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Emmaus is a Reformed Baptist church in Hemet, California. We are a community of Christ followers who love God, love one another, and serve the church, community, and nations, for the glory of God and for our joy.
Our hope is that you will make Emmaus your home and that you will begin to grow with us as we study the scriptures and, through the empowering of the Holy Spirit, live in a way that honors our great King.
LORD'S DAY WORSHIP (SUNDAYS)
10:00am Corporate Worship
In the Emmaus Chapel at Cornerstone
26089 Girard St.
Hemet, CA 92544
EMMAUS ESSENTIALS
Sunday School For Adults
9:00am to 9:45am most Sundays (Schedule)
In the Chapel
MAILING ADDRESS
43430 E. Florida Ave. #F329
Hemet, CA 92544
The Realm is our church's online network. We use this tool as our primary means of communication. Be sure to check it often and don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
Interested in becoming a member? Please join us for a four-week study in which we will make a case from the scriptures for local church membership and introduce the ministries, government, doctrines, and distinctive's of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church.
Learn MoreEmmaus Essentials classes are currently offered online Sundays at 9AM. It is through our Emmaus Essentials (Sunday School) that we hope to experience an in depth study of the scriptures and Christian theology. These classes focus on the study of systematic theology, biblical theology, church history, and other topics practical to Christian living.
An audio teaching series through the Baptist Catechism aimed to instruct in foundational Christian doctrine and to encourage obedience within God’s people.
A podcast produced for International Reformed Baptist Seminary: a forum for discussion of important scriptural and theological subjects by faculty, administrators, and friends of IRBS.
A podcast devoted to discussions concerning Christian doctrine and the Christian life from a confessionally Reformed Baptist perspective.
A fourteen-week Bible study in which we consider “what man ought to believe concerning God, and what duty God requireth of man” (Baptist Catechism #6).
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At Emmaus we believe that God has given parents, especially fathers the authority and responsibility to train and instruct children up in the Lord. In addition, we believe that God has ordained the gathering of all generations, young to old, to worship Him together in one place and at one time. Therefore, each and every Sunday our children worship the Lord alongside their parents and other members of God’s family.
Learn MoreEmmaus Reformed Baptist Church is committed to the fullfilment of the Great Commision given by our Lord when he said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV), through the planting of local churches, both at home and abroad.
Sep 23
10
“Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, ‘Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.’ So Naaman went in and told his lord, ‘Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.’ And the king of Syria said, ‘Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.’ So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, ‘When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.’ And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, ‘Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.’ But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, ‘Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.’ So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.’ But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, ‘Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?’ So he turned and went away in a rage. But his servants came near and said to him, ‘My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?’ So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him. And he said, ‘Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant.’ But he said, ‘As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none.’ And he urged him to take it, but he refused. Then Naaman said, ‘If not, please let there be given to your servant two mule loads of earth, for from now on your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the LORD. In this matter may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon your servant in this matter.’ He said to him, ‘Go in peace.’” (2 Kings 5:1–19, ESV)
“After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, ‘He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.’ And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, ‘Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.’ When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.’ And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.” (Luke 7:1–10, ESV)
Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
As we consider this story of the healing of a Roman centurion’s servant, we should look back in Luke’s gospel and also forward.
If we look ahead to Luke 7:18, we see that John the Baptist sends messengers to Jesus to confirm that he is indeed the Messiah. The answer that Jesus gives is found in 7:22-23: “And he answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.’” Given where Luke goes in his gospel, it is right for us to see this story about the miraculous healing of a Roman centurion’s servant as yet another sign that Jesus is the Messiah. He performed this miracle, and many others, in order to demonstrate that he was the Lord’s Messiah, just as he claimed.
But I think it is also interesting to look back in Luke’s gospel to remember the things that Jesus said in his sermon on the plane. Remember, Jesus commanded his followers to love their enemies, to judge and condemn not, but rather to forgive and to give generously, expecting nothing in return. Jesus rebuked the self-righteous in his sermon and commended those of a humbly and lowly disposition. It seems to me that this Roman centurion is held out as a kind of model for the way of life that Jesus called his disciples to. In fact, the text says that Jesus marveled at the faith of this man, and said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith” (Luke 7:9, ESV). This Roman soldier possessed great faith to believe that Christ could say a word and his servant would be healed, but he also possessed many of the qualities that Jesus commended in his sermon on the plane. He was a humble, caring, and generous man who was kind even to those who were below him, and those who were considered to be his enemies, according to the world’s way of seeing things.
