In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus described the life of a disciple as a focused life. The Lord does not expect His people to drift aimlessly through life. We are to live with focus and determination. However, we must also be careful about what we choose as the object of our focus. It is possible for us to focus on the wrong things. In the verses we will consider, Jesus explained what a disciple is and is not to pursue in this focused life.
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“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors; for He gives to His beloved even in his sleep” (Psalm 127:1-2).
The psalm was written by Solomon – king of Israel and builder of the temple. He understood the need to rely upon God in building God’s house, in protecting the city, and in his labor.
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As we continue our study, we will consider how the life of a disciple is a sincere life. Though the word sincere is not used in the verses we will examine, it is certainly the concept under consideration. One who is sincere is one who says what he genuinely feels or believes and is not dishonest or hypocritical. A disciple of Christ cannot be a hypocrite. Our outward actions must be in harmony with our inward thoughts and motivations. The Pharisees were known for their hypocrisy (Matthew 23:2, 13) and Jesus said our righteousness must exceed theirs (Matthew 5:20). As He explained in these verses, the life of a disciple must be a sincere life.
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After describing the life of a disciple as blessed, Jesus directed His message to a discussion of righteousness. He touched on this in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:6). As we noticed in the previous lesson, to be righteous is to be right by God’s standard, not man’s. The verses we will consider here expand on that idea. We can see from Jesus’ words that the life of a disciple is a righteous life.
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Last week we wrapped up Season 3 of the Plain Bible Teaching Podcast. The theme of this season was lessons from the book of Leviticus. You can listen to the audio from all of the episodes on this page. You can also click on the link for each episode to see the show notes and download the audio files if you’d like.
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The prophet Hosea warned the people of Israel (Ephraim) about God’s judgment that was coming against them because of their sin. In the passages we will discuss in this article, he compared the people to different things – the dew, a dove, and a donkey.
These things have been “written for our instruction” (Romans 15:4; cf. 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11). The warning for us is this: Do not be like Ephraim!
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Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount with statements that are commonly called the Beatitudes. In these verses, He described those who were blessed. This word does not merely mean that one is happy. Rather, to be blessed means to be approved of God. This results in true joy that surpasses the temporary moments of “happiness” in this life. This is particularly important because, as we will see, there will be times when those who are “blessed” are those who are suffering. Let us consider the Beatitudes and see how the life of a disciple is a blessed life.
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What does “propitiation” mean? How is “justification” connected to salvation? What does “sanctification” look like in our day-to-day lives? The Bible uses some powerful words to describe God’s plan to save mankind. However, these words are not always easy to understand, especially when they are not part of our everyday vocabulary. This book explores key Bible terms that unlock the message of the gospel.
Big Words in the Bible examines five important words – Propitiation, Reconciliation, Sanctification, Justification, and Resurrection – using plain language to see how the Scriptures describe these concepts and how the apostle Paul employs them in his letter to the Romans. This book also contains an appendix with eleven additional articles to explore these topics further.
Whether you are new to the Bible and want to grow in your understanding or want a simple way to explain these core gospel doctrines to others, this book will be helpful. With a focus on the Scriptures, Big Words in the Bible helps break down these fundamental topics to shed light on the life-changing message of the gospel and the salvation found in it.
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