Abide: Session 10: Imitate God - Gaius

 

Second John showed us to guard truth - external conflict.

Third John is about internal conflict.

Verse 1. Gaius "my dear friend".

Verse 2. So convinced that his soul is healthy.

Verse 3. Report was good about Gaius.  He was walking in the truth and obedience.

Verse 4. John rejoices as Gaius is walking in the truth (John's response).  His deep and abiding faithfulness to the truth.  What relationships give us joy?  Gaius will pass the test of truth and righteousness and love.

Verse 5. Test of love he passes.  Who is Gaius being faithful, trustworthy and loving to? To God.  Gaius is doing a difficult work - effort.  He demonstrates love to strangers too.

Verse 6b-8. "A manner worthy of God" - send them with every provision.  Abraham also in Genesis with the strangers.  Probably itinerate missionaries these strangers.  Fellowship is a marker of Christian community.  We become fellow-workers when we support other missions.  We can use our words to bless, our money to bless, etc.

Verses 9-10.  Diotrephes (imitates evil).  Internal threat to the health of the church.  Discrediting the apostles.  Gossiping.  Making allies. "Wicked nonsense".  Doesn't go into detail here but has no respect for authority.  We also can have an authority issue.  We need to assess.  We need to also guard the truth.

Verses 11-12. Demetrius imitates good and not evil.  We are also to imitate good (Eph. 5:1-2).  We were made for it.

Verses 13-15. "By name" greetings.  What would John say to us now?  The same things:

.Jesus is real.  I know it!

.You are not the same because of Him

.Walk in righteousness

. Show love to each other

.Guard the truth

.Remember what you know

.Keep yourselves from idols

.He abides in you

.Abide in Him - make your home in Him

The problems of the early church are our problems as well:

1. Doctrinal confusion

2. False teachers

3. Divisions

4. Disagreements

5. Lovelessness

6. Disobedience or laziness with regard to obedience

7. Doubt

8. Believers of every level of maturity  

The assurance of the early church are ours as well:

1. Abide in the truth of Christ

2. Love the brothers

3. Walk according to the commands

4. Imitate Christ

9. 

Abide: Session 9: Walk in Truth and Love

 

Second John, Jen says, is like a memo. It was written 90-95 A.D. The Roman empire was at its height. Roman roads helped them to govern more areas. All forms of information traveled, just like the internet.  The early church had to face problems also.

2 John 1-2. "The elder" - John is old and respected and wise.  Elder in life experiences.  Written to a house church to give assurance.

Verse 3. Greeting changed "will be with you".  Dual nature - "in truth and love" continues.  Combines truth and love.  If we have just truth, we become legalistic.  If we just have love, we become too liberal.  We need the balance.  God has the balance perfectly.

Verses 4-6. "Walk" - relating it to the commandments.  Q: what's the significance of walking here? Obedience.  Righteousness. Look at Enoch in Genesis: "walked with God".  A bright light in the midst of dark sin.  Genesis 6:9 1) a humility, 2) implies agreement - Amos 3:3, 3) an increasing mutual affection - growing in love, 4) also an exercise of our faith, 5) it implies safety, 6) encouragement, 7) a preparation for future service, 8) also implies not walking with others, 9) pursue righteousness.  A steady every day obedience, companionship with God.

Verses 7-8. False teaching corrected.  "Full reward" - this is new.  Rewards: see Matt. 20:20-28, Matt. 5:11-12. Matt. 10:40-42; Matt. 6:1-4; Matt. 6:19-20, Matt. 16:27, Luke 6:35, Col. 3:23-24, Eph. 2:10 - walk in good works, eternal reward.

Verses 9-11. Refuse a false teacher in your home.  Do not abide with them.  No endorsement.  Truth supercedes love here.  What this means for us is to watch our endorsements, books, TV, etc.

Verse 12. "Face to face" - Exodus 33:11 Moses to God.  Hard conversations face-to-face - let truth be expressed with love.

Verse 13. Church to church greeting. 

Note: UCLA study says 58% of communication is through body language.  38% through vocal tone, pitch and emphasis. 7% through the content of a message.

Would you run a marathon with 7% of your physical strength? Would you take an important test with 7% of your intelligence? Would you host a holiday gathering with only 7% of your house cleaned?

Seven percent is NOT enough to communicate truth and love.  We should act so carefully if communication is not face-to-face in which much is at stake.  John points us to that.

There is a lot we can take from John's words in this short letter:

1. We can understand the importance of face-to-face communication.

2. We can understand the importance of our endorsements.

3. We can understand that in small situations when faithfulness is demonstrated and care is taken, there can be a big reward of the local church.

How do we inhabit our local church?  Because that's where our impact will be most felt in the family of God.  We will get to learn more about that in 3 John.

Next: Session 10: Imitate God - Gaius

Abide: Session 8: That You May Know

 

Chapter 5 verse 13 is the third statement of "I write these things so that." He has given us three ways to know by the three tests.

5:14-15. He's expressed this idea earlier in John 3:21-22.  What is really going on here? what is the right way for us to think about prayer? Look at John 15:7 - abide. What is the implication of His word abiding in us? Think of how a prayer journal might shape our conception of prayer that might be unhelpful.  We might think that prayer is shaped by making requests.  It might seem in this passage what is put before us is that we can have confidence when we ask. He does want us to ask.  If we abide, then when we come to prayer, it's to be understood we are going more than asking.  We extol.  Ask forgiveness.  Also, we don't see the whole picture.  "According to His will." 1 Thessalonians 4:3 tells us more in the Bible - what He says.  We need to pray the word and submit to His will when praying for circumstances. The God of all outcomes.  His time not ours.

5:16a. Intercession here.  We need to pray first.

5:16-17. This isn't special knowledge like the gnostics believe.  What kind of sin leads to death? The sin that we are not actually converted.  Pray "Lord, transform their heart." It's a rejection of truth - the sin that leads to death.  Jesus intercedes for Peter remember.

Reads "from the valley of vision."

John concludes now with the three tests again.

Verse 18. Test of righteousness.  We don't keep on sinning. "The evil one does not lay hold of us." Think of Job and Peter.

Verse 19. The test of love.

Verse 20. The test of truth.

Verse 21. Keep yourselves from fakes, false conceptions.  God is not like us!

Three questions:

1. What causes us to doubt we have eternal life?

2. What causes us to doubt that God hears our prayers?

3. What causes us to doubt that Jesus leads us not into temptation?

Next: Session 9: Walk in Truth and Love

Abide: Session 7: Overcoming the World

 

In session 7, we look at Chapter 5 of 1 John.

Verses 1-2. "Born of God". (The test of truth). "Loves Father", "loves whoever born of him" (Test of love). Test of righteousness - three summary statements.  "Who believes" - a deep-rooted belief.

Verse 3. "Not burdensome".  Sin is burdensome, but not God's commands.  They are difficult.  It is work.  If we think they're burdensome, we will complain and avoid.