Let us now walk through the text together.
In verse 1 we read, “After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum.” Capernaum was a small town in the region of Galilee located on the northwest side of the Sea of Galilee. This small town functioned as a home base for Jesus during his earthly ministry – many miracles were performed there. There is not much to say about Capernaum. Perhaps the most important observation to make about this city is that it was small, insignificant, and off the beaten path.
In verse 2 we read, “Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him” (Luke 7:2, ESV).
A centurion was a captain in the Roman Army – a commander of 100. Can you picture him? He was a man of authority, a strong man, a man of war.
But we are told that he had a servant who was highly valued by him – that is how the ESV translates the Greek. The NASB says, that the servant “was highly regarded by him”. The KJV says that the servant was “dear unto him”. I appreciate those translations, for they better highlight the kindness of this centurion. This centurion did not only care for his servant because he was of value to him. No, this story shows us that the servant was dear to the centurion, which is why he showed him such kindness.
Before we move on, we should remember the political situation of the Jews in those days. Isarel was occupied by the Romans. The Jews were not free but were subject to this foreign power. The Romans were viewed by the Jews as enemies and oppressors, therefore. And they were very strong. This was the political situation into which our Lord and Savior was born. This was the political situation in which he ministered. He did not live in a free democracy but was a member of an occupied and oppressed people. Christians – and especially Christians in America today – would do well to remember this. We should remember that Jesus, his Apostles, and the early church lived within political systems very differnt from ours. They were not free. In fact, they were at certain times and in certain regions, persecuted harshly by those with power. We would do well to remember this fact and to pay careful attention to the way in which Christ and his followers lived so that we might obey their teaching and follow their example.
In verse 3 we read, “When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, ‘He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue’” (Luke 7:3–5, ESV).
Notice three things:
One, notice that the centurion was aware of Jesus. He must have heard of Jesus’ teaching and of the miraculous deeds that he was performing from the Jews living in Capernaum. That the centurion was aware of Jesus tells us something about Jesus – the word was spreading fast concerning him! But this also tells us something about the centurion. This man was not living in isolation from the Jewish population but was engaged. He must have been somewhat interested in the Jewish religion and in the Old Testament Scriptures for the news of Jesus to be brought to his ears.
Two, notice the effort made by the centurion to care for his servant. He sent elders of the Jews to Jesus asking him to come and heal his servant. This centurion was a kind man. He cared even for those who were far beneath him in status. Where did this kindness come from? Well, it may be that God, by his common grace and through the light of nature, granted this man with a merciful and kind disposition – that can and does happen. But it seems as if the Lord was doing something more in this centurion. As the story progresses it becomes clear that this centurion was touched by the special and saving grace of God, and this is why he had such love for this servant of his.
Three, notice the respect that the Jews had for this man despite the fact that he was a Roman centurion with authority over them. When the Jews came to Jesus the text says that they “pleaded with him earnestly” on his behalf. Stated differently, their hearts were in it. They did not go to Jesus because it was their duty. They did not go because they were threatened with the sword. The elders of the Jews went to Jesus with love and respect for this centurion in their hearts, and when they got there they “pleaded with him earnestly” or eagerly.
And look at what they said. “He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue”. The Greek word translated as “nation” is ἔθνος. “Nation” is a fine translation of this word, but you should know that the word carries the meaning of “a body of persons united by kinship, culture, and common traditions…” (BDAG, 276). So, this Roman centurion loved the Jewish people, their culture, and customs. And evidently, he loved their religion too, for the Jews pleaded with Jesus saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue”. A synagogue is a church building or a meeting house. It appears that this Roman centurion was personally interested in the Jewish religion, therefore.
In verses 6-8 we read, “And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, ‘Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.’” (Luke 7:6–8, ESV)
Notice three things about these verses:
One, the centurion had friends. “When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him…” Not only did the Jews love and honor this man, he had other friends too who were willing to go to Jesus on his behalf. I make this simple observation to make a connection with something that Jesus said in his sermon on the plane. “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:37–38, ESV). This centurion was kind and generous to others, and what came back to him? Others were kind and generous with him. They loved him and saw him as a man worthy of honor.
