murder in our hearts (1 John 3:15). This
does not mean that we should go ahead and murder someone we hate, since we have already
sinned inwardly. Obviously, sinful feelings are not excuses for sinful deeds. Sinful anger robs us
of fellowship with God as well as with our brothers, but it does not put us into jail as murderers.
However, more than one person has become a murderer because he failed to control sinful
anger.
Sinful anger must be faced honestly and must be confessed to God as sin. We must go to our
brother and get the matter settled, and we must do it quickly. The longer we wait, the worse the
slavery becomes. We put ourselves into a terrible prison when we refuse to be reconciled (See
Matthew 18:15 – 20 for additional counsel). It has been said that the person who refuses to
forgive his brother destroys the very bridge over which he himself must walk.
Adultery (verses 27 – 30 and Exodus 20:14)
Jesus affirmed God’s law of purity, and then explained that the intent of this law was to reveal
the sanctity of sex and the sinfulness of the human heart. God created sex and God protects
sex. He has the authority to regulate it and to punish those who rebel against His laws. He does
not regulate sex because He wants to rob us, but rather, because He wants to bless us.
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Sexual impurity begins in the desires of the heart. Again, Jesus is not saying that lustful desires
are identical to lustful deeds, and therefore a person might just as well go ahead and commit
adultery. The desire and the deed are not identical, but, spiritually speaking, they are equivalent.
The “look” that Jesus mentioned was not a casual glance, but a constant stare with the purpose
of lusting. It is possible for a man to glance at a beautiful woman and know that she is beautiful,
but not lust after her. The man Jesus described looked at the woman for the purpose of feeding
his inner sensual appetites as a substitute for the act. It was not accidental – it was planned.
Jesus and the New Testament writers affirm the authority of “You shall not commit adultery”
(Exodus 20:14). While the words “sexual immorality” seem to cover many kinds of sexual sins
(Mark 7:21 and 1 Corinthians 6:13), adultery involves only married people. When a married
person has sexual relations with someone other than his or her mate that is adultery. God has
declared that it is wrong and it is sin. There are numerous warnings in the New Testament
against sexual sins, including adultery (Acts 15:20, 1 Corinthians 6:15 – 18, Galatians 5:19,
Ephesians 4:17 – 19, 5:3 – 12, Colossians 3:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:3 – 7 and Hebrews 13:4).
This commandment affirms the sanctity of sex. We must not think that because we are “under
grace” we can flaunt God’s Law and get away with it. “…God will judge the adulterer and all the
sexually immoral” (Hebrews 13:4).
However, Jesus went much deeper in His discussion of adultery. He showed that this could be a
sin of the heart as well as a sin of the body. It is not enough simply to control the body. We must
also control the inner thoughts and desires. To look at a woman for the purpose of lusting after
her is to commit adultery in the heart. This does not mean that we cannot admire a beautiful
person or picture. It is possible to do that and not sin. It is sinful when we look with the intention
of satisfying lustful desires that we commit adultery in the heart.
A sanctified sex life begins with the inner desires. Jesus singled out the eye and the hand,
because seeing and feeling are usually the first steps toward sexual sin. Of course, He did not
command us to perform physical surgery, since He was clearly dealing with the inner desires.
He commanded us to deal drastically with sin, to remove from our lives anything that would
pamper our wrong desires. We must hunger and thirst after righteousness.
Jesus did not alter the original Garden of Eden Law of marriage, nor did He annul the seventh
commandment. What He taught was based solidly on God’s creation and God’s moral law.
How do we get victory? By purifying the desires of the heart (appetite leads to action) and
disciplining the actions of the body. Again, let’s remember that the Lord is not talking about literal
surgery – for this would not solve the problem in the heart. The eye and the hand are usually the
two “culprits” when it comes to sexual sins, so they must be disciplined. Jesus said, “Deal
immediately and decisively with sin. Don’t taper off — cut off!” Spiritual surgery is more
important than physical surgery, for the sins of the body can lead to eternal judgment. We may
also want to study passages like Colossians 3:5, Romans 6:13, 12:1 – 2 and 13:14.
Divorce (verses 31 – 32)
Later, the Pharisees questioned Jesus concerning divorce (see Matthew 19: 3 – 12). Instead of
going back to the book of Deuteronomy, He went back to Genesis, the beginning. What God did
when He established the first marriage teaches us positively what He had in mind for a man and
a woman. If we build a marriage after God’s ideal pattern, we will not have to worry about
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divorce laws. We need to examine Jesus’ teaching on marriage and divorce. First, what
reasons does God give for marriage?
The reasons for marriage
The only thing that was not “good” about Creation was the fact that the man was all- alone
(Genesis 2:18). The woman was created to meet this need. Adam could not find fellowship with
the animals. He needed a companion who was equal to him and with whom he could find
fulfillment. God’s answer to this need was Eve.
Marriage makes possible the continuation of the race. “Be fruitful and increase in number” was
God’s command to the first married couple (Genesis 1:28). From the beginning it was God’s
command that sex be practiced in the commitment of marriage. Outside of marriage, sex
becomes a destructive force. However, within the loving commitment of marriage, sex can be
creative and constructive.
Marriage is one way to avoid sexual sins (1 Corinthians 7:1 – 6). Of course, a man should not
marry simply to legalize lust. If he is lustful outside of marriage, he will no doubt be lustful after
he is married. He should not think that getting married would solve all of his personal problems
with lust. But marriage is God’s appointed way for a man and a woman to share the physical
joys of sex.
Paul used marriage as an illustration of the intimate relationship between Jesus and the church
(Ephesians 5:22 – 23). Just as Eve was taken from the side of Adam (Genesis 2:21), so the
church was born from the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross. Jesus loves His church,
nourishes it with His Word, cleanses it and cares for it. The Messiah’s relationship to His church
is the example for all husbands to follow. Now, let’s look at some of the essential characteristics
of marriage.
The characteristics of marriage
By going back to the original Garden of Eden Law, Jesus reminded His listeners of the true
characteristics of marriage. If we remember these characteristics, we will better know how to
build a happy and enduring marriage. Consider the following four characteristics:
It is a divinely appointed union. God established marriage, and therefore only God can control its
character and laws. No court of law can change what God has established.
It is a physical union. The man and woman become “one flesh.” While it is important that a
husband and wife be of one mind and heart, the basic union in marriage is physical. If a man
and woman became “one spirit” in marriage, then death would not dissolve the marriage, for the
spirit never dies. Even if a man and woman disagree and are “incompatible” and cannot get
along, they are still married because the union is a physical one.
It is a permanent union. God’s original design was that one man and one woman spend one life
together. God’s original Law knows nothing of “trial marriages.” God’s Law requires that the
husband and wife enter into marriage without reservations.
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It is a union between one man and one woman. God did not create two men and one woman,
two women and one man, two men, or two women. “Group marriages,” “gay marriages,” and
other variations are contrary to the will of God, no matter what some psychologists and jurists
may say.
But like many people who argue religion, the Pharisees were not interested in the truth. They
were interested only in defending themselves and what they believed. That’s why they asked
about the Jewish “law of divorce” in Deuteronomy 24:1 – 4.
The Mosaic Law of Divorce (Deuteronomy 24:1 – 4 and Matthew 19:7 – 8)
The Bible makes it clear that Moses gave only one commandment: The divorced wife could not
return to her first husband if her second husband put her away. Moses did not command divorce
– he permitted it. He commanded that the husband give his ex-wife a legal bill of divorcement.
But the wife could not return to her first husband after being remarried and divorced.
What a wise law this was. To begin with, the husband would think twice before hastily putting
away his wife, since he could not get her back again. Furthermore, it would have taken time to
find a scribe (not everyone could write legal documents). And during that time the two estranged
people might have been reconciled. The Pharisees were interpreting Moses’ Law as though it
were a commandment. Jesus made it clear that Moses was only giving permission for divorce.
But what did Moses mean by “something indecent about her” (Deuteronomy 24:1)? The Hebrew
meaning is “some matter of nakedness,” but this need not refer to sexual sin. That phrase is the
equivalent of “some shameful thing” (see Genesis 2:25 and 3:7,10). It was the interpretation of
this phrase that divided the two schools of Rabbi Hillel and Rabbi Shammai, famous first-century
Jewish scholars. Hillel took a very lax view and said that the husband could divorce his wife for
almost any reason. However, Shammai took the stricter view and said Moses was speaking
only about sexual sin. No matter which side Jesus took, He would surely offend somebody.
There were several laws of marriage given to the Jews, and we must examine them in order to
get some perspective. For example, if a man married a woman and discovered that she was not
a virgin, he could expose her sin and have her stoned (Deuteronomy 22:13 – 21). Of course, he
had to have proof. If he did not, he was fined and had to live with the woman all of his life. This
law was as much a protection to the woman as to the man.
If a man suspected his wife of unfaithfulness, he followed the procedure outlined in the Old
Testament (Numbers 5:11 – 31). We cannot follow that procedure today (which certainly
included elements of divine judgment) since there is no priesthood or tabernacle.
Remember that the Law of Moses demanded the death penalty for those who committed
adultery (Leviticus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22). Our Lord’s enemies appealed to this law
when they tried to trap Him (John 8:3 – 6). While we have no record in the Old Testament that
anyone was stoned for committing adultery, this was the divine law. The experience of Joseph
(Matthew 1:18 – 25) indicates that the Jews used divorce rather than stoning in dealing with an
adulterous wife.
Why did God command that the adulterer or adulteress be stoned to death? Certainly as an
example to warn the people, for adultery undermines the very fabric of society and the home.
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There must be commitment in marriage, and faithfulness to each other and to God, if there is to
be stability in society and in the church. God had to preserve Israel because the promised
Savior would come through that nation. God opposed divorce in Israel because it weakened the
nation and threatened the birth of the Messiah (Malachi 2:10 – 16).
But there was another reason for stoning. This left the other party free to marry again. Death
breaks the marriage bond, since marriage is a physical union (Romans 7:1 – 3). It was important
that families be continued in Israel that they might protect their inheritance (Numbers 36).
We must note one final fact before leaving this section. The divorce that Moses permitted in
Deuteronomy 24:1 – 4 actually severed the original marriage relationship. God permitted the
woman to marry again, and her second marriage was not considered adulterous. The second
man she married was called a “husband” and not an adulterer. This explains how the woman of
Samaria could have had five husbands, and yet be living with a man who was not her husband
(John 4:16 – 18). Apparently all five of those marriages had been legal and scriptural.
This means that scriptural divorce does sever the marriage relationship. Man cannot break this
relationship by his laws, but God can break it. The same God who gives the laws that join
people together can also give laws to put them asunder. God can do it, but man cannot.
Finally, Jesus made it clear that this Mosaic Law of divorce was a concession on God’s part.
God’s original law of marriage left no room for divorce, but that law was laid down before man
had sinned. Rather than have two people living together in constant conflict, with one or both of
them seeking fulfillment elsewhere and thus commit sin, God permitted divorce. This divorce
included the right to remarriage. The Pharisees did not ask about remarriage, for this was no
problem. They accepted the fact that the parties would seek other mates and Moses allowed
this. The Messiah summed up all of this as He gave his “law of marriage.”
Our Lord’s Law of Marriage (Matthew 5:31 – 32 and 19:9 – 12)
When Jesus said “But I tell you,” He was claiming to be God for only God could establish or alter
the laws of marriage. He declared that marriage was a permanent union that could only be
broken by sexual sin. The words “marital unfaithfulness” in the New Testament cover many
kinds of sexual sins. The definition of “marital unfaithfulness” as “sexual sin between two
unmarried persons” would not apply here, for Jesus was talking about married persons. Are we
to believe that the 24,000 men who committed sexual immorality under the enticement of
Baalam (Numbers 25) were all unmarried men? Was the admonition of Acts 15:20, 29 sent only
to single church members?
Marriage is a permanent physical union that can be broken only by a physical cause – death or
sexual sin. (I would take it that homosexuality and bestiality would also qualify.) Man cannot
break the union, but God can. Under the Old Testament Law, the sinner was stoned to death.
But the church today “does not bear the sword” (Romans 13:4). Were adultery and fornication
more serious under the Law than the same sins are today? Of course not! If anything, such sins
are even worse today in the light of the full revelation of God’s grace and holiness that we now
have in Jesus the Messiah.
Notice that our Lord’s new law of marriage and divorce was based on the three previous laws.
From the Garden of Eden Law He took the principle that marriage was a physical union that
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could only be broken by a physical cause, and that only God could permit the breaking of the
union. From the seventh commandment, He took the principle that sexual sin did indeed break
the marriage union. From the Mosaic Law of divorce, He took the principle that God could ordain
divorce and effectively break the marriage union, and that the freed party could remarry and not
be guilty of adultery.
Our Lord’s teaching is that there is only one scriptural basis for divorce, and that is sexual sin
(sexual immorality or marital unfaithfulness). If two people are divorced on any other basis, and
marry other mates, they are committing adultery.
Jesus did not teach that the offended mate had to get a divorce. Certainly there can be
forgiveness, patient healing, and a restoration of the broken relationship. This would be the
believer’s approach to the problem. But, sad to say, because of the hardness of our hearts, it is
sometimes impossible to heal the wounds and save the marriage. However, divorce should be
the final option, not the first option.
Swearing (verses 33 – 37, Leviticus 19:12 and Deuteronomy 23:23)
This is not the sin of “cursing,” but the sin of using oaths to affirm that what is said is true. The
Pharisees used all kinds of tricks to sidestep the truth, and oaths were among them. They would
avoid using the holy name of God, but they would come close by using the city of Jerusalem,
heaven, earth, or some part of the body.
Jesus taught that our conversation should be so honest, and our character so true that we
would not need “crutches” to get people to believe us. Words depend on character, and oaths
cannot compensate for a poor character. “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who
holds his tongue is wise” (Proverbs 10:19). The more words a man uses to convince us, the
more suspicious we should be.
Retaliation (verses 38 – 42 and Leviticus 24:19 – 22)
The original law was a fair one. It kept people from forcing the offender to pay a greater price
than the offense deserved. It also prevented people from taking personal revenge. Jesus
replaced a law with an attitude: be willing to suffer loss yourself rather than cause another to
suffer. Of course, He applied this to personal insults, not to groups or nations. The person who
retaliates only makes himself and the offender feel worse.
In order to “turn the other cheek,” we must stay where we are and not run away. This demands
both faith and love. It also means that we will be hurt, but it is better to be hurt on the outside
than to be harmed on the inside. But it further means that we should try to help the sinner. We
are vulnerable, because he may attack us again. But we are also victorious, because Jesus is
on our side, helping us and building our character. Psychologists tell us that violence is born of
weakness, not strength. It is the strong man who can love and suffer hurt. It is the weak man
who thinks only of himself and hurts others in order to protect himself. He hurts others and then
runs away to protect himself (see Matthew 7.12).
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Love of enemies (verses 43 – 48 and Leviticus 19:17 – 18)
Nowhere did the Law teach hatred for one’s enemies. Passages like Exodus 23:4 – 5 indicate
just the opposite. Jesus defined our enemies as those who curse us, hate us, and exploit us
selfishly. Since a believer’s love is an act of the will, and not simply an emotion, He has the right
to command us to love our enemies. After all, He loved us when we were still His enemies
(Romans 5:10). We may show this love by blessing those who curse us, doing good to them
and praying for them. When we pray for our enemies, we find it easier to love them. It takes the
“poison” out of our attitudes.
Jesus gave several reasons for this admonition. These are as follows:
This love is a mark of maturity, proving that we are sons of the Father, and not just little
children.
It is Godlike. The heavenly Father shares His good things with those who oppose Him.
Matthew 5:44 suggests that our love creates a climate of blessings that makes it easy to
win our enemies and make them our friends. Love is like the sunshine and rain that the
Father sends so graciously.
It is a testimony to others. “What do you more than others?” is a good question. God
expects us to live on a much higher plane than the lost people of the world who return
good for good and evil for evil. As believers, we must return good for evil as an
investment of love.
The word “perfect” in Matthew 5:48 does not imply sinless perfection, for that is impossible in
this life (though it is a good goal to strive for). It suggests completeness and maturity as sons of
God. The Father loves His enemies and seeks to make them His children, and we should assist
Him.
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C H A P T E R 4
The Sermon on the Mount – Part 2