Verses 4-5. "Overcome". Means we are quicker to repent and slower to repeat.  Keeping God's commands is one form in overcoming the world.  God's commandments find their origin in Him.  The more we understand this, the more we will value His commands.  We "overcome" the world one experience at a time. Help us to hate what you hate God.

Verses 6-8. We are shifting here into legal language: testify and testimony. A court room.  Matthew 18:20 is not referring to gathering 2 to 3 people in prayer.  It's actually referring to the need to establish credibility of a witness based on 2 or 3 witnesses.  So, here, we have 3 witnesses: water, blood, spirit.  He is establishing the truths of the claims of Jesus Christ according to 3 witnesses.  Look at Deut. 19:15.  Think of all the places in the Bible of establishing 2 or 3 witnesses for credibility: Revelations, birth of Jesus, temple, Abraham (3 men), Sodom and G, Garden of Eden.  Why water and blood? Exodus adventure: the sea and the blood on posts.  Moses tabernacle: laver of water (water), altar of sacrifice (blood), holy of holies (spirit).  Reference John 19:31-35.  He's showing that Jesus was human and actually suffered death, not what the gnostics believe.  The Spirit descends on the day of Pentecost: water, blood and Spirit. 

Verses 9-12. He says the Spirit is the test of truth, water is the test of righteousness, blood relates to the test of love.

Verses 9-10. "Greater". Testimony of man and the testimony of God.  He's referring to the spirit of the antichrist versus the Spirit of truth.  Which one is greater? The Spirit of truth.

Verse 12. More than saved from death but "life" as described in John 10.  No spiritual lack.

Fear of man is the beginning of folly but the fear of God, as in Proverbs, is the beginning of wisdom.

Abdundant life is for the one who will run the race for the testimony of the Lord.

Two questions:

1. What commandment do we find to be burdensome?

2. How is our life a testimony to eternal life?

Next: Session 8: "That You May Know"

Abide: Session 6: Truth and Error: God is Love

 

John introduces the idea of "Spirit" in the last verse we saw in chapter 3:24.  We start now with 1 John chapter 4.

1 John 4:1-3. Notice he starts with "beloved" because of what he is going to share on love, not with "little children." All through scripture we see "anti-christs" (i.e. satan, Cain etc). Testing spirits we have the Holy Spirit and the spirit of the anti-christ.  The sense of the text here on "test the spirits" is not demonic. It's this: see if this is representative of the Spirit of God or the spirit of error.  He's actually saying "don't be gullible." He will also tell us how to test.  Beware of books that people are saying "God told me this" etc. This is a watered-down version of gnoticism.  Those books take up more of our thinking space than the Bible.

Verses 1-2. He's relating spirit to flesh here.  He's pushing back on what others have said that Jesus was only a spirit and only appeared in the flesh.

Verses 3-4. A "greater than" here also in John 3:20 "greater than our hearts." 

Verse 5.  "They" - antichrists. "From the world" or they went out from us.

Verse 6. "We" - apostles.  By this they can discern because of who listens to them.  Study the real thing (the Bible). We can't identify false teaching by asking if it is false but we have to know truth in order to identify false teaching.

Verses 7-12. Test of love. "Born of God" (John).  He speaks as Jesus does.  He send Him to be the "mercy seat" (propitiation) - the covering over, the ark, the manifest presence of God.  Luke about the Pharisee and sinner, he's actually saying "God be mercy-seated" to me a sinner.  A word picture here that between God and the sinner is the mercy seat. Verse 11 refers to His love manifested in us.  Sinners must see God's love in us.  God's love is perfected in us by producing loving fruit and actions.  We don't like the fact that God is invisible.  This gives false teachers the leeway to "paint" God as they want.

Verse 13-16. Spirit, Father and Son. Trinity here.  

God is Love. What's the problem with people saying this who do not have God abiding in them? They have reduced God to being only love.

John is making a point here when he says this that we cannot hate our brothers and still call ourselves a follower of Christ.  He has many more attributes than that.  OT shows compassion, mercy and grace of God.  We must spend time in all scripture, if we want to have a full view of God.

Verse 17-18a. Another verse that gets pulled out of context.  He's talking about the kind of confidence that allows you to stand on the day of judgment and not fear anything.  "As He is in the world, so also are we." Because as God's son is, so also are we God's children in this world.  Children don't have to gear punishment from the Father.  It's already been taken care of.

Verse 18. What kind of fear is cast out by perfect love? The fear of standing and receiving punishment from God. For the believer, that fear is gone forever.  One fear we need though "the fear of the Lord." "There is no fear in love" - been used wrongly.  we are not wrong to feel legitament fear.  We can lovingly be guided toward a better orientation.  The Christian life is not fear-free but we have a God who guides us in our natural fears. 

Verse 19. God's love was first directed toward us.

Verse 20. We have many visible things were can show our love and deep affection to.

Verse 21. John is dancing around the idea of the great commandment.  This is a deal breaker. Luke 10:25-29 - Jesus does not answer with a statement but a question.This man tries to justify himself by asking "who is my neighbor?"  So where's the line?  The attitude is "what's the bare minimum?"

Verses 30-31. The Jews would have understood this scene. 

Verse 32. The Levite here - the Jews get it.  The priest and the Levite passing by. But the Samaritan shows up.  Racism against them from the Jews.  Half-breeds.  Bad hatred exists.

Verses 33-34. He had compassion.  God describes Himself to Moses as a God of compasstion.  Samaritan has oil/wine with him.  He has an animal.

Verse 35. Money is not a problem.

Verse 36. Poses a question. "Who is acting like a neighbor here?"

Verse 37. Couldn't say "Samaritan".  Go and do likewise.  We are the man in the ditch.  Along comes a man who is rejected by the Jews, has compassion, the means to heal,  has great resources, leaves a deposit, goes away, promises to return.

Who is the good Samaritan?  Jesus - predicting His own ministry.  When we understand the lengths His love has gone, we should be the good Samaritan.

So, for us, "go and do likewise."

Pray for thoese we find hard to love and go and do likewise.

Next: Session 7 "Overcoming the World"

Abide Session 5: Practice Righteousness, Pusue Love, Possess Assurance

 To give us confidence, John will now explore what it means to be a child of God.  "Little children" = Tekna (Greek). We are the natural or genetic children of God.

John 3:1. "Children of God". Publicly recognized as such by God.  Don't lose the wonderment of this. "Behold of what country is the love of God". 

John 3:1b. "Know" - did not have relationship with or understand Him.

John 3:2. We are His children "now" - miraculous. What we will be has not yet appeared (made manifest).  It's not yet become obvious what we will be.

John 3:2b-3. What's the nature of the hope we have in Him? A present hope and a future hope; something better to come. We will be made like Him according to the first creation (Genesis 1:26-27). The image of God. What if we began to live into the pure desires now?

John 3:4. He circles back to the test of righteousness.  This is a devastating definition for sin "lawlessness". Legalists take God's law which is intended to bring glory to God and twist it to bring glory to them.

John 3:5-6. Don't practice sin - slower to repeat.  It's losing its grip.

John 3:7-9. "Practice".  A discipline.  Practice takes time.  "God's seed" = sperma.