Two, notice the humility of the centurion. The Jews told Jesus, “he is worthy to have you do this for him.” But how did the centurion regard himself? He sent his friends to Jesus to say, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you.” This humble spirit of the centurion is to be contrasted with the arrogant pride and self-righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. Evidently, this Roman centurion understood and lived by the ethical teaching of Jesus: “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye” (Luke 6:41–42, ESV). The Roman centurion knew that he was a sinner. He saw himself as unworthy to be in the presence of Jesus.
And that leads us to the third observation about verses 6-8. This Roman centurion possessed a remarkable understanding of who Jesus was – more than a mere man.
One, he clearly understood that Christ was holy and great. This is clear from his statement, “I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.”
Two, he understood that Jesus possessed great authority. When he articulated his confidence that Christ could heal his servant from a distance he said, “For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” This Roman centurion understood that Christ possessed authority, not over common soldiers as he did, but over sickness and death itself. Think of that for moment. No mere man has authority over sickness and death, and yet this centurion believed that Jesus possessed that kind of authority.
Three, some students of the Bible have noted that this centurion understood that Jesus was the Word of God incarnate. He objected to Jesus coming under his roof and said, “But say the word, and let my servant be healed”. God alone has the power to speak things into reality. In the beginning, the LORD created the heavens and earth by the word of his power. The repeated refrain of Genesis 1 is, “and God said”, “and God said”. And when we come to the New Testament it is made clear that God the Father created the world through the Son (or Word) and by the Spirit. When the centurion requested that Jesus “say the word” to heal his servant, he expressed the belief that Jesus possessed the very power and authority of God to bring things into existence by his word – indeed, we know that Christ was and is the Word, the second subsistence of the Triune God, incarnate (see John 1).
Truly, the faith of this Roman centurion was marvelous, and Jesus noticed.
Look with me at verses 9-10: “When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.’ And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.” (Luke 7:9–10, ESV)
When Luke reports to us that Jesus marveled at the centurion we are to understand that Jesus marveled according to his human nature. The divine nature cannot marvel, properly speaking, for God is never surprised. But Christ, in his humanity, did marvel over the great faith of this Roman centurion.
And to fully appreciate the greatness of the faith of this man we must recognize that it was a well-rounded and mature faith that he possessed. Yes, the centurion did believe that Jesus could heal his servant from a distance, but this faith was rooted in an understanding of who Jesus was. Stated differently, the centurion believed that Jesus could heal from a distance and by his word, because he knew that Jesus was no mere man, but was the Messiah, God with us. And more than this, the centurion’s faith in the Messiah was shown to be true by his actions. He was a man known for his love and kindness. When Jesus commended this man for his remarkable faith – faith of a kind that Jesus had not found amongst the Jews – he was not merely considering his confidence that he could heal. Others had demonstrated that kind of faith. Think, for example, of the men who lowered their paralyzed friend through the roof of the house (Luke 5:17ff.)). They were confident that Jesus could heal. But this centurion showed that his faith was very strong. He knew that Jesus could heal by his word and from a distance. He knew that Jesus could heal because he knew who he was – no mere man, but the Messiah, the holy one of God. His faith was shown to be great because of the fruit it produced – a life characterized by love, kindness, and generosity.
Jesus healed the servant, one, to show mercy to the servant and the centurion, two, to commend the faith of the centurion, and three, to demonstrate that he was the Messiah, the word of God incarnate.
I’ll move this sermon to a conclusion by offering a few reflections on this text.
One, when I read this story of Jesus commending the faith of this Roman centurion and healing his servant I immediately think of the mercy and grace that Jesus Christ would show to the gentile nations under the New Covenant. Do not forget, brothers and sisters, that under the Old Covenant, the saving grace of God was largely confined to Israel, for the promises concerning the Messiah were entrusted to them. But when Christ came into the world to accomplish salvation, he did not come for the Jews only but atoned for the sins of many from every tongue, tribe, and nation. Luke makes much of this. Do not forget the words of that “righteous and devout” man named Simeon who was “waiting for the consolation of Israel”. When he saw the baby Jesus at the temple, “he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said. ‘Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:25–32, ESV). That the Messiah would be the savior of the world was revealed in the Old Testament. It was revealed during Jesus’ early years. And Luke highlights this fact in various ways in his Gospel, one of them being by the telling of this story of the faith of the Roman centurion – a faith greater than any that Jesus had seen within Israel. As we study the Scriptures we must keep this grace transition ever in mind – the gospel of Jesus Christ, which was largely confined to Isarel under the Old Covenant, has spread to the nations under the New Covenant, and we are all beneficiaries of that. Let us give thanks to God, therefore. And let us walk worthily.