The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 – 7)
True Righteousness Practiced in the Believer’s Life (6:1 – 7:12)

Matthew 6 deals with true righteousness practiced in the believer’s life. This section actually
continues through 7:12, and contains three parts: the believer and worship (6:1 – 18), the
believer and wealth (6:19 – 34), and the believer and his or her walk (7:1 – 12). The first part
involves relationship to God, the second part involves relationship to the world, and the third part
is about our relationship to humankind.
The Believer and Worship (6:1 – 18)
Jesus puts worship first since one’s relationship to God determines his or her relationship to the
world and other people. The key is verse 1, where “alms” should be translated “acts of
righteousness.” The main thought is that our relationship to God must be secret, for God to see
and not for people to see and applaud. God will not allow two rewards, one from humans and
one from heaven.
Giving (verses 2 – 4)
The Pharisees loved to advertise their giving (Mark 12:38 – 40). How people today love to tell
others how much they have given. If this is their motive for giving, then they have their reward —
the praise of people. But they have no reward from the Father.
Praying (verses 5 – 15)
Jesus says, “When you pray” not “If you pray.” He expects us to pray. The first thing that
characterized Paul after his conversion was his praying (Acts 22:17). Jesus emphasizes that it is
a sin to pray to be seen and heard by others. Prayer is secret fellowship with God, although
public prayer is certainly authorized in the Bible. However, nobody should pray in public who
does not pray in private, for that would be hypocrisy.
Here in Matthew 6, Jesus points out three common errors concerning prayer:
Praying to be heard by others (verses 5 – 6)

Praying mere words, empty repetition (verses 7 – 8)
Praying with sin in the heart (verses 14 – 15). God does not forgive us because we
forgive others but on the basis of the blood of the Lord Jesus (1 John 1:9). However,
an unforgiving spirit will hinder a prayer life and show that a person has no
understanding of the grace of God.
The so-called “Lord’s Prayer” of verses 9 – 13 is not given to be recited thoughtlessly. Rather, it
is a model for us to use to learn to pray. It is a “family prayer” — note the repeated “our” and
“us.” It puts God’s name, God’s kingdom and God’s will before the earthly needs of people. It
cautions us against selfish praying.
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Fasting (verses 16 – 18)