John 3:10. "Evident" (manifest). He's moving to the test of love again.

John 3:11. "Love one another" is actually not new.  It first operated in the garden.

John 3:12. The law had been given though.  Whatever Cain knew he was to bring first and best. Love with God was fractured, so love of brother was fractured as well.  Same with Adam and Eve.

John 3:13-15. Echoes "sermon on the mount".  No "sibling" rivalry.

John 3:16-18. Sacrificial love is generous and tangible.

John 3:19-21. When would your heart condemn you? When you committed that sin again.  Confession is always better than concealment.  Nothing is concealed from God.  God is omniscient.

John 3:23-24. Test of truth.  Test of love. Test of righteousness. Three things repeated again.

End. 1) does what my hands are doing show that I love Him? 2) Does what my mind think about Him show that I love Him? 3) Does what my heart setting its desires on show that I love Him?

Questions

1. What repetitive sin do we need to confess again?

2. Who do we merely tolerate?

3. Where does our heart condemn us?

Next: Session 6: Truth & Error: God is Love

Abide: Session 4 The Test of Truth

There are starting to be divisions now in church history.

In John 18 Pilate asks "what is truth?" Many times we go to places on line or books to validate our own existing views of what is true or false - moral relativism.

John 2:18. Antichrists are many.  "The last hour" - the time between the 1st and 2nd coming.  Matthew 24:11 - Jesus' testimony.  Christ means "the anointed one." Anti means against.

Verse 19. They went out. The broke fellowship and went on their own.  Doctrine - perseverance of the saints.  He's concerned with those who are teachers and active in the faith.

Verses 20-21. Now "you" not "they."  Anointed.  Holy Spirit in us.

Verses 22-24a. Remember the foundational truths.

Verses 24b-25. Abiding life.

The list of truth is that you have to arrim that Jesus is God - Father and Son.  Fully God/fully man.  To deny this is to take away the very foundation of the gospel.

Identities of false teaching. Any doctrine that elevates the role of man and diminishes the role of God. Not everything we hear and disagree with is going to be false teaching.  What we are talking about is essential doctrines.

False teaching example. The word of faith to speak things into being and out of being.  God only has that power.  Another one: if I speak my fears aloud, the demons will know what my fears are and they can use it against me based on Job 3:25.  The fear was the loss of his family and health.  We fear God instead of "Pharoah."

Verses 26-27. "Need no teachers to teach you." What? He is arguing against special knowledge.  The anointing abides in us - so we can know the truth of our belief.  He's pressing against what these false teachers are saying.  Matthew 13 - wheat and weeds.  What fruit? Weeds no fruit.  Wheat does.  Believe the Bible.  Good soil of the church can be drained of its nutrients if we are not careful about false teaching.

Verses 26-28. "Abides in you". "Abide in Him".  When it says "we may have confidence", it's saying we may have assurance. See Romans 8:1.  Why does John speak of abiding in Christ so much? Because Jesus did (John 15).  What causes a lack of confidence? Not being prepared or equipped.

The confidence John is giving to the "little children" here is an act of rememberance: He abides in you and you abide in Him.

Core truths of Christian faith: 

1. Bible-inspired word of God

2. Trinity

We are sealed in Him for eternity.  No one can snatch us out of His hand.

We have no reason to shrink in shame at His coming because the penalty for sin is paid in full.

Next: Session 5: Practice righteousness, pursue love, possess assurance

 

Abide: Session 3: The Tests of Righteousness and Love

 Test of Righteousness - "Do I keep His commandments?"

1 John 2:3-6.  John is combating the false idea of gnosticism.  He's using the word "know" over and over - "and by this we have assurance (know) that we have come to have a relationship (know) with Him." Whoever says "I have a relationship (or know Him) with Him, by this we have assurance (know). Matthew 7.

Q: where does God's law (commandments) belong in the believers life today? Matthew 5:17.  Well, we will walk through 3 tests of genuine faith.  Commandments are a test of righteousness, or moral behavior.

You want to obey God when you are child of God.  To love God is to love God's law.  The law of God is an expression of the character of God.

Verse 5. Love of God "perfected" - the law is the means whereby we grow in completeness, in holiness.  There are three ways we should think about the use of the law:

1. James 1:22-24 describes the law as a mirror.  We understand our sin in a new way.  We see ourselves measured against what God commands.

2. Also serves as a restraint.  "This is what's acceptable and this is not."  There should be penalties for us when we transgress.  Exodus 20:1-17. The moral law of the OT actually undergirds the law codes of most major societies.  Laws create boundaries of how we should live with one another.

3. It shows us what's pleasing to the Lord - a path (narrow).  God's law shows us how to live His way in His world.

Verse 6. Walk on the path of Jesus.  A long obedience in the same direction; moving towards righteousness.  Personal sin results in collateral damage. Personal obedience results in collateral benefits.

1 John 2:7-11. Introduces a second test where he uses the commandments as a bridge moving from the test of righteousness to the test of love.  "Do I love my brothers?"

Commandments summed up in Matthew 22:37-40.  

Q: How are we to understand the difference between the old commandment and the new? Well, how is it new?

1. It's new in its extent.  It reaches the sinner and the outsider (Acts 1:8).  Also, to the extent it will go - love of brothers.

2. It's a new commandment in the degree which it is realized - God's law will be written on our hearts.

Verse 10. Love "agape".  A love the mind analyzes and the will chooses.  All obligation on God's side.  But us? We need something in return.  Tests: 1) what are we doing? 2) what is your heart like? your will?  Examine our actions, our desires and our beliefs.

Verse 12-14. He's addressing different levels of spiritual maturity.  Encouragement to persevere.

Verse 15-17. He's setting up another contrast: love of the world vs love of the Father.  Contrast is what which is temporary and that which endures.  Similar to Matthew 6:19.  Remember the gnostics believed the created things around them were evil.  They would like this verse, but then...."the desires of the flesh" etc... He's saying "you have a spiritual problem." It's not the stuff.  It's your heart.

Flesh = sensuality.  Eyes = covetousness.  Pride = arrogance.

Sounds like the things the serpent offered to Eve in Genesis 3:1-6:

1. It will make me happy

2. It won't hurt to look

3. It will make me amazing

1 John 2:17a. Sanctification progressively sets us free from the power of sin - laying our desires on the altar.  

1 John 2:17.  Q: 

1. How can I walk as He walked?

2. What brother/sister needs my purposeful, intentional love?

3. How will I trade sensuality for sensibility? Or covetousness for contentment? Or pride for humility?

Next: Session 4 Practice righteousness, pursue love, possess assurance

Abide: Session 2: A Credible Witness

 

Notes from Session 2.

1 John 1:1-2. "From the beginning" - Jen says it refers to from the beginning of your faith. He begins to appeal then from his physical senses that Jesus came and he witnessed it.

Who is "we"? - the apostles.  They "saw".

1. Seen

2. Testify

3. Record of it (to pass on to the next generation)

Their faith is grounded in fact.  Jesus is a real person. Christianity is a historic faith.