Two, as I consider the love and generosity that this Roman centurion showed to his servants, his friends, and the Jewish people over whom he ruled, I am reminded that it truly is the poor in spirit and those who weep who are blessed. Truly, those who forgive and give generously will be given unto. This centurion was blessed indeed. He had many friends. Even his political enemies loved and respected him. Why? Because he was a kind and generous man – a benevolent and just ruler. Most of us here in this room possess some kind of authority. Some are elders and deacons in the church. Some are husbands. Some are fathers and mothers. And some have authority in the world in their places of employment. Whatever the authority may be, we should seek to emulate this man who was so kind to those who were under him. Indeed, to emulate this man is to emulate Christ, who, though he possesses all authority in heaven and earth, is gracious and kind to sinners like you and me.
Three, as I consider this story of the Roman centurion and of his relationship to the Jews who knew him in Capernaum, I see a wonderful example of what it looks like to love your enemies. Politically speaking – culturally speaking – this man should have been at enmity with the Jewish people. He, like so many others, could have been heavy-handed and harsh with them, but he rose above this and showed them love and kindness instead. Brothers and sisters, we Christians are called to rise above the things that divide us politically and culturally and to love even our enemies. Think of how powerful love is. It can break down barries of any kind. We see an example of how powerful it can be here.
Four, this story about the Roman centurion does encourage me to walk humbly before the Lord, I would encourage you to do the same. I would imagine that many Roman centurions were filled with pride because of their power. But this man was powerful yet humble. And there is true strength in humility. When we are weak we strong, and this is especially true of those who run to God and to Christ in their weakness. Men and women who think of themselves as strong will never run to Christ. But those who walk humbly before the Lord will turn to Christ to find true strength in him.
Lastly, all of the good qualities that I have highlighted in this Roman centurion were his by the grace of God. This is always the case. Any goodness that is found in anyone is by God’s common grace. But this man was given the gift of faith in Jesus the Messiah. He called out to Jesus in his need, and Jesus drew near to him. This is God’s gift. Brothers and sisters, let us never forget that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17, ESV). And the greatest gift of all is Jesus and the ability to trust in him to the salvation of our souls. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV)
Sep 23
8
Q. 97. What is Baptism?
A. Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament instituted by Jesus Christ, to be unto the party baptized a sign of his fellowship with Him, in His death, burial, and resurrection; of his being engrafted into Him; of remissions of sins; and of his giving up himself unto God through Jesus Christ, to live and walk in newness of life. (Matt. 28:19; Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:12; Gal. 3:27)
“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” (Romans 6:1–14, ESV)
Let me begin by reminding you that we have been considering how God takes the redemption that Christ has earned and applies it to his elect living in different times and in different places throughout the world. We know that Christ has earned our salvation. This he has done long ago. There is nothing left for him or for us to do as it pertains to the accomplishment of our redemption. And we know that the salvation Christ has earned is received by faith in Christ alone. In fact, Question 90 of our catechism asked, “ What doth God require of us, that we may escape His wrath and curse, due to us for sin? And the answer given was, “To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin, God requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption.” To be saved we must turn from our sins and trust in Christ. But now we are asking the question, how does God deliver or communicate the benefits that Christ has earned to us? I think you would agree, there must be a conduit or a connection between Christ and us. All of these benefits are received by faith, but how do we come to hear about Christ and his finished work? Through the word of God read and preached. The word through is important. It indicates that there is a means. And how will be come to be strengthened and nourished in Christ? We know that God works through baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer. These are the means (or conduits) that God has determined to use to bring his elect to faith in Christ and to strengthen them, by his grace.
Today we are looking especially at baptism. The question is, what is baptism? By the way, understanding what baptism is will help us to know who is it for. I think you will see what I mean in just a moment.
So what is baptism?
“Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament…”
“Ordinance” – it is something that Christ has ordered.
“Of the New Testament” – Baptism is a sign of the New Covenant.
Just as circumcision was a sign of the Old Covenant (starting with the Abrahamic), so Baptism is a sign of the New Covenant.
All who are members of the New Covenants are to be given this sign, therefore.
“…instituted by Jesus Christ…”
The precursor to New Covenant baptism was the ceremonial washings of the Old Covenant
When Christ came into the world to inaugurate the New Covenant he made Baptism the sign of entry into this covenant.
Baptism, like circumcision, and the command to not eat of the forbidden tree, is a positive law. It is not a moral law. It is a law that God added in special connection with a covenant – the New Covenant.
“…to be unto the party baptized a sign…”
“…of his [or her] fellowship with Him, in His death, burial, and resurrection;”
“…of his [or her] being engrafted into Him;”
“…of remissions of sins;”
.”..and of his [or her] giving up himself unto God through Jesus Christ, to live and walk in newness of life.”
Do you remember your baptism? Do not forget what you said, and what was said of you, then.
Sep 23
3
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” (Psalm 1, ESV)
“‘Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord, ’and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.’” (Luke 6:46–49, ESV)
Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
You probably have noticed that preachers often conclude their sermons by delivering some kind of exhortation to the congregation to obey or apply what has been taught. There are good reasons for this, the most obvious being that God’s word is always to be obeyed. Yes, it is to be believed in the mind and cherished in the heart, but those with a true and lively faith are to strive to live in obedience to the Scriptures in thought, word, and deed. God’s word is to be applied – it is to be put into practice.
And you will notice that Jesus concluded his sermon on the plane with a call to obedience. In this sermon, Jesus calls his disciples to perceive that they are blessed in him, even if they suffer in this world. He has called us to love our enemies and to do unto others as we would have them do to us. He has called us to avoid the judgmental and condemning attitude that is so common among religious people and to forgive and treat others with generosity. Jesus calls his disciples to be merciful, gracious, and kind, for God is merciful, even to those who hate him, and he has certainly been gracious to all who are in Christ Jesus. He has forgiven us all of our sins, and so we are called to forgive as we have been forgiven.
I think you would agree with me that these ethical teachings of Jesus are challenging. But Christ insists that his followers obey him. We are to obey God’s moral law in thought, word, and deed. And we are to adopt the mindset and attitude that is here prescribed in the sermon on the plane. But pay very careful attention to this: Jesus is not interested in having disciples who merely listen to him. And neither is he interested in having disciples who merely believe the doctrine he teaches. No, he insists that his followers do what he commands.
Notice the question that Jesus asks at the beginning of this conclusion to his sermon. Verse 46: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”
The tone is rather confrontational, would you agree? Why this confrontational tone?
Well, let us consider Jesus’ audience again and the setting of this sermon. Jesus had just named his twelve apostles. There were others who were following him too. In fact, Luke tells us that it was a great multitude that gathered around him to hear his teachings and to be healed by him (Luke 6:17-19). Without a doubt, this was a mixed group. What did most of them share in common? They were interested in Jesus. Most of them probably claimed to be his disciples or followers. Evidently, many of them called him “Lord”. But there must have been diversity. I’m sure that there were differing levels of understanding and commitment. Some were well aware of who Jesus was and what he required of them, and they were all in. But others were undoubtedly ignorant and uncommitted. Some, I’m sure, were present on that day only because they wished to be healed by Jesus so that they might benefit from him in some way. And some were present only because they were curious to know what this Jesus was all about. In fact, we know that this was a mixed multitude because Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve, and Luke has already warned us that he would become a traitor (Luke 6:16), proving that he was no true follower of Christ, but was a false professor!
And so Jesus spoke very directly to this mixed multitude. He warned them from the beginning that to have him as Lord and Savior would involve living in obedience to him. True disciples of Jesus will strive to keep Christ’s commandments. They will strive to live in obedience to the moral law of God. They will also strive to obey these ethical teachings of our Lord, which in no way conflict or compete with the moral law, but are a true and pure application of the moral law to the minds and hearts of those who follow Jesus.
The question that Jesus posed to his listeners is itself powerful, rhetorically speaking. The question, Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?, highlights the absurdity of calling someone “Lord”, and yet not obeying them. To call someone “Lord” with no intent or effort to obey them is a contradiction. Those who do this are rightly called liars and hypocrites.