True fasting is of the heart, not just the body (see Joel 2:12 – 13 and Isaiah 58:5). Fasting for the
believer is preparation for praying and other spiritual exercises. It means giving up a lesser thing
to gain a greater, and this could involve food, sleep, or even sex (1 Corinthians 7:1 – 6).
The Believer and Wealth (6:19 – 34)
The key in this section is verse 33, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all
these things will be given to you as well.” Put God first and the material things will be taken care
of by God.
The Basic Principle (verses 19 – 24)
Jesus states several reasons why living for material things is foolish. For one thing, material
things do not last. The Jews treasured fabrics, yet moths ruin them. Rust ruins metal and thieves
steal riches. But treasure used for God’s glory is invested in heaven where it lasts eternally. The
way people use wealth is an indication of the condition of their hearts. If we spend our time and
money only on business, and neglect God, then our hearts are in business and not fixed on
God. Compare Abraham and Lot in Genesis 13:5 – 18 for an illustration of the “single eye.” The
eye here speaks of the outlook of the heart. A single eye means one that is fixed on the
spiritual. It is the opposite of the double-minded person in James 1:8 and 4:4, 8. “Bad “ or “Evil”
in verse 23 means the opposite of “simple.” It suggests a sinful outlook, a double vision. In verse
24, Jesus clearly tells us that we cannot look in two directions at one time or serve two masters
at the same time – for example, live for God and live for material wealth. The Bible does not
condemn the possession of wealth, but it does warn against the love of money and the wrong
use of wealth (see Luke 16:1 – 31, 1 Timothy 6:9 – 10, 17 – 18, and Hebrews 13:5).
Our Use of Wealth (Matthew 6:19 – 34)
We are accustomed to dividing life into the “spiritual” and the “material.” Jesus made no such
division. In many of His parables, He made it clear that a right attitude toward wealth is a mark of
true spirituality (Luke 12:13 – 34 and 16:1 – 31). The Pharisees were covetous (Luke 16:14) and
used religion to make money. If we have the true righteousness of the Messiah in our lives, then
we will have a proper attitude toward material wealth.
Nowhere did Jesus magnify poverty or criticize the legitimate getting of wealth. God made all
things, including food, clothing and precious metals. God has declared that all things He has
made are good (Genesis 1:31). God knows that we need certain things to live (Matthew 6:32). In
fact, He “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (1 Timothy 6:17). It is not wrong to
possess things, but it is wrong for things to possess us. The sin of idolatry is as dangerous
as the sin of hypocrisy. There are many, many warnings in the Bible against covetousness
(Exodus 20:17, Psalm 119:36, Mark 7:22, Luke 12:15, Ephesians 5:5 and Colossians 3:5 – 6).
Jesus warned against the sin of living for the things of this life. He pointed out the sad
consequences of covetousness and idolatry. Look carefully at these four consequences:
¾ Enslavement (verses 19 – 24)
Materialism will enslave the heart (Matthew 6:19 – 21), the mind (Matthew 6:22 – 23) and the
will (Matthew 6:24). The material things of life can shackle us. However, we ought to be
liberated and controlled by the Spirit of God.
If the heart loves material things, and puts earthly gain above heavenly investments, then the
result can only be a tragic loss. The treasures of earth may be used for God. But if we gather
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material things for ourselves, we will lose them. We will lose our hearts with them. Instead of
spiritual enrichment, we will experience impoverishment.
What does it mean to lay up treasures in heaven? It means to use all that we have for the glory
of God. It means to “hold loosely” the material things of life. It also means measuring life by the
true riches of the kingdom and not by the false riches of this world.
Wealth not only enslaves the heart, but it also enslaves the mind (Matthew 6:22 – 23). God’s
Word often uses the eye to represent the attitudes of the mind. If the eye is properly focused on
the light, the body can function properly in its movements. But if the eye is out of focus and sees
“double,” it results in unsteady movements. It is most difficult to make progress while trying to
look in two directions at the same time.
If our aim in life is to get material gain, it will mean darkness within. But if our outlook is to serve
and glorify God, there will be light within. If what should be light is really darkness, we are being
controlled by darkness.
Finally, materialism can enslave the will (Matthew 6:24). We cannot serve two masters
simultaneously. Either Jesus is our Lord, or money is our lord. It is a matter of the will. “People
who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap”(1 Timothy 6:9). If God grants riches, and we
use them for His glory, then riches are a blessing. But if we will to get rich, and live with that kind
of attitude, we will pay a great price for those riches.
¾ Devaluation (verses 25 – 30)
Covetousness will not only cheapen our riches, but it will also cheapen us. We will start to
become worried and anxious, and this anxiety is unnatural and unspiritual. The person who
pursues money thinks that riches will solve his problems. In reality, riches will create more
problems. Material wealth gives a dangerous, false sense of security, and that feeling ends in
tragedy. The birds and lilies do not fret and worry - they have God’s wealth in ways that man
cannot duplicate. All of nature depends on God, and God never fails. Only mortal man depends
on money, and money always fails.
Jesus said that worry is sinful. We may dignify worry by calling it by some other name —
concern, burden, a cross to bear — but the results are still the same. Instead of helping us live a
longer life, anxiety only makes life shorter (Matthew 6:27). The Greek word translated “do not
worry” literally means, “to be drawn in different directions.” Worry pulls us apart. Until man
interferes, everything in nature works together, because all of nature trusts God. Man, however,
is pulled apart because he tries to live his own life by depending on material wealth.
God feeds the birds and clothes the lilies. He will feed and clothe us. It is our “little faith” that
hinders Him from working as He would. He has great blessings for us if only we will yield to Him
and live for the riches that last forever.
¾ Loss of testimony (verses 31 – 33)
To worry about material things is to live like the heathen. If we put God’s will and God’s
righteousness first in our lives, He will take care of everything else. What a testimony it is to the
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world when a believer dares to practice Matthew 6:33! What a tragedy it is when so many of us
fail to practice it.
¾ Loss of joy today (verse 34)
Worrying about tomorrow does not help either tomorrow or today. If anything, it robs us of our
effectiveness today — which means we will be even less effective tomorrow. Someone has said
that the average person is crucifying himself between two thieves: the regrets of yesterday and
the worries about tomorrow. It is all right to plan for the future and it is all right to save for the
future (2 Corinthians 12:14 and 1 Timothy 5:8). But it is a sin to worry about the future and
permit tomorrow to rob today of its blessings.
Three words in this section point the way to victory over worry:
(1) Faith – Matthew 6:30 – trusting God to meet our needs

(2) Father – Matthew 6:32 – knowing He cares for His children
(3) First – Matthew 6:33 – putting God’s will first in our lives so that He might be glorified.
If we have faith in our Father and put Him first, He will meet our needs. Hypocrisy and anxiety
are sins. If we practice the true righteousness of the kingdom, we will avoid these sins and live
for God’s glory.
The Believer’s Walk (7:1 – 12)
The key verse for this section is verse 12, “So in everything, do to others what you would have
them do to you.” This scripture governs a believer’s relationship to other people. While other
religions have sayings similar to this, the verse is strictly Christian because it is positive. It does
not say, “Don’t do to others what you don’t want them to do to you.” It lays the responsibility on
the believer to act so that others will imitate the deeds and in the end glorify God (refer back to
Matthew 5:16). The first part of the believer’s walk discussed here concerns judging.
The Pharisees and teachers of the law were guilty of exercising a false judgment about
themselves, other people, and even the Lord. Their false righteousness helped to encourage
this false judgment. This explains why our Lord Jesus began to finish this important “Sermon on
the Mount” with a discussion of judgment. First, He discussed two different kinds of judgments
upon others and us.
First Judgment: Our Judgment of Ourselves (Matthew 7:1 – 5)
The first principle of judgment is that we begin with ourselves. Jesus did not forbid us to judge
others, for careful discrimination is essential in our lives. The love we have is not blind
(Philippians 1:9 – 10). The person who believes all that he hears, and accepts everyone who
claims to be spiritual will experience confusion and great spiritual loss. But before we judge
others, we must judge ourselves. There are several reasons for this.
We shall be judged (verse 1)
The tense of the verb judged signifies a once-for-all final judgment. If we first judge ourselves,
then we are preparing for that final judgment when we face God. The Pharisees acted as if they
were God as they condemned other people. They never considered that God would one day
judge them.
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We are being judged (verse 2)
The parallel passage in Luke 6:37 – 38 is helpful here. Not only will God judge us at the end, but
people are also judging us right now. We receive from people exactly what we give. The kind of
judgment, and the measure of judgment, comes right back to us. We reap what we have sown.
We must see clearly to help others (verses 3 – 5)
The purpose of self-judgment is to PREPARE US TO SERVE OTHERS. Believers are obligated

to help each other grow in grace. When we do not judge ourselves, we not only hurt ourselves,
but we also hurt those to whom we could minister. The Pharisees judged and criticized others to
make themselves look good (Luke 18:9 – 14). But believers should judge themselves so that
they can help others look good. There is a difference.
Let’s look at our Lord’s illustration of this point. Jesus chose the symbol of the eye because this
is one of the most sensitive areas of the human body. The picture of a man with a board stuck in
his eye, trying to remove a speck of dust from another man’s eye, is ridiculous indeed. If we do
not honestly face up to our own sins, and confess them, we blind ourselves to ourselves. And
then we cannot see clearly enough to help others. The Pharisees saw the sins of other people,
but they would not look at their own sins.
In Matthew 6:22 – 23, the Lord Jesus used the illustration of the eye to teach us how to have a
spiritual outlook on life. We must not pass judgment on others’ motives. We should examine
their actions and attitudes, but we cannot judge their motives — for only God can see their
hearts. It is possible for a person to do a good work with a bad motive. It is also possible to fail in
a task and yet be very sincerely motivated. When we stand before Jesus at the Judgment Seat,
He will examine the secrets of our hearts and reward us accordingly (Romans 2:16 and
Colossians 3:22 – 25).
The image of the eye teaches us another truth – We must exercise love and tenderness when
we seek to help others (Ephesians 4:15). We should minister to people we want to help with
tender loving care. We can do more damage than a speck of dirt in the eye if we approach
others with impatience and insensitivity.
Two extremes must be avoided in this matter of spiritual self-examination. The first is the
deception of a shallow examination. Sometimes we are so sure of ourselves that we fail to
examine our hearts honestly and thoroughly. A quick glance into the mirror of the Word will
never reveal the true situation (James 1:22 – 25).
The second extreme is that sometimes we get so wrapped up in self-examination that we

become unbalanced. We should not look only at ourselves, or we will become discouraged and
defeated. We should look by faith to Jesus the Messiah and let Him forgive and restore us.
Satan is the accuser (Revelation 12:10), and he enjoys it when we accuse and condemn
ourselves.
After we have judged ourselves honestly before God, and have removed those things that blind
us, then we can help others and properly judge their works. But if we know there are sins in our
lives, and we try to help others, we are hypocrites. In fact, it is possible for ministry to be a
device to cover up sin. The Pharisees were guilty of this, and Jesus denounced them for it.
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Second Judgment: Our Judgment of Others (Matthew 7:6 – 12)