From the beginning, John is taking a swipe at gnostic thinking. They believed Jesus did not come in the flesh but was just a spirit that hovered around a body, utilized them and went back up to heaven.  John will affirm that Jesus was fully God and fully man.

Verse 3. "You" is churches around Ephesus.  What is the point he's saying here? This is not special knowledge here. 

Fellowship. In gnosticism, the focus was on an individual not others oriented.  John is establishing the significance of Christian community.

So that. 1) fellowship among believers and 2) Father and Jesus (vertical/horizontal) not just "me and God" but "we and God".  Look at Acts 2:42 - fellowship.  John reminding of fellowship 60 years later now. People in fellowship have:

1. Shared faith

2. Shared expectation

3. Resources

4. Language

5. Responsibility

Verse 5. Light and darkness.

Verse 6-10. We have three denials John gives us:

1. Truth and lies (v.6).  You cannot have fellowship with God and sin habitually.

2. He addressed "licensed" which is grace to cover you and "legalism" which is saying "I'm really good at being good".V.8 - if we say we have ceased sinning, we are liars. 

3. Moral Relativism (delusional) V.10. Romans 3:23. Romans 3:10.  "What I do isn't so bad".  Living their own personal truth.  

He's calling these errors out.

Verse 9. Confessed - a truth-teller (Luke 18:9-14).  What about the word "just"?  How is the justic of God meeted out? On Christ.  God is "just" to look towards us with mercy and grace.  This is what awaits one who is willing to tell the truth.

"Light" - that Christian virtue would grow in us and put to death the darkness. 

1 John 2. Begins to refer to them as "my little children". He's a father figure in the family of God - the church. 

Verse 1-2. You should desire not to sin; but he wants to make something clear here.

Advocate with the Father. Propitiation - appeasement etc. In what sense is Jesus our advocate? He doesn't plead our innocence.  He acknowleges our guilt, and He presents His vicarious sacrifice for the grounds of our acquittal.  This is why God is faithful and just.  Faithful to the work of Jesus on the cross and just to forgive a sin that's already been established as our guilt and the punishment has already been born - our advocate.  His joy as "papa John" would be made complete.

Note: we have not seen but still believe.  How will we show someone that we know Him?

How can I be an advocate? On my knees in prayer. Ask ourselves "who should I intercede for? Maybe a family member who needs light to shine in their darkness.  Needs truth to shine a light on the lie.

Moral relativism? How to advocate for them? To cry out that mercy would triumph over judgment.

John advocated for an early church.  So we should:

1. Act like we know Him

2. Strive to look like Him

3. Advocate on behalf of others.

That Christian virtue would grow in us and put to death the darkness.

Next: Session 3: The Test of Truth

Abide: Session 1 Introduction

These are my notes from Jen Wilkin's study Abide.  This is her introduction to this study.

Who wrote 1, 2, 3 John?

John the apostle.  The son of Zebedee (Luke 5:10).  He was at the transfiguration, the garden, the crucifixtion and an eye witness. Before this, he was a disciple of John the Baptist and a fisherman by trade.  In Acts 12:1-2 it records his brother James as the first martyr put to death by Herod the Tetarch.  John understands that to follow Jesus is costly.  He wrote 5 books of the NT: John, 123 John, Revelation.  He refers to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved.  Sons of thunder: Mark 3:17.  Luke 9.  A leader of the early Jerusalem church and later years lived in the area of Ephesus.  He lives a long life.  He is the last of the apostles.

To whom were they written?

1 John was written to several Gentile churches in the Asia province - within 100 mile of Ephesus where John lived.  A circular letter meant to be read out loud.  More like a sermon.  It's said 2nd John was maybe a cover letter.  This book was also written to all believers everywhere (to us as well).

When were they written?

A.D. 85 and A.D. 90. Death of Christ: A.D. 30 to 33. Destruction of temple in Jerusalem A.D. 70. John exiled around A.D. 100. A.D. 30-60 we begin to have the NT writings.  The gospel expands through the Roman empire at this time.  A.D. 68-100 a push toward doctrinal unification and ecclesial unification: what do we believe? What does it mean to be the church?

In what style were they written?

1 John: pastoral letter exhorts believers to right belief and living.

2 John and 3 John: one is addressed to a light/dark; sin/righteousness; repeated words/ideas.  He will flow from one thought to the next - similar to John.  It's not a linear argument like in the Epistles.  1 John 5:13: tells us he writes so that we may know we have eternal life. Written to give assurance to the early church.

What are the central themes of the letters?

1. The purity of the gospel: what are the things we have to agree on in order to be in fellowship.

2. Assurance of faith.

3. The historicity of Christ - that He was an actual person.

4. What does it mean to live an ethical life.

5. The hallmark of love as the primary manner among believers.  He's going to address a false teaching that was beginning to emerge in the first century and comes into its own around 200 A.D. 

A false teaching know as gnosticism.  A sect that was teaching against or twisting the teachings of Christianity in a particular way. A gathering of belief systems all meshed together. A build-your-own spirituality (like today).  John is going to work to clearly define Christian belief.  

Gnosis - knowing and special knowledge.  John will emphasize what we ALL can know to be true about God.  John = community. Gnosticism = individualism (spirit over matter, anti-institutional, against the Lord's supper and baptism, a disregard for OT).

Corporate belief matters (creeds were good to have which speaks of what we believe).  Brotherhood matters and fellowship matters according to John.

Next: Session 2 "A Credible Witness"
 

 Session 9: Sermon the Mount

More notes from this Jen Wilkin study. The last session.

We must understand that apart from salvation, we are unable to obey before our hearts are transformed by God and the power of the gospel.  Which means, even the best moments for unbelievers are just right actions attached to wrong motives.  

Jesus' call to obedience is geared to believers whose hearts have been changed.  Now that we are on the other side of salvation, Jesus has given us power to overcome sin in our life.  When we come to salvation, we are now able to chose the right thing for the right reason.  A lost person cannot obey God.

We are being sanctified.  We don't earn God's favor.

He will now show us that the golden rule is a narrow path. He will give us pairs.  He began the sermon on the mount with a list of blessings - ways that the citizens of Heaven will experience and see what it means to feel the favor of God rest on them.  Interestingly, as He is closing His sermon down, He ends with warnings.

Matthew 7:13-14. Moral majority will never be.  Broad way and narrow way.  There is a gate of salvation through Christ (narrow) and why is it narrow?  Because its boundaries are defined by the law.  As members of the Kingdom of Heaven, we don't do whatever we want.

The Lord is changing what we want to match what He wants in the form of the law.

The Lord always cares more about the decision maker than He does about the decision.  Ask for wisdom - James 1:5.  He will give it to us.

The narrow path is about becoming a person who makes right decisions based on wisdom.

People get angry when we say there is only one way to God and the gate is narrow.  The world wants to say there are many ways to God.

One gate, the gate of salvation, in Christ alone.  One way - the path of sanctification.

We are in the "minor majority".  

We have two kinds of teachers:

Matthew 7:15. Jesus will give us the difference of a teacher who teaches truth and a teacher who teaches error.  There are times that we must judge, and here is another example.