And Jesus is certainly Lord. He is Lord in that he is a master to be obeyed. And more than this, he the Lord, that is to say, the Lord God Almighty, come in the flesh.
Luke carefully establishes this fact in his gospel. First, he uses the title “Lord” to refer to God. This he does many times in the early chapters of his gospel. For example, in 1:6 Luke speaks of Zachariah and Elizabeth as being “righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord” (Luke 1:6, ESV). And in 1:16 it is said of John the Baptist that “he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.” So then, God is the Lord. And this is, of course, consistent with the Old Testament use of that title. God is the Lord. Next, Luke shows us that Jesus Christ is the “Lord”. For example, in Luke 1:43 Elizabeth calls Mary, “the mother of my Lord”. Jesus is the Lord come in the flesh. In Luke 1:76 it is said of John the Baptist that he will “be called the prophet of the Most High; for [he] will go before the Lord to prepare his ways…”. When John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus he prepared the way for the Lord. And in Luke 2:11 the angel of the Lord spoke to the shepherds in the field saying, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11, ESV).
Jesus is Lord. He is God with us – God incarnate. He is the Savior of all who come to him by faith. But to have him as Savior you must have him as Lord. As Paul says in Romans 10:9-10, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:9–10, ESV).
So then, it is good and right to call Jesus “Lord”. But here in the conclusion to his sermon on the plane, Jesus warns those who would call him “Lord” with no intention or effort to obey him in their way of life. This is a contradiction, an act of hypocrisy, and a false profession. And those who call Jesus “Lord” with their lips but deny him with their lives should not be confident that they have him as Savior. The rest of the passage makes this very clear.
I have said that the question Jesus asks is powerful in and of itself for it reveals the absurdity of calling Jesus Lord while not obeying him. Lords are to be obeyed! That is the point! But Jesus sharpens his point through the use of a pair of similies – a simile being a figure of speech that compares one thing with another.
In 6:48 we read, “Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.” (Luke 6:47–48, ESV)
Here Christ describes what someone who makes a true profession of faith is like. The person who, one, comes to Christ (by faith), two, hears his words (or his commands), and three, obeys him, is compared by our Lord to a well-built house with a foundation that is strong and deep, able to endure even the floodwaters.
In this simile, the house itself represents the very life of a person who has made a profession of faith. The digging down to the bedrock so that the foundation of the house is set on something firm and immovable represents a true and authentic faith in Christ – a faith that is accompanied by sincere repentance and heartfelt obedience. What then does the flood represent? Two things: One, the trials and tribulations of this life, including persecution. Two, the floodwaters represent the final judgment.
How will it go for the person who has true faith in Christ when the trials and tribulations of life beat against them? What will become of their profession of faith? It will stand! For it is true faith, grounded in Christ as Savior and Lord, that they have. And how will it go for the one who has true faith in Christ on the day of judgment? Again I say, they will stand. They will stand, not because they are righteous in and of themselves, but because they stand on Christ and have his righteousness as their own.
And what are those who hear Christ’s words but do not obey him compared to? Christ compares these to a house with no foundation at all. And we are told that this house will surely fall.
Look at verse 49: “But the one who hears [Christ’s words] and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great” (Luke 6:49, ESV).
One thing to notice about the comparison that Jesus makes between the two houses is that they look the same (or at least similar) on the surface. If I were to show you a picture of two houses, one with a deep foundation, and the other without any foundation at all, you would probably not be able to tell the difference between the two, for they they would look the same on the surface. But there is in fact a great difference between a house with a solid foundation and a house with no foundation at all. And you would quickly see the difference when floodwaters come and beat against those houses. The one that is built atop a deep and firm foundation will not be moved. But the one that lacks a foundation will quickly begin to crumble and will be swept away.
So you can see that Christ is here warning his audience of the possibility and great danger of making a false profession of faith. He is calling those who hear him to respond with true faith, which will always involve true repentance and a striving after an obedient and holy life. Or to put the matter in another way, to have Jesus as your Savior you must have him as your Lord. And lords are to be obeyed. Especially this one. For he is the Lord of Glory. To call Jesus Lord, but not obey him, is an empty and false profession of faith. It is a contradiction