[Believers must exercise discernment, for not everyone is a sheep.]
The reason we must judge (verse 6)
As God’s people, we are privileged to handle the “holy things” of the Lord. He has entrusted to
us the precious truths of the Word of God (2 Corinthians 4:7), and we must regard them
carefully. No dedicated priest would throw meat from the altar to a filthy dog, and only a fool
would give pearls to a pig. While it is certainly true that we must carry the Gospel “to all creation”
(Mark 16:15), it is also true that we must not cheapen the Gospel by a ministry that lacks
discernment. Even Jesus refused to talk to Herod (Luke 23:9), and Paul refused to argue with
people who resisted the Word (Acts 13:44 – 49).
The reason for judgment, then, is not that we might condemn others, but that we might be able
to minister to them. Notice that Jesus always dealt with individuals according to their needs
and their spiritual condition. He did not have a memorized speech that He used with everybody.
He discussed the new birth with Nicodemus, but He spoke of living water to the Samaritan
woman. When the religious leaders tried to trap the Messiah, He refused to answer their
question (Matthew 21:23 – 27). It is a wise believer who first assesses the condition of a
person’s heart before sharing the precious pearls. Here are some phrases to consider in 7:6:
“What is sacred” – the meat the priest takes off the altar
“Pearls” – typify Bible truths, the “precious promises” of the Word
“Dogs and pigs” – those who profess to believe, however they have never really been saved
(see 2 Peter 2:19 – 22)
[This command of Jesus does not prohibit church discipline. He tells us to face disobedient
believers honestly and humbly, examine the evidence, and deal with sin decisively (also see
Matthew 18:15 – 18 and 1 Corinthians 5:1 – 13). The believer who says that church discipline is
not biblical should read 2 Thessalonians 3:11 – 15 and Galatians 6:1 – 5.]
Let us say again that Jesus gives us the right to help others ONLY after we have straightened
out our own lives. He did not say that it was wrong for you to help your brothers or sisters get rid
of their sins. However, He did say that first you should take care of your own sin. In other words,
we should be as severe with ourselves as we are with others. Jesus points out two dangers in
the lives of believers who judge others: (1) that judgment will come back on them, and (2) they
will become blind to their own needs and eventually need help themselves.
The resources which God gives us (verses 7 – 11)
Why did our Lord discuss prayer at this point in His message? These verses seem to be an
interruption, but they are not. You and I are human and fallible. We make mistakes. Only God
can judge perfectly. Therefore, we must pray and seek His wisdom and direction. “If any of you
lacks wisdom, he should ask God…” (James 1:5).
Young King Solomon knew that he lacked the needed wisdom to judge Israel, so he prayed to
God and the Lord graciously answered (1 Kings 3: 3 – 15). If we are to have spiritual
discernment, we must keep on asking God, keep on seeking His will, keep on knocking at the
door that leads to greater ministry. God meets the needs of His children.
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The guiding principle (verse 12) [Called the “Golden Rule” in the west.]
This is the so-called “Golden Rule,” one of the most misunderstood statements in the Bible. This
statement is not the sum total of Christian truth, nor is it God’s plan of redemption. But this great
truth is a principle that ought to govern our attitudes toward others. It only applies to believers
and it must be practiced in every area of life. The person who practices the “Golden Rule”
refuses to say or do anything that would harm him or others. If our judging of others is not
governed by this principle, we will become proud and critical, and our own spiritual character will
degenerate.
Practicing the “Golden Rule” releases the love of God in our lives and enables us to help others;
even those who want to hurt us. But remember that practicing the “Golden Rule” means paying
a price. If we want God’s best for others and ourselves, but resist God’s will, then they will
oppose us. We are salt, and salt stings the open wound. We are light, and light exposes dirt.
True Righteousness – The Three Tests (7:13 – 29)
Finally, after discussing “true righteousness” as pictured by the Messiah in chapter 5, and the
practice of true righteousness in the believer’s life (6:1 – 7:12), Jesus finishes the Sermon on the
Mount by telling us that we must test our lifestyle, our spiritual fruit and our “house” and its
foundation. These three tests (verses 13 to 29) will prove if our righteousness is truly from God.
“Counterfeit” faith will fail these tests. First, the Messiah gives us a basis for judging.
The Basis for Judging (verses 13 – 20)
Since there are false prophets in the world, we must be careful of deception. But the greatest
danger is self-deception. The scribes and Pharisees had fooled themselves into believing that
they were righteous and others were sinful. It is possible for people to know the right language,
believe intellectually the right doctrines, obey the right rules, and still not be saved. Jesus used
two pictures to help us judge others and ourselves.
• The two ways (verses 13 – 14)
These are, of course, the way to heaven and the way to hell. The broad way is the easy way – it
is the popular way. But we must not judge spiritual profession by statistics. The majority is not
always right. The fact that “everybody does it” is no proof that what he or she is doing is right.
Quite the contrary is true. God’s people have always been a remnant, a small minority in this
world. The reason is not difficult to discover. The way of life is narrow, lonely and costly. We can
walk on the broad way and keep our “baggage” of sin and worldliness. But if we enter the
narrow way, we must give up those things.
Here, then, is the first test: Did your profession of faith in Jesus cost you anything? If not, then it
was not a true profession. Many people who say they “trust” Jesus the Messiah never leave the
broad road with its appetites and associations. They have an easy life that makes no demands
on them. Yet Jesus said that the narrow way was hard. We cannot walk on two roads, in two
different directions, at the same time.
• The two trees (verses 15 – 20)
These show that true faith in the Messiah changes the life and produces fruit for God’s glory.
Everything in nature reproduces after its kind, and this is also true in the spiritual realm. Good
fruit comes from a good tree, but bad fruit comes from a bad tree. The bad tree that produces
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rotten fruit is cut down and is thrown into the fire. “Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them”
(Matthew 7:20).
The second test is this: Did my decision for the Messiah change my life? False prophets who
teach false doctrine can produce only a false righteousness (Acts 20:29). Their fruit (the results
of their ministry) is false and cannot last. The prophets themselves are false. The closer we get
to them, the more we see the falsity of their lives and their doctrines. They magnify themselves,
not Jesus. Their purpose is to exploit people, not to edify them. The person who believes false
doctrine, or who follows a false prophet, will never experience a changed life. Unfortunately,
some people do not realize this until it is too late. Now, the Messiah finishes this sermon by
speaking of God’s judgment. This is the final test.
God’s Judgment of Us (Matthew 7:21 – 29)
From picturing two ways and two trees, our Lord closed His message by picturing two builders
and their houses. The two ways illustrate the start of the life of faith. The two trees illustrate the
growth and results of the life of faith here and now. The two houses illustrate the end of this life
of faith, when God shall call everything to judgment. There are false prophets at the gate that
leads to the broad way, making it easy for people to enter. But at the end of the way, there is
destruction. The final test is not what we think of ourselves, or what others may think. The final
test is: What will God say?
How can we prepare for this judgment? We can prepare by doing God’s will. Obedience to His
will is the test of true faith in Jesus. The test is not words, not saying “Lord, Lord,” and then not
obeying His commands. How easy it is to learn a religious vocabulary, and even memorize Bible
verses and religious songs, and yet not obey God’s will. When a person is truly born again, he
has the Spirit of God living within him (Romans 8:9). The Spirit enables him to know and do the
Father’s will. God’s love in his heart (Romans 5:5) motivates him to obey God and serve others.
This is the final test – of our foundation.
Words are not a substitute for obedience, and neither are religious works. Preaching, casting out
demons, and performing miracles can be divinely inspired, but they give no assurance of
salvation. It is likely that even Judas participated in some or all of these activities, and yet he
was not a true believer. In the last days, satan will use many “lying wonders” to deceive people
(2 Thessalonians 2:7 – 12).
We are to hear God’s words and do them (James 1:22 – 25). We must not stop with only
hearing (or studying) His words. Our hearing must result in doing. This is what it means to build
on the rock foundation. We should not confuse this symbol with the “rock” in 1 Corinthians 10:4.
Paul founded the local church in Corinth on Jesus the Messiah when he preached the Gospel
and won people to the Lord. This is the only foundation for a local church.
The foundation in this parable is obedience to God’s Word — obedience that is an evidence of
true faith (James 2:14 – 26). The two men in this story had much in common. Both had desires
to build a house. Both built houses that looked good and sturdy. But when the judgment came
(the storm), one of the houses collapsed. What was the difference? Not the mere external looks,
to be sure. The difference was in the foundation. The successful builder “who dug down deep”
(Luke 6:48) set his house on a solid foundation.
A false profession will last until judgment comes. Sometimes this judgment is in the form of the
trials of life. Like the person who received the seed of God’s Word into a very shallow heart
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(Matthew 13:3 – 9), the commitment fails when the testing comes. Many people have professed
faith in Jesus, only to deny their faith when life becomes spiritually costly and difficult.
But the judgment illustrated here probably refers to the final judgment before God. We must not
read into this parable all the doctrine that we are taught in the New Testament letters. The Lord
was illustrating one main point – profession will ultimately be tested before God. Those who
have trusted the Messiah, and have proved their faith by their obedience will have nothing to
fear. Their house is founded on the Rock and it will stand. But those who have professed to trust
Jesus, yet who have not obeyed God’s will, will be condemned.
How shall we test our profession of faith? By popularity? No, for there are many on the broad
road to destruction. There are many who are depending on words, saying “Lord, Lord” — but
this is no assurance of salvation. Even religious activities in a church organization are no
assurance. How then shall we judge others [as well as ourselves] who profess Jesus the
Messiah as Savior?
The two ways tell us to examine the cost of our profession. Have we paid a price to profess faith
in the Messiah? The two trees tell us to investigate whether our lives have really changed. Are
there godly fruits from our lives? And the two houses remind us that true faith in Jesus will last,
not only in the storms of life, but also in the final judgment, which is THE FINAL TEST.
The congregation was astonished at this sermon. Why? Jesus spoke with divine authority. The
scribes and Pharisees spoke from other authorities, always quoting the various rabbis and
experts of the Law. However, Jesus needed no human teacher to add authority to His words, for
He spoke as the Son of God. We cannot lightly dismiss this sermon, for it is God who gave it to
us. We must bow before Him and submit to His authority, or we will be condemned. Jesus
teaches us how to live His lifestyle.
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C H A P T E R 5
THE BELIEVER’S LIFESTYLE IN SPECIFIC