Outside: sheep's clothing - looks harmless

Inside: ravenous wolf 

An external appearance of goodness but on the inside something dangerous.

Matthew 7:16-17. He switches here to an agricultural metaphor.

Matthew 7:18-20. Many people listening would understand this metaphor.  Gardeners, farmers, etc.  The pharisees even had rules for tithing from their spices.  They would be familiar with the cycles of harvesting.  What does a false prophet look like? 

 

1) Someone who distorts the gospel

2) Someone who relaxes the law - tries to broaden the narrow way.

It's a high calling and a difficult calling to walk the narrow path - 1 John 5:3

3) Someone who denies that the broad way leads to destruction (universalism).

Bad fruit will look very attractive.  We will never recognize false prophets at all if we don't have first-hand knowledge of scripture.

ALL scripture is profitable to us.

Now the third warning - two kinds of servants:

Matthew 7:21-23. "Lord, Lord".  They are implying intimacy with Him.  They had big outward signs of righteousness here.  Are these the things He has held in high regard according to what has come before?  We place so much stock in these things, but He places stock in the quiet obedience: controlling our tongue, our anger, our motives.  Heart issues.

Matthew 7:24-26. "Everyone then" or "everyone therefore".  What came before this? The entire sermon.  Verses 24 and 25 "these words of mine".  The words given in this sermon is what He is saying.  

 

A hearer and a doer:

He describes two houses that are identical.  The difference in these houses cannot be seen until the rain comes.  Until the storm comes, we don't know which house is built on the solid rock and which is built on shifting sands.  If we are a hearer and a doer we will stand.

Matthew 7:27. "And the fall of that house was great" - other versions.  The last word in the sermon on the mount is "great".  He's telling them "you think greatness looks like":

 

1. Overthrowing the Romans

2. External greatness

3. Power and authority

But to be great in the Kingdom, we will be last.

Final Matthew 7:28-29. Why are they astonished? Because what they are used to hearing is someone who says "this is the truth as far as I perceive it."  Jesus is saying "I am the truth. Follow me."

Session 8: Sermon on the Mount - Judging Others

My notes from Session 8 - Jen Wilkin study

Matthew 7:1-2. The extent to which you are hard on others shows the extent that you don't understand your own salvation.  When we understand that judgment has been set aside for us, we're more likely to set it aside for other people.

Matthew 7:3-5. You can tell that Jesus has broadened who He is speaking to when He says "you hypocrite".

When the disciples hear Him talk about "don't judge", it would be a sign to them that they are to extend mercy.  To the crowd, it will perk up their ears - they can expect to be treated differently than by the teachers of the law and pharisees. These people were very concerned with finding fault.  He gives a colorful demonstration on judging.

In 7:4 notice He says "brother".  He's talking about judging someone in our like-minded community of believers.

We have two different things here:

• the speck of sawdust
• the log

Both made out of wood.  The only difference is one is small and one is large.  One partially obstructs our view.  The other one completely obscures the view.  We judge people harshly for something that is our own problem.  How do we know when to not judge?  The kind of judging that self-justifies is wrong or self-elevates.  Here it is: is the judgment that you want to pass intended to bring about restoration or condemnation?

When it comes to sin though, we need to hold each other lovingly accountable.  He's talking about legalism here as well - holding everybody else accountable but ourselves.

Jesus has already said we are blessed when we are merciful not when we justify.  To avoid us judging is to hold ourselves to a high standard of obedience and give other people grace.  Jesus, of course, now is taking aim at the scribes and pharisees.

Matthew 7:6. He shifts now to dogs and pigs.  Look at Phil. 3:2 - dogs (unbelievers), living with a complete disregard for God.  Then pig reference 2 Peter 2:22 - probably a reference to false prophets.

Don't give them what is holy.  What is the holy thing that we have to give to people? The gospel.  Jesus' original hearers are the disciples who will in their time of ministry be persecuted and deal with dogs and pigs.

Remember here that He is giving them an extreme example.  There are people who are so hard to the gospel and have twisted or rejected the truth repeatedly that we do not continue to lay before them what is sacred and holy.

Matthew 7:7-8. These verses have been used to justify all kinds of terrible theology.  Because it looks like here without taking it within context is what we persistently ask the Father for will be given to us.

Notice the progression: He moves from asking - seeking - knocking.  How much effort does it require to ask? None.  But seeking implies a more active pursuit - go after it.  Knocking implies the obstacle of a door.  Obstacles and effort when we go to make our request to the Lord.  It may take effort and repetition on our part.

Repetitive asking is not heaping up empty phrases.  We ask, seek and knock because it's something we care a lot about.  We tend to hear these verses and think I'm going to ask, seek and knock until the Lord gives me what I want.  We should know that at this point in the Sermon on the Mount the disciples are going to be completely overwhelmed with all that Jesus has set before them of what the Kingdom of Heaven is and what their role in it will be.  They see they are being asked to be a citizen of Heaven on an enormous scale.

So when Jesus comes to this place in the sermon and says ask, seek and knock, they are not thinking about a nicer house or a prettier wife.  They are thinking "Lord, I need strength, greater faith, discernment, courage, compassion, mercy, patience. Lord, give us these things."  Those are the things we are told if we ask, seek and knock.  The Lord will give them to you.

Verse 9. This will be made more evident (9-11).  He begins to show to them this "how much more God".  They saw already with clothing the lilies of the field, providing food for the birds - the how much more.

Here, He's going to put it in the context of providing daily bread.  What are the two things Jesus brought up that we can ask our earthly fathers for?

• bread
• fish - 

Remember the story? Five loaves and two fish.  Story of man at midnight - 3 loaves.  But the bread looks like a stone.  Jesus' listeners would know this. Ask for bread - gives him a stone.  We have to look at this differently.  Jesus' temptation - stones to bread.  We don't give our children something that mocks their request - Jesus is saying this.

Our Father is good and will give us good things for our spiritual daily bread. Jesus has said His daily bread was to do what the Father had sent Him to do.

So, what we need to do the will of the One who sent us - our daily bread - will be provided by our "much more" Father in Heaven.

In the Lord's prayer, He has already told us to ask for our physical daily bread and here in Matthew, He is asking us "please ask for your spiritual daily bread".

We can trust God, who sees the beginning and end, to give us all we need for our spiritual daily sustenance.

Verse 12. Jesus just summed up the OT in this one statement.  "The golden rule" here.  If we just did this, whatever the law and the prophets want to communicate to you would fall into place.  Huge statement.  What He means is look for ways to treat people better than what they deserve.

Next: Session 9

 

Session 7: Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 6:19

These are my notes for this session.

Another way to self-motivate towards righteousness is found in this verse.

Jesus will now turn our attention earthward - the world around us and how to relate to that.

He will start talking about possessions.  He will bring us pairs of things and contrast them.

Verses 19-21. This example would be very familiar to their culture - moth and treasures.  What does He mean by laying up treasures? Don't hoard or heap up; having more than we need and guarding it.  He's going to contrast two kinds of treasures:

1) Treasures here on earth

2) Treasures in heaven

He gives us a better way: lay up treasures in heaven.  He gives a very significant closing statement: "where your treasure is...." - treasures in heaven? What are we supposed to do?