RELATIONSHIPS
We have discussed the believer’s lifestyle in relationship to God and His Word as seen in the
Ten Commandments and in the Sermon on the Mount. In this section we will study the
believer’s lifestyle in specific relationships such as family, work, neighbors and citizenship.
The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In Lifetime Marriage

When we begin to study about specific relationships that compose the believer’s lifestyle, we
must start with marriage. The marriage relationship is the first relationship that God established.
It is also the relationship from which all other relationships began. The home is the schoolroom
for human conduct and relationships. The relationship between the father and mother sets the
pattern for the home. The relationships built in the home help a chiId to understand his personal
worth and to build the self-confidence that enables him to establish other relationships.
God Himself prepared and performed the first marriage. He prepared Adam and Eve for one
another. He introduced them to each other. To some extent He does the same thing today when
His children seek His guidance in the choosing of their marriage partners. God becomes a third
partner in their marriage. He becomes a partner in the plans and decisions they make. He is
their counselor when misunderstandings come and their strength when troubles come. He
becomes a partner in the creation of new life. Children arrive to strengthen and extend their
parents' union.
God commands husband and wife to become "one flesh” in Genesis 2:24. He means more than
sex. They are to become a harmonious unit. They are to complement each other by giving
strength to one another's weaknesses. They grow closer through shared joys, sorrows,
triumphs, and defeats. When God introduced Adam and Eve, He told them to "cleave" [be
united] to one another. The word "cleave" means to be glued or cemented together. Marriage
becomes a bond formed and held together, not only by God's commandments, but also by
mutual trust, respect, commitment and determination. This bond can be broken only by death.
In Genesis 2:24 we find another commandment: "For this reason a man will leave his father and
mother." There are several interesting truths for us to look at in this verse.
This command was given to Adam before there were any social or cultural traditions.
Therefore, this command applies to all countries and cultures of every age. This is God's
plan from the beginning through the end of time.
This command was given before there were parents, children or in-laws. God knew that
in order for a husband and wife to truly become one, they would need to face life
depending only on one another and God.
This command is repeated three more times in the Bible (Matthew 19:5, Mark 10:7 and
Ephesians 5:31). Jesus Himself quotes it when He teaches about marriage.
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The believer’s marriage relationship is to be an exclusive relationship between the husband, the
wife, and God. Although parents are to always be loved and honored, the relationship to them is
different from that to one's mate. Children, also, even though they are much-loved products of
the marriage, have a different relationship. Although both parents have a great responsibility to
their children, their first responsibility is to one another.
In a believer’s marriage the husband and the wife are commanded by God's Word to fulfill the
sexual needs of one another in 1 Corinthians 7:3. In verse 4, Paul says that the husband has
authority over the wife's body, and that the wife has authority over the husband's body. He adds:
“Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote
yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that satan will not tempt you because of
your lack of self-control.”
Sex is both a joy and an obligation in the believer’s marriage. It is a basic need put into man and
woman by God who made them. Through the sexual experience the marriage bond is
strengthened and the whole marriage relationship is deepened.
God's plan for marriage is a plan that remains for the lifetime of the partners. There is no place
for divorce. In Matthew 19:6 Jesus says, "Therefore what God has joined together, let man not
separate." He said this as a warning to anyone who wants to break the marriage relationship. It
is spoken to us so we will take seriously what God has planned from the beginning. The Word of
God has made this relationship holy. This relationship should never be cheapened by outside
sexual relations by either the husband or the wife. God says this is a serious sin, and God will
punish sin.
The lifetime marriage becomes an example that points men to God. It is an example of the
happiness and fulfillment that God can bring into a relationship of man and woman. This
relationship becomes a powerful teaching tool to the children in the home. These children are
learning how to develop their own relationships and build their own believing homes.
The believer’s home is also an example to the people in the community. Every day marriages
and families around us are torn apart by worldly ideas and actions. The believer’s home must
serve as an example of what is good and stable. It must point to the God who began marriage
and the family. The marriage is to do what Jesus described when said in Matthew 5:16:
“Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds (your good marriage) and
praise your Father in heaven.”
The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In The Loving Husband

God's basic command to the husband is to “love your wife." This command is relatively simple
and direct. However, let us look at the Scripture to see a description of how it is lived out.
In Ephesians 5:25, Paul writes: “Husbands, love your wives, just as the Messiah
loved the church and gave Himself up for her.”
The husband's love for his wife, like the Messiah’s love for the church, is a forgiving love. Jesus
came actively searching for men to bring God's forgiveness. He came declaring God's
forgiveness. He died on the cross to make forgiveness possible. He did not wait for the church
to come to Him.
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Loving forgiveness is not passive. It does not wait to be asked to forgive. Jesus beautifully
describes this in two parables He told in Luke 15. The first parable is about the shepherd
searching for his lost sheep. The shepherd did not wait for his sheep to come to him. He went
into the night and searched until he found the sheep that had wrongly wandered away. When he
found the sheep, he did not condemn or wait for an apology. He took it into His arms and carried
it home. The second parable is usually called the “parable of the prodigal son.” When the son
came home, the forgiving father saw his son from a long distance and ran to embrace him. He
forgave his son and restored him to his position in the household. He did not stress the
embarrassment and worry that the son's action had caused him personally. He forgave him.
In the same way, a husband should always be willing to come to his wife with a forgiving heart
and mind. Forgiveness does not bear grudges or bring up past problems. Forgiveness is not
conditional but is open and complete. Forgiveness builds up the forgiven person by encouraging
him rather than emphasizing the faults.
The husband's love for his wife, like the Messiah’s love for the church, is a sacrificing love. The
Messiah sacrificed Himself so that the church might be born. He paid the debt of the church's
faults and sins. He saved the church by refusing to save Himself. Just as Jesus sacrificed for the
church, so the husband must be willing to sacrifice for his wife, even to the point of death.
Because of his love for her, the husband must put his wife's welfare, comfort, feelings, desires,
needs and emotions before his own. He must work to provide a suitable home and food for her
and their children. He must protect her and be willing to sacrifice his own life to shield her from
evil and harm. This is the Lord's command. The believing husband has no other option.
The husband's love for his wife, like the Messiah’s love for the church, is a patient love. Jesus’
patience for the church is evidenced today in that He continues to love her in spite of her
failures. She is His bride. Patience is not blind to the failures of others, but patience lovingly
understands, waits, encourages and helps so that the failures may be overcome. The husband's
love for the wife is to be characterized by that kind of patience.
The husband's love for his wife, like the Messiah’s love for the church, is a perfecting love. In
Ephesians 5:26 – 27, Paul describes what Jesus [in love] did for the church. He sanctified it,
cleansed it and made it holy for Himself. In other words, Jesus is perfecting the church. He is
making it all that God intended it to be. The husband's love should have the same purpose for
his wife. His love should make her secure and confident in whom she is. His love should take
away worry and fear. It should release her to become all that God intended for her to be. As she
is completed and perfected in her husband's love, she becomes a better helpmate to enable him
to become all that God intends him to be.
In Ephesians 5:28, Paul writes: “Husbands ought to love their wives as their own
bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.”
The word translated "ought" comes from a Greek root word that means, "to owe." The husband
has a debt to love his wife. Paul says a person who loves his wife like his own body will care for
her. A husband who loves his wife will not hurt her physically or emotionally. He will provide for
her, protect her and honor her. The believing husband loves his wife as he loves his own body.
In Colossians 3:19, Paul writes: “Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh
with them.”
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The word translated "harsh" can also mean "irritated" or "embittered." This is God's command;
so harsh treatment must be stopped whenever and wherever it occurs. Instead, let there be
gentleness and kindness which is the result that love brings to a relationship. Love soothes
irritation. Love abolishes harsh thoughts and actions. Irritation and harsh feelings often grow out
of selfishness, but love is unselfish.
Peter commands husbands in 1 Peter 3:7 to: “Be considerate as you live with your
wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of
the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.”
A believing husband is to be an understanding husband. He appreciates the wife's difficulties in

managing their home and the hard work involved in shopping and cooking. He understands the
pressures caused by the constant responsibility of caring for their children. Because he
understands he is sympathetic and patient.
Peter says that the believing husband is to hold his wife in honor. He is to respect her as God's
gift to him. He is to honor her opinions and value her assistance as they work together to build a
believing home. In the last part of the verse [1 Peter 3:7], the word for "hinder" means "to cut
out, to be repulsed." Peter is saying that when a husband does not honor his wife or treat her in
an understanding way, he hurts his relationship with God. A believing husband will love and
honor his wife, who is God's gift to him.
The husband loves by attitude and action. His relationship with his wife is characterized by
Paul's description of love in 1 Corinthians 13:4 – 8:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It
is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of
wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects,
always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
Through his love, the believing husband frees his wife to submit herself to him without fear or
reservation. Together they build the kind of family that glorifies their Lord.
The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In The Submissive Wife

The lifestyle of the believing wife is found in Ephesians 5:22 where she is commanded to:
“Submit to your husbands as to the Lord.”
The command is to "submit" or to "subject yourself.'' The meaning is that the believing wife is to
voluntarily put herself under the authority of her husband. This is her obligation whether or not
her husband deserves it. Her obligation is to the Lord. Subjecting oneself is not a momentary
act. It is a continual relationship.
The wife is to be subject to her husband in the same manner she is subject to the Lord, although
not to the same degree. The Lordship of Jesus is always supreme. Paul also compares the
husband-wife relationship to the relationship of the church to Jesus.
In Ephesians 5:24, he writes: “As the church submits to the Messiah, so also wives
should submit to their husbands in everything.”
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The word "submit' or "be subject" is a military term. It means, "to arrange under." What a
beautiful picture this command makes of the believing wife. She is her husband's helpmate,
God's present to him. She comes to him with all of her talents and preparation and arranges her
life under his authority. The two become one flesh, one voice working together for one purpose.
To "be subject" does not mean that the wife loses her identity or her personality. If she were to
do that, she could no longer be a helpmate to her husband. Just as the church does, she leads
an active life with many responsibilities. Just like Jesus and the church, the husband and wife
form a team working together in a unified purpose.
There was a believing doctor whose wife felt she should be more submissive after she read
these verses in the Bible. Every request her husband made, she immediately fulfilled. Every
suggestion he made, she readily agreed. She waited on him and gave him everything he
wanted to eat. When he came home at night, she stopped what she was doing to be by his side.
She never corrected him, even when he was wrong. After about a week, her husband asked her
what was the matter? Why was she acting so strangely? She explained that she was trying to
be submissive like the Bible tells the wife to be. He replied, "You are not being submissive. You
are being like a cloth doll. I married you as my wife, not my servant. You are my helpmate, not
my slave. Before this, when we discussed matters, you gave me your opinions. I depend on
your viewpoint to help me make decisions. I depend on you to help me see my strengths and
my weaknesses. I want you to be like you used to be.” The problem was that this wife did not
understand what the Bible means when it says, "Wives, submit to your husbands."
It is interesting to note that the word ''submit" is the same word used to describe the relationship
of Jesus to his parents when He was a teenager (Luke 2:51). He voluntarily “arranged” His life
under their authority.
Paul adds the phrase "in everything" [Ephesians 5:24] to stress that this subjection reaches into
every part of the wife's life. Although the wife is to be subject to him “in everything,” she has a
higher authority over her than her husband. That authority is Jesus the Messiah, who is her
Lord. He has given her His Word as a guide for life. If her husband wants her to act contrary to
the clear teachings of the Bible, she should obey the Lord God rather than man. As she does
this, she points her husband to the way of the Messiah and truly becomes his helpmate.
In the letter to the Colossian church we find basically the same command in Colossians 3:18:
“Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.”
The word "fitting" means, "that which is due” to a person. As the believing wife voluntarily
arranges her life under the authority of her husband, she fulfills an obligation to her Lord. She is
calling forth and perfecting the love her husband is commanded to express to her. She is
enabling him to become what the Lord wants him to be. She is helping to create an atmosphere
in the home that enables her children to know the Lord and to grow spiritually. She is setting a
pattern for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. This is why, in the words of
Proverbs 31:10, 11 and 28:
“Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her...She
is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her...”
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The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In The Obedient Child

Paul writes in Ephesians 6:1: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is
right.”
The word "obey" is the same word used in Mark 4:41 when the winds and the stormy sea
obeyed Jesus' command to "Be still." One who obeys recognizes the authority of another to rule
over him.
The authority of the parents over their children is a God-ordered authority as well as a natural
relationship. Their authority goes with their responsibility as parents. Parents are to give birth,
provide protection, provide food, clothing and shelter, and provide education and training. They
are also to be an example of how to live. Parental authority also comes from experiences in life
that guide their decisions, knowledge that enables them to teach, and strength that enables
them to protect their children.
Believing children are to obey their parents for their own well being so that they will survive and
grow to maturity in this world. The word translated "to obey" comes from the root word "to listen
to." Children are commanded to listen to and follow the commands and advice of their parents.
This relationship of obedience to parents forms the basis of other relationships in a child's
maturing life. From obedience to parents, he learns obedience to the laws of his government.
He learns the basis of his relationship with his employer. If he does not learn obedience in the
home, the child will have a hard time adjusting to the society in which lives. A child also learns
obedience to God through the relationship of obedience to his parents.
The words "in the Lord" sometimes are interpreted to mean that the child must obey only when
the command is the same as God's will. It is true that a child who has been born again is in the
Messiah. Like the believing wife, he is responsible first of all to Jesus and His written Word.
However, Paul uses this expression to denote that the child is to obey in a godly way. He is to
obey with the same attitude he would obey the Lord ... not in anger, but in love and honor.
The words “for this is right” add emphasis and logic to the command. The word "right" is the
New Testament word for “righteousness.” Righteousness describes the right relationship that
the redeemed person has with the Holy God. Paul says that children are moving in a right
relationship with Jesus when they obey their parents.
Again Paul writes in his letter to the Colossian church in 3:20: “Children, obey your parents in
everything, for this pleases the Lord.”
Here Paul adds the words "in everything" to explain the extent to which a child must be obedient
to his parents. Obedience pleases God. The supreme example of obedience is seen in the life
of Jesus the Son and His relationship to the Father.
In Philippians 2:8, we read: “ He humbled himself and became obedient to death –
even death on a cross! ”
The lifestyle of a believing child is that of obedience to his parents. Through this relationship he
not only forms the basis for future relationships, but he also brings pleasure to his Lord.
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As we have already studied, a closely related command is to honor your father and mother. Paul
repeats the fifth commandment given by God through Moses in Exodus 20:12. The word
"honor" comes from the root word "to value." Believing children are to place a high value on
their parents. They value their parents for whom the parents are and for the responsibility God
has given parents in regard to the child's safety and growth. Believing children are to value their
parents’ experience and advice throughout their life. They are to show respect to their parents at
all times in their attitudes and actions.
In Matthew 15:4 and Mark 7:10, Jesus uses this verse in discussing the lifelong relationship.
When children become adults they still "honor" their parents. Honoring parents includes
responsibility to help provide for elderly parents' needs. As adults, children are also to place
value on their parents' feelings, opinions and advice.
In Ephesians 6:3, Paul again quotes from Exodus 20(verse 12): “... that you may enjoy long life
on the earth.” When one generation shows honor and value toward their parents, they create a
society that will endure. Honor denotes respect and a sense of responsibility that insures the
survival of the family and the nation. It is both an eternal truth and promise and is a command
from the Creator God.
Although the command to honor one's parents is for a lifetime, the command to obey is altered
when a child matures and leaves home. He is no longer supported by his parents but earns his
own wages. He becomes responsible for himself and for his actions before God. He must now
be allowed to make his own decisions. Although he listens to the advice of his parents, he must
ultimately decide for himself, under God's guidance, what he will do. This is a necessary step
into adulthood. It is especially so when he marries and establishes a new home. God
commands the new couple to leave their father and mother, and to form a bond together with
God. Believing parents must understand this. They are to support their children in their
separation from parents and parental authority.
The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In Godly Parents

Just as believing children are commanded by God to obey and honor their parents, believing
parents also have a God-given responsibility toward their children. This responsibility goes
beyond feeding, clothing, protecting and educating them. Although Paul addresses this
command to the father as the head of the home, the mother as the extension of his authority
shares the responsibility.
The command is first stated negatively in Ephesians 6:4: “Fathers, do not
exasperate your children….” An expanded translation says: “Fathers, do not keep
on scolding and nagging your children, making them angry and resentful.”
Believing parents are to discipline their children. They must make rules to govern relationships,
attitudes and actions in the home. These rules should build good relationships rather than
causing confusion, frustration and anger in the children.
The believing father should exemplify God within the home. God is not the author of confusion
and defeat. The parents' responsibility toward the children is to create an atmosphere of trust
and security within the home in which each child can reach his full potential. In creating such an
atmosphere, the parents set a pattern for future generations. In a real sense, our homes today
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are what our parents' homes were yesterday and our grandparents' homes were before that.
This truth reaches from the past into the future.
In Colossians 3:21, Paul writes: “Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will
become discouraged.”
This command is like Ephesians 6:4 in that it indicates a practice which is to be stopped. Often,
parents try to relive their lives through their children. They try to correct their old mistakes,
accomplish their old ambitions, and fight their old battles through their children. Instead, they
should let their children establish their own identity and be their own selves.
Parents should not forget that God makes each individual to be unique. Some parents make the
mistake of trying to treat all their children as if they were alike. Sometimes they make
comparisons of one child to his brothers or sisters. They make demands that are beyond the
ability of the child. These attitudes and actions of the parents frustrate the child. They cause the
child to feel unworthy and unappreciated. He feels he can never live up to the expectations of
his parents.
When parents make these mistakes, the child is frustrated. In his frustration he may rebel
against the parents. Often he rebels against the society or the God that the parents represent.
God says, "Stop treating your children in this way." Instead:
“Bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).
It was not an accident that God established the home as the first institution. In the beginning of
man's life on this earth, the home was the principle place of learning. It should still be the place
where the child learns about the Messiah and His teachings. It is in the home that a child should
learn about the loving Father God, His goodness, and His expectations of His children. It is in
the home, with parents as his teachers, that the child should be taught the Bible, God's Word.
He is both to hear it taught and to see it lived through his parents' lives. He is to practice the
Biblical teachings in his relationships within the home.
Too often believing parents neglect their responsibility in this matter. They depend on the
churches, the schools and their friends to teach their children to form their ideas of life. This is
not only dangerous, but it is against God's commandment. The believing parent recognizes that
teaching is his privilege and responsibility. He plans times each day for his children's Biblical and
moral instruction. Here God's Word is studied, discussed and memorized.
There is also time to discuss the problems that children have encountered at school or at play.
Believing parents realize the importance of listening to their children's needs, experiences and
opinions. This causes the child to know that he is important and is truly a part of the family.
The responsibility of caring for and training the child is very great. Each child is a soul that has
the potential of eternal life or the threat of eternal punishment. Guiding the child toward eternal
life is the responsibility that has been given to every parent. Along with this responsibility, God
gives us a promise in Proverbs 22:6:
“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
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The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In The Life Of The Faithful Worker