Treasures here on earth are not ours.  We are stewards here.  We don't have a sense of eternity (Eccl. 3:11).

Jesus is saying here that we have to shift our focus.  Egyptian kings stored up treasures - look at the grave sites.

We need to ask this question: what are the only things we get to take with us when we are gone?

1) Our own soul, our character

2) Lord willing, the souls of other people

Storing up treasures in heaven means we invest in loving other people.  We look for ways to grow in character and Christ-likedness.  Two different contrasts:

Matthew 6:22-23. Jesus is warning against having eyes that are pulled to the things of this world.  If that is the case, there is darkness you will be letting in.  Look at the story of Eve in Genesis 3:1-6.

1) She saw the fruit

2) She desired the fruit

3) She took the fruit

4) Spread the consequences

Same cycle with Achan, King David; this cycle of sin relies on us believing a certain lie: "it doesn't hurt to look."

There are two kinds of eyes:

1) It won't hurt to look or

2) Eyes that say I am going to make a covenant not to look on the thing that could bring me into temptation

We need to ask the Lord to give us eyes that long to look on what is good and right.

Now, Jesus will tell us about two kings of masters in Matthew 6:24.

Mathew 6:24. Loving money means loving self.  Master and slave.  What His listeners would have heard was it is not possible to be a slave to two things.  We see this in Romans 6:16-18: slaves to evil and slaves to righteousness.

James 1:6-8 also talks about this: double-minded.  He wants them to acknowledge they are a slave of God now.

Two masters: earthly and heavenly.

Verse 25. Jesus says this: "therefore." The whole next discussion is based on what He's just talked about.  

Verses 25-27. The "therefore" is telling us that if we choose the wrong treasure, the wrong eye, the wrong master, we will be anxious.  We are seeking after things that can never give us what we need them to give us.  Anxiety among women is more than men.  We have turned worry into an art form.  "Don't worry about the clothes you will wear or food etc."

The issue here is extras that bring glory to us.  Jesus picks up on that in verse 26.  He's going to unpack that He is a "how much more God."

Verse 27 - adding to our span of life or a single inch to his height.  What is the meaning that is lurking here? It's who wouldn't want to add more stature to the way that they proceed.

Verses 28-29. Solomon is outwardly clothed beautifully but the lilies are outer and inner beauty - internal and external holiness.

Verse 30. Jesus is pressing on an OT reference here that He wants them to remember.  Isaiah 40:7-8 "the grass of the field" is us. "You little faiths" is the literal translation.  He reveals worry for what it really is: an act of faithlessness.  Because God has promised He will give us what we need.  When we don't believe this, we are calling God unfaithful to do what He's promised or be who He says He is.

Verses 31-32. "Therefore." He knows we need.

Verse 33. Jesus is saying your goal is not to have all the things you want or need but your goal is to have treasure in heaven, and have eyes that are fixed on your Savior, and to know that there is one master you need to serve.

When that comes into line, we cease worrying because our heart is set in the right place.  Our decision making changes and we will see we did have everything necessary for life.

Verse 34. "Therefore". Jesus has said there will be trouble but we can be free from worry.

1) How can we be a person who has one treasure, one vision and one master?  Where is our heart divided? Ask God.

2) What anxieties have you treasured?  Ask God.

Next: Session 8 Judging Others

 

Session 6 Sermon on the Mount: Secret Righteousness

I didn't take notes on session 5 because it was mostly on divorce and oaths.  The main thing there was don't swear oaths wrongly and don't treat divorce lightly.

Jesus has covered the don'ts of what a righteous citizen of Heaven looks like.  He will change now and look at the "do's".

Jesus will push further on line-walking.  He's pushing us towards what must we get away from?  In our righteous acts, there are things Jesus will address with our heart issues.  He's going to talk about 3 things:

1) Giving

2) Prayer

3) Fasting

Mattew 6:1-18 (read)

Jesus teaches these 3 things in an orderly way.  There is a rhythm to the text.

He starts with a general statement of not performing your righteous acts to receive mens approval.  Who do we have to understand this?  Because the praise of men becomes your reward when you do your acts of righteousness before others.  It says "when you..." not "if you".  He's going to discuss motives.

The formula He uses:

1) When you....

2) Do not be like the hypocrites - the show offs.  But we all on some level are dealing with hypocristy - not just in the church.

3) Truly I say to you...Jesus is speaking truth where error has been taught or implied.  He's going to tell us His authority in the way righteousness should be practiced.

4) "They have received their reward"- forfeited the praises and reward of God for man.

5) Then He will give a challenge - "sees in secret".

This is not a prohibition of these three things because we see in scripture these things being done in a public manner.  We must reconcile Matthew 5:16 with what He is saying here.  "Let your light shine" - "see your good deeds".  Now in 6:1 he says "beware of practicing your righteousness......to be seen".  How is this even consistent?  Understand where the conversation has gone.  In 5:16 Jesus is combating the sin of cowardize.  In 6:1 He's combating the sin of pride.

There is a time to show and a time to hide. That time depends on our motives.

When He says "obey in secret", He gives a challenge to examine our motives that are a current contrast to the pharisees.

6) The other part of this formulat is to say "Father who sees in secret will reward you".  "Your Father" - it's personal.  A relationship between a Father and a child.  A loving Father and much loved child.  A Father who sees is a caution to us and a comfort to us.  He sees through the smoke and mirrors.  He also sees our motives when our actions fall short.  The Omniscence of God is a comfort to us.

We do receive a reward from Him now as well as in the future.  We receive that purity of heart.  We also have a reward "not yet" - one that will come when the Kingdom is consumated.  Acts of righteousness with humility and not pride.

Giving. Mattew 6:2.  Sound a trumpet in the streets.  This use to happen.  A parade of sorts when offering your offering at the temple.  This was accepted.  These men were respected so the people thought they were setting a good example.

How can your left hand not know what your right hand does?  What does this mean? Jesus is using hyperbole here to show to us a kind of giving that is almost unconscious.  It's as close as we can get to not counting the cost and not looking for a reward.  So how are we like this? Giving money and wanting your name on the building.  Giving to curry favor.  We can give in secret to bless others.  Giving without getting in return - a great form of giving.  We steward what we've been given.  It's the Lord's anyway.

Prayer. Matthew 6:5-6.  Notice "you" and "your".  He's turned the discussion on us and saying "examine yourself".  The issue here is not what their bodies are doing but where their hearts are in it.

The tax collector/pharisee. Humility and pride.  What does it mean to be someone who prays in secret? The way we can know if our prayers in secret reflect the right attitude is to ask "do my prayers in secret and my prayers in public sound any different?  Prayer voice versus regular voice.  Ask ourselves: "do I pray in private and not just publicly? 

Matthew 6:7-8. Pagans heap up empty phrases.  When pagans offer prayers to gods of their own, they load on the vocabulary.  Do we use "catchy phrases" or speak without thinking?  Jesus here is not speaking against persistent prayer.  Jesus is talking about an aimless approach to prayer.  So Jesus will tell us what He means.