In Ephesians 6:5 – 6 Paul writes: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect
and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey the Messiah. Obey
them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of the
Messiah, doing the will of God from your heart.”
Paul addressed this command to "slaves." Slaves did most of the work in the Roman Empire in
which Paul lived. What he says applies in principle to all those who work for others. Paul says
that the servant (or the employee) is to be obedient. He is to recognize the position of his
employer over him (in the world). He is responsible to do what his employer orders him to do.
Because he acts responsibly, his life becomes a testimony about Jesus to his employer. The
employee is to be sincere in his attitudes and actions. He is to be honest in all things.
Ephesians 6:7 says: “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not
men.”
A person's work is to be performed as if it were for the Lord. It is not only to please his employer,
but also to please his Master. He is to work hard not only when he is being watched, but when
no one is paying attention to him. He is to be a pleasant, hardworking laborer, because he is a
representative of the Messiah, and he is working to please the Lord. The believer is a faithful
worker, because he realizes that others are judging the teachings of Jesus by the way they see
him working.
Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:18: “Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all
respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are
harsh.”
The word translated "slave" may describe an educated house servant in the Roman Empire
such as a secretary or a doctor. Peter uses the word "submit" which is the same word that Paul
uses in describing the relationship of the wife to the husband. It is the military term meaning to
"arrange under" or "line up under the authority of a superior officer."
This submission is even to be given to employers who are bad or perverse. The believing
worker is to be respectful toward his employer. His motive for submission and service is not his
feelings toward his employer but his respect for God. God receives the service as if it were done
to Him. God’s name is honored by the worker's good behavior. So submission is not determined
by the master's good or bad actions, but by God whom the believer honors and serves. When a
believer is mistreated, misunderstood, or falsely accused, his attitude is to be like the Messiah.
Peter adds in the 19th verse: For it is commendable if a man bears up under the
pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God.”
"Conscious of God" means that a person's conscience is so controlled by his awareness of

God's presence that he realizes his problems are to be borne in accordance with God's will. An
unbelieving co-worker or supervisor may wrong a believing employee. When this happens, for
conscience sake, he must endure, even if he has done no wrong. When the believing worker
endures such unjust actions from others, he finds grace from God. Paul writes in Ephesians 6:8
concerning this grace:
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“Because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does,
whether he is slave or free.”
This knowledge comes because the believer observes all the blessings God brings into his life.
Peter continues in 1 Peter 2:20: “But how is it to your credit if you receive a
beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you
endure it, this is commendable before God.”
The faithful worker realizes that he is working for God even though he is working for man. He is
faithful, cheerful and respectful to his employer at all times because he realizes that he is
responsible to the Lord. He faces problems and misunderstandings without reacting badly, and
he receives God's grace daily as he endures.
The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In The Life Of The Good Citizen

Jesus acknowledged the obligation of every believer to be a good citizen when He paid His own
and Peter's taxes. When Jesus was asked if it is right to pay taxes, He answered:
“…Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's” (Matthew 22:21).
Even though the government under which Jesus lived was a harsh, foreign and corrupt
government, Jesus never spoke against it. He even submitted Himself to the scorn, beatings
and crucifixion by that government.
Paul tells us in Romans 13:1 – 2: “Everyone must submit himself to the governing
authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The
authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels
against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who
do so will bring judgment on themselves.”
Again Paul commands us to subject ourselves to authority, meaning the authority of the
government. The believer is to obey its laws, honor its requirements, and pray for its leaders. As
a good citizen, the believer should keep himself informed on public issues. He should exercise
his right to vote in the election of his leaders. He should be ready to defend his country if he is
called on to do so. He should support his government and work to bring the influence,
leadership, and presence of Jesus to the attention of his nation. The believer is honest in the
payment of his taxes. He is willing to give his time to improve his community.
Paul writes in Romans 13:6 – 7: “This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities
are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you
owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then
respect; if honor, then honor.”
Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:13 – 15: “Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every
authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or
to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend
those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the
ignorant talk of foolish men.”
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Peter also tells us to submit ourselves to the government. The reason to be submissive is "for
the Lord's sake." In obeying the government, we are obeying the Lord. Peter does not specify a
particular kind of government we are to obey. The believer will silence those who want to
slander them by being good citizens and by obeying the government. The world is always
looking for things in believers to criticize. We can silence those criticisms by being honest in our
dealings, submissive to the government, and helpful to our neighbors.
Peter continues in verses 16 – 17: “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom
as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone:
Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.”
The believer is free. He has been freed by the sacrifice of Jesus the Messiah. Yet he must not
use his freedom as a license to do whatever he wants to do. He is under the authority of God
and thus he submits himself to the laws and authority of the government.
There is one exception to this command. The exception is if the laws or decrees of the
government would force us to act against the written Word of God. Peter and John established
this exception as they stood before the court of their nation. They were ordered not to speak to
others any more about Jesus.
But Peter and John replied in Acts 4:19 – 20: “Judge for yourselves whether it is
right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking
about what we have seen and heard.”
The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In The Life Of The Helpful Neighbor

James tells each one of us: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (James 2:8).
Actually, James is quoting from Leviticus 19:18 where God, through Moses, gives several laws
concerning our relationship with our neighbor.
In Leviticus 19:11, 13, 16 and 18 God says: “Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive
one another….Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him…Do not go about spreading
slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's
life…Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love
your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”
Both Moses and James summed these laws up in the command to love your neighbor as
yourself. The Old Testament often emphasizes the negative command. It tells us what we are
not to do. But these commands were also summed up in the positive -- love your neighbor. To
love is to put the welfare of another before your own. It is to seek the other person's best
interest. Love is more than not dealing falsely, not lying, not slandering or stealing from others.
Love actively helps them. Love is more than an attitude or emotion. It is an action.
Therefore, the believing neighbor loves others and helps them in their needs. He also shares
with others the promises of his Lord and the truths of His Word, because he sees more than
their physical needs. He also sees their spiritual needs.
"Who is my neighbor?" is the question a lawyer once asked Jesus in Luke 10:29. In answer to
this question Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30 – 37. In this parable,
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Jesus outlined the believer’s attitude and action to those in need. He also redefined "neighbor"
as anyone in need of our help. Let us look at five things that we can learn from the parable of
the Good Samaritan.
The believer’s help is not determined by circumstances, but by the need. Some
people might point to the foolishness of the robbed man. They say he should not have
been traveling alone on a road that was known to be infested by robbers. Some say that
he got what he deserved. Others might point to the personal danger the Samaritan put
himself in by stopping to help. Others might point to the cost of time and money. Yet to
the follower of the Messiah the bleeding man lying on the roadside overrules all the
objections.
The believer’s help is not determined by the needy person's opinion of him, it is
determined by the need. If the situation had been reversed, the Samaritan probably
would not have received help from a Jew. The Jews looked on Samaritans as unworthy
“dogs.” Most Jews would not even cross over the boundary onto Samaritan soil. They
would not help a Samaritan in need. Although he knew all of this, the Samaritan helped
because the Jew was in need.
The believer’s help goes beyond the minimum required. What was the minimum
requirement for the Samaritan to behave in a humane manner? To tend the man's
wounds and bring him to safety would have been enough. Yet the Samaritan made
provisions for the man’s continued care despite his own busy schedule and the financial
cost to himself.
The disciple of the Messiah is commanded by God to help. Jesus said to all those
who were listening, and to us today: "Go and do likewise” (verse 37).
The disciple’s help points others to our Lord. When we help others we are not only
following the teachings of Jesus but we are following His example. He set this example in
His life and in His death. The lifestyle of the helpful neighbor reaches out to those in
need. Helping comes from a heart of love. It points others to the Messiah.
The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In The Life Of An Honest Merchant

God planned to establish the wandering children of Israel into a great nation. He gave them laws
to govern their practices and activities. These laws explained His expectations of how they
should live.
In Deuteronomy 25:13 – 15, God speaks to merchants: “Do not have two differing
weights in your bag – one heavy, one light. Do not nave two differing measures in
your house – one large, one small. You must have accurate and honest weights and
measures, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”
The merchant sells in order to make money, but the believing merchant has an added motive.
That motive is to serve the public. The merchant performs an important function in our cities and
villages. The merchant who is a believer is reminded in Leviticus 19:34 – 37 that he represents
the Lord and must be honest in all his dealings. He is not to trick his customers in any way. He is
not to misrepresent his material to his customers. He is to ask a fair price and not try to gain too
much profit at the expense of those he serves.
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Proverbs 11:1 states: “The LORD abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights
are His delight.”
A believing merchant makes the Lord his business partner. He asks the Lord's advice and
believes in His blessing. He depends on the Messiah to establish him in the land and provide for
his and his family's needs. He is aware that as he serves his customers, he is serving his Lord.
He is aware of the teaching in Deuteronomy 25:16:
“For the Lord your God detests anyone who does these things, anyone who deals
dishonestly”
The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In The Forgiving Brother

A characteristic of our lifestyle as a follower of Jesus is forgiveness. The basic meaning of the
word "forgiveness" is "to send away, dismiss, or release." When the believer forgives, he sends
away the anger or bad feelings that he has because a wrong has been done to him. He
releases his desire for retaliation and is willing to be a friend.
We see a picture of the meaning of forgiveness in the Old Testament practice of the scapegoat.
The people's sins were ceremonially placed upon the goat. Then the goat was driven away from
the camp never to return. When we forgive, we release to God the wrongs done against us. God
takes them from us. The believer no longer remembers the wrongs.
The believer’s willingness to forgive is based on the fact that God has touched his life. He has
experienced God's forgiveness. His forgiveness now extends even to his enemies, to those who
persecute him, to those who wrongfully use him. If he is only willing to forgive his friends, he is
no better than a non-believer. But the disciple of Jesus is different. He is like His Lord. He must
always be willing to forgive. He is a forgiving brother to all men. Let’s look now at five aspects of
the forgiving brother.
He is a forgiving brother, because God's Word commands it.