Verse 9. The Lord's prayer starts with worship.

Verse 10. Allegiance then submission.

Verse 11. Petition.

Verse 12. Confession.

Verse 13. Deliverance.

God doesn't lead us into temptation.  See James 1:13.  It means "Lord lead us away from the temptation", that left to our own devices, we will walk right into it.

We need to think about the content of our prayers.  What do most of us go to when we pray?  Petition. It's also not a check list.  What if all prayer was for worship? Wouldn't that alone be reason enough to pray without ceasing? It's interesting that the Lord's prayer, just like the beatitudes did, begins first with that vertical relationship.  Vertical to horizontal.  The Trinity is seen in the Lord's prayer.

Verse 11 - daily bread (Father)

Verse 12 - forgiveness (Son)

Verse 13 - deliverance (Holy Spirit)

Verses 14-15. Jesus reiterates forgiveness.  Does this mean that our forgiveness of sins is contingent on us forgiving the sins of others? No. It means that those who recognize their sins have been forgiven by God, will go and forgive the sins of others.

How can I know if my motive for praying is off?

1) Does the majority of your prayer happen in public or in private?

2) Are your prayers dominated by requests?

3) When your requests go unanswered or receive an answer of no, do you feel your prayers are useless?

4) When you finish praying, do you feel better about yourself or more dependent on God?

Prayer reorients us to understand the Kingdom is His and the agenda is His.  All that we receive comes through His hands.

While the prayer of the hypocrite results in pride, righteous prayer humbles us by reminding us that we are small and we control nothing.

Fasting. Matthew 6:16. Jesus assumes that fasting will be a part of our practice.  He shows us how not to fast in verse 16.

Verses 16-17. "anoint your head" - "wash your face".  Not a ritual.  Just be normal.

Verse 18. The pharisees had found a way to make fasting much ado about themselves.  Fasting that honors the Lord is done between us and the Lord.  What does fasting do?  Why not eating? There's no faster way to recognize that we are like the grass of the field, a mist, a vapor.  The Lord sustains us.  Jesus' point on all these is don't exalt yourself with what was meant to humble you.

Giving humbles us because we acknowledge we are merely stewards of someelse's things.

Praying humbles us because we acknowledge we are small and in control of nothing.

Fasting humbles us because we acknowledge we are frail and utterly dependent on God's sustaining grace.

Our motives matter.

How do we know when we should show what we're doing and when we shouldn't? F. B. Bruce says: "show when tempted to hide, and hide when tempted to show". 

Jesus is saying right actions must have right motives to be Godly obedience.

Next: Session 7 Matthew 6:19-34

 

 Session 4: Sermon on the Mount

"You have heard that it was said".

Looking at the righteousness of a disciple and what that looks like.

Matthew 5:17-18

Look at this "I say to you".  He didn't come to do away with the law but to make it deeper, fill it up through my own obedience and deeper interpretation.

Matthew 5:19-20

His listeners would have been stunned to hear this.  Their thinking was that the scribes and pharisees were most holy people.  Jesus will point out that these people who are regarded as the most righteous are those who have had an external emphasis on obedience but not an internal emphasis.

He is going to now key in on the relaxing of the commands.

In what way were the scribes and pharisees relaxing the law and teaching others to do the same? Jesus will start with murder and adultery.

Verse 21. The problem was the way the law was being applied.

Verse 22. "But I say to you". One who speaks with full authority of God.  Jesus has strong words in this verse regarding murder.  He is going to correct their assumption that "as long as I have not jabbed a knife into someone and taken away their physical life, then I am not guilty of the sin of murder".

But Jesus says it's not enough for you to just have external righteousness; murder begins in the heart.

He will show them the progression of their thinking. He says three things:

1) Angry with brother - liable to judgment

2) Insults his brother - liable to courts (Sanhedrin) ("Raca" in Aramaic sounded like you're clearing your throat - contemptible sound)

3)  You fool - hell fire

The term "you fool" in contrast to "Raca" is a progression. "Raca" means empty-headed. Saying "you fool" is taking it a step further - morally worthless.

Jesus is showing that we start with anger and move to contempt.  Contempt continues to degrade until we see others around us not just as one who gets on our nerves but someone who is worthless.  If you follow His logic to the end, He's saying once you have assigned worthless to a person, you're not that far away of committing murder.

Jesus is using hyperbole here.  He's going to use extreme examples because He wants to make a connection between our outward actions and the state of our heart.

He shows also that anger turns into sinful speech quickly.  We need to understand the difference between anger and contempt. Anger is a strong feeling of displeasure.  It's not morally right or wrong in and of itself in its very first stages initially.  It's what we do with them.

Jesus got angry a few times: 

1) The temple

2) Withered hand

We hold onto our anger and cultivate it - wrong.  Anger is simply our natural response to having our will violated.

What's the difference between our anger and the anger Jesus displayed in scripture?  Jesus is angry because His Father's will has been violated - that is righteous anger.

How often is our anger righteous?  Not often

Jesus in 33 years get angry twice.  Even though He lives around people who violate the Father's will every day.  His words and actions were on behalf of His Father's will not His.

Anger - Contempt - Murder

When we begin to engage in contemptuous speech, what do we end up doing? We commit character assassination, even though we didn't physically murder, which is wrong.

Murder begins in the heart - Jesus is saying.  He gives us a way to reconcile in verses 23-24.

Verses 25-26. "When you offer your gift at the altar".  We don't offer our gift at the altar anymore.  The way to think about this is "if your brother has anything at all against you".  Jesus wants us to understand that unresolved anger interferes with our worship of an Almighty God.  When there is all kinds of friction in our horizontal relationships, we need to go and resolve it quickly before it becomes something that blocks that vertical relationship with God.  We've set aside purity of heart to hold onto our anger.

Ephesians 4:26 means choose your time well and quickly.  "Don't let the sun go down....." does not mean to stay up until 2:00 a.m. hashing it out.  Don't let your anger linger.  The term "brother" here means those you share faith with.

In verse 25, He broadens our understanding of how to handle reconciliation - "accuser" now.  What He is saying here is before you get to a place where you will be thrown to justice, see if there is a way to work in mercy and grace.  Even if someone has accused you of something, whether true or false, you go, you try to reconcile.  This echoes Romans 12:18.

Fractured relationships are our responsibility to mend.  Why? We know Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers right?  But we're the ones who know what it means to be reconciled to God.

Jesus then moves on to His next topic which is adultery.  There is a definite connection between murder and adultery.  Adultery only happens when anger and contempt fester in a relationship.

Verses 27-28. "But I say". Someone waiting to devour a woman with his eyes - lustful look takes in the image to use it to fulfill desires.  Different than just looking at a beautiful woman.

Verses 29-30.  What is happening here? Jesus using hyperbole here.  (Origin of Alexandria).  (The counsel of Nicea). We do not maim ourselves to keep from sinning.