In Matthew 18:21, Peter asks, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother
when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus replied in verse 22, "I tell you,
not seven times, but seventy-seven times."
Jesus' teachings that forgiveness is the will and work of God disturbed many people of His day.
However, He clearly taught that God offers forgiveness to men, and that He also expects men to
forgive those who wrong them. That is why Jesus taught us to pray, "…Father…forgive us our
debts, as (in the same way) we also have forgiven our debtors" (Matthew 6:12).
The believer is a forgiving brother, because he is aware that he has been forgiven.
Paul writes in Ephesians 4:32: “Be kind and compassionate to one another,
forgiving each other, just as in the Messiah God forgave you.”
The knowledge that a loving God forgave us our sins is a constant reminder to us that we must
forgive others. We have been forgiven so much by God and at such a great price. Jesus
suffered and died on a Roman cross so that our sins might be forgiven. To accept God's
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forgiveness, but not be willing to forgive others, would be an insult to the God who forgives us,
the Messiah who died for us and the Holy Spirit who lives within us.
The believer is a forgiving brother, because of the consequences of not forgiving

others.
Jesus taught His disciples to forgive others. He concluded by saying (Matthew
6:14 – 15): “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father
will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not
forgive your sins.”
In Matthew 18:23 – 35, Jesus told a parable about a king who forgave his servant a great debt.
The servant then refused to forgive a small debt owed him by his fellow servant. The king
became angry and had the servant put into prison until he could pay his debt. The believer is
ready to forgive, both out of gratitude for the forgiveness he has received, and because he
realizes that failure to forgive others displeases God and brings judgment from Him.
The believer is a forgiving brother, because he sees what forgiveness and acceptance
can do for others.
It is very important for each person to be forgiven and accepted by other people. Forgiveness
and acceptance helps a person realize that he is important and is of value. A follower of Jesus
shows that other people are important by the way he treats them. They are important enough for
God to sacrifice His only begotten Son so that they might be forgiven and receive eternal life.
Look what happened to the woman at the well when Jesus forgave her. She forgot her shame
and brought the people of her village to Him. Look at what happened to Zaccheus when he was
forgiven. He changed his values and gave half his money to the poor. Look what happened to
Mary Magdalene when she was forgiven. She followed Jesus and became a co-laborer. These,
who had no value in the eyes of the public, found forgiveness and self-worth in Jesus.
The disciple of the Lord is a forgiving brother, because Jesus, whom he follows, set
the example.
Perhaps the greatest example of forgiveness that the world has ever seen is Jesus' prayer on
the cross. While His enemies stood around laughing at Him and insulting Him, Jesus asked
God's forgiveness for them, for their actions and for their ignorance.
In Luke 23:34, He prayed: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are
doing.”
The Greek verb indicates that he repeated this prayer several times. In this prayer, He prayed
for the chief priest who had demanded his death before Pilate. He prayed for the Roman
soldiers who had beaten Him, stripped Him of His clothes, and nailed Him to the cross. He
prayed for the crowd who had shouted for His crucifixion and were at that moment mocking
Him. He prayed also for His disciples who had deserted Him and had run away seeking their
own safety. Jesus had reasons to be angry, but He forgave.
Jesus is the example for every believer and His words are always in the hearts of His followers:
"Go and do likewise."
64
CONCLUSION
The believer’s relationship to the Messiah is the central factor in his relationships to everyone
around him. He acts out of love, because the love of Jesus compels him (2 Corinthians 5:14).
He forgives others, because the Lord first forgave him. He is patient, because he has
experienced the patience of Jesus toward him. He helps others, because the Messiah is
continually helping him. He serves men, because in so doing he is serving the Lord. He is
honest, trustworthy and kind, because his actions reflect Jesus who lives in him.
The believer hears and follows the command of God given through Paul in
Colossians 3:17: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the
name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
The believer knows that his life and service are in the Lord. He knows that the Messiah is his
Master.
“You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your
body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19 – 20)
To this Master every believer must give an accounting, both for his service and for the way he
treats others. He must give an account for both his attitudes and his relationships with his
fellowman. May our lifestyle as a follower of the Messiah truly reveal the character and attitudes
of the ONE who lives within us. Amen.
65

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Book

Revised, August 2003

An Overview of God’s Word for our Lifestyle and Relationships ............................................................................. 6

An Overview of the Study of the Ten Commandments .............................................................................................. 8

Introduction - The mighty King announces Himself (Exodus 20: 2)....................................................................... 12

The Commandments of Freedom................................................................................................................................. 13

A Brief Survey of the Sermon........................................................................................................................................ 28

True Righteousness as Pictured by Jesus (Matthew 5: 1 – 48)............................................................................... 30

True Righteousness Practiced in the Believer’s Life (6:1 – 7:12)............................................................................ 42

The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In Lifetime Marriage.............................................................................................. 51

The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In The Loving Husband ....................................................................................... 52

The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In The Submissive Wife ....................................................................................... 54

The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In The Obedient Child .......................................................................................... 56

The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In Godly Parents ................................................................................................... 57

The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In The Life Of The Faithful Worker..................................................................... 59

The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In The Life Of An Honest Merchant ................................................................... 62

The Believer’s Lifestyle As Seen In The Forgiving Brother ..................................................................................... 63

The Basis of the Believer’s Lifestyle

Man’s Creation in the Image of God

1. Be fruitful and multiply

Jesus’ Sacrifice for Man’s Sin

Jesus’ Life – an Example for all Believers

“Your attitude should be the same as that of the Messiah Jesus.”

An Overview of God’s Word for our Lifestyle and Relationships

OLD TESTAMENT: Ten Commandments

NEW TESTAMENT: Sermon on the Mount

An Overview of the Study of the Ten Commandments

¾ To reveal His glory and holiness (Deuteronomy 5:22 – 28)

The law is compared to:

A mirror, because it reveals our sins (James 1:22 – 25)

Make anything perfect - Hebrews 7:11 – 19, 10:1 – 2

The Messiah and the Law

The Believer and the Law

The Ten Commandments Today

• Honor father and mother (Ephesians 6:1 – 4)

A DETAILED STUDY OF EACH OF THE TEN

And God spoke all these words:

Introduction - The mighty King announces Himself (Exodus 20: 2)

• God announces Himself in His majesty.

• God announces Himself as the Lawgiver.

The Commandments of Freedom

Strength - Habakkuk 1:11

THINK ABOUT THIS……..

Israel celebrates the annual feast of Passover.

 We worship God, not our parents.

 Premeditated, calculated, “cold blooded” murder

 Accidental – no one is responsible (Deuteronomy 19:5)

Proverbs 12:18 – “Reckless words pierce like a sword….”

The Seventh Commandment – Exodus 20:14 – “You shall not commit

First, let’s remember that marriage is an institution of God.

The Eighth Commandment – Exodus 20:15 – “You shall not steal.”

Stealing can happen in a number of ways. For example:

 Cheating others with false weights/measures

Now we should ask this question:

 Both commands involve names and reputations

The Tenth Commandment – Exodus 20:17 – “You shall not covet…..

[Covet means to set your desire on.]

The Sermon on the Mount - Part 1

A Brief Survey of the Sermon

 They apply it to nations when it is really meant for individuals.

Is the Sermon on the Mount for us today?

Sermon on the Mount Pharisees

The Sermon and Salvation

We worship God, not our parents.

Premeditated, calculated, “cold blooded” murder

Accidental – no one is responsible (Deuteronomy 19:5)

Cheating others with false weights/measures

Both commands involve names and reputations

They apply it to nations when it is really meant for individuals.

“Poor in spirit” (verse 3)

“Hunger and thirst” (verse 6)

“Pure in heart” (verse 8)

“Persecuted” (verses 10 – 11)

The reasons for marriage

The characteristics of marriage

The Mosaic Law of Divorce (Deuteronomy 24:1 – 4 and Matthew 19:7 – 8)

Our Lord’s Law of Marriage (Matthew 5:31 – 32 and 19:9 – 12)

Praying to be heard by others (verses 5 – 6)

We shall be judged (verse 1)

We are being judged (verse 2)

We must see clearly to help others (verses 3 – 5)

The reason we must judge (verse 6)

The resources which God gives us (verses 7 – 11)

He is a forgiving brother, because God's Word commands it.

The believer is a forgiving brother, because of the consequences of not forgiving