What has been His focus thus far? He's addressing line-walking.  These who say "how close can I get to sin before I've actually sinned". Jesus is going to reduce to absurdity what the scribes and pharisees believe.  They believed that if your arms and hands were obeying themselves, then you were righteous - eyes also. 

With Jesus it's always internal, a heart obedience.  Women indulge in lustful thinking as well.  Sexual as well as the perfect marriage, guy, husband etc.  Lusting after a husband who is not ours or a feeling.  Lust is wanting something that isn't ours.  Adultery begins in the heart.  We must forgive.

1) Walk in forgiveness toward others because of Christ's example.  Those who commit these offenses towards us are doing this in ignorance.  Look at Luke 23:33-34.  But they do know.  Jesus says "no". If they knew who I was they would not do this.  Their eyes are blind.  Do we extend that kind of grace? Give the benefit of the doubt to those who stir up our sinful anger?

2) We walk in forgiveness towards others because of Christ's provision.  The very best reason for us to set aside our anger to those who offend us.

I Thessalonians 5:9.  God is not angry with us.

Colossians 3:12-13. Bear each other.

God put His anger on Christ.  There is no more anger coming our way.  It was poured out on Him.  May the vision of Christ on the cross bearing the anger of God come into our minds when we are offended.

Next: session 5

Session 3: Sermon on the Mount
(Mattew 5:13-20)

Moving on now to what the influence of a citizen of the Kingdom should look like.

He begins by giving us two every day examples of life of what the influence of the believer should be.  He then will move in to talk about why He has come to earth.

Verse 13. Salt. We think of salt differently than Jesus did or the times did.  Salt loses its taste? That doesn't make sense to us.  The salt in Jesus' time was not pure.  It was usually collected from the dead sea, so it had a lot of bits of grit and dirt along with the salt.  If you kept your salt in a container and it happened to be exposed to the elements and got wet, what would happen?  It dissolves.  The salt would dissolve out and what would be left would be road dust, dirt, fit for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled upon.

For us, we think of salt as primarily a seasoning for food.  Salt then was a preservative.  This salt influence will tell us how we are to be as citizens of Heaven.  Salt was not inexpensive in Jesus' time.  Salt was given to Roman soldiers as their pay, because salt was valuable.

Salt was:

• Valuable
• Practical - preservative and prevented infection
• Useful

Salt was included in offerings in the old covenant.  A "covenant of salt". When salt was included in those covenant offerings, and when they were burned on the altar, everything would burn away except for the salt.  Why? Because it's a mineral.  It's all that is left symbolizing the Lord preserves His covenant.

Jesus' listeners would be familiar with this.  Lots wife - pillar of salt.  Why? She "looks back" - preserves a love for sin.  Maybe this: "if you preserve and savor sin in the past, I will turn you into a preservative". 

Salt serves as a preservative.  It prevents infection and decay.  As believers, we are called to have that moral effect upon the world.

Salt in blood, sweat and tears.  Cleans wounds.  (Ezekiel 16:4) - rub newborn in salt.

Does the decay in the world around us arouse in us a sense of discouragement or a call to action? We are called to be agents who deflect infection and decay in our world.  What does a bad influence do? They influence by what they model, casual suggestions, making light of things etc.  We are to be a positive influence that people will see it.

Salt makes things palatable.  What do Christians make palatable? Colossians 4:5-6 "seasoned with salt".  Add flavor to our words; graciousness.  Our actions which help people lower their defenses.

What happens when we have too much salt in our diet? We get thirsty.  This is another way to ask "how can my influence be in the world around us?" Does our life make others thirsty for the things of God?

Verse 14-15. Light of the world. We think of light in modern terms.  We flip a switch and the light comes on.  In Jesus' time, when the sun went down, no light until the sun comes up the next day.  This is why so many references to God as light and why many ancients worshiped the heavenly bodies.

Revelation reference that "He Himself will be our light" means these other lights will no longer be worshiped only God, our true light. Jesus is identifying with something that is true about the Godhead. We reflect the Godhead by being light.  We need to be seen and not hide or conceal the light.  We conceal it because we don't want the blessing of persecution. 

What is lights role in the natural world? It reveals what is hidden in darkness.

When we walk in righteousness, our lives become a light that shines in the darkness on others sins.  How do they feel when their sin is exposed? They don't like it.  When we are the light of the world, persecution will come our way.

• Light causes things to grow.  Our influence on the world means that we reveal things that are hidden by the way that we live. Also, we cause the growth of righteousness just by being righteous.
• Light shows true colors.  Many people out in the world want to offer a secondary light to the lost.
• Secondary lights validate us in our sin and cause us to believe we see the world more clearly than others.

When we come to saving faith what happens? Blind eyes are given sight.  The light of the gospel reveals the world the way it truly is, and we live differently because of it.

Notice what Jesus has done here because it's masterful.  He has taken two examples salt and light; salt is low and common.  Light is high and exalted.  Think about Adam who is common, made from dust and the breath of God breathed into him so he is created in the image of God.  In God's economy these paradoxes make sense: rich become poor in humility.  The first shall be last etc.

Our influence is to be everyday and common and also something that is exalted and noticed.

Verse 16. Let your light shine. How can you know your influence is being felt? Because the glory will go to the Father.

Verse 17. Why would they think He has come to abolish the law and prophets? He is answering the unspoken conclusion of His listeners.  They have heard Him talk about what it means to be blessed and have influence in the Kingdom of Heaven, and what they have heard has been shocking to them. Their silent conclusion is "whatever He has come here to do, He has come to completely overturn life as we have known it". 

He has come to fulfill the law and the prophets. Jesus loved the law and obeyed it perfectly.  He's going to make a deeper interpretation of the law. 

Verse 18. "I say". This is significant.  He's going to set on edge his listeners, those who have over time become His greatest adversaries.  Why? Because He's taking a well-known formula in the OT and appropriating it for His own use.  "Thus says the Lord". Now it's "I say to you".  When He says this, He's communicating to His listeners "I speak with the full authority of God. I am God".

The difference of being a non-believer under the law and condemned by it and a believer who has grace is that now the law becomes something for us that is under us pointing us towards righteousness.  The unbeliever obeys the law to earn.  A believer knows that they are poor in spirit and lacks the spiritual resources.

Why then do we obey the law? Because our obedience to the law isn't a way to earn favor but a joyful response to the grace we have received.

The reason Jesus did not come to abolish the law is because the law represents the character of the God who put the law into place.  God's character does not change. 

Verse 19. "Does them and teaches them". Practice what you preach.

Verse 20. The scribes and pharisee were the holiest of men, well respected.  Pharisees best at obeying the rules. The problem with their obedience is that it was not a deeper obedience but outward only.  The motive was not joyful gratitude.  It was to make much of themselves.  They taught to obey the letter of the law and not the spirit of the law.  They were the least.

You must pursue a deeper obedience.  Right motives and right actions.

Righteousness that exceeds the pharisees is both internal and external.  The righteousness that exceeds is the very righteousness of Christ.  It was given to us because we could not obey a jot or a tittle of the law.

Next: Session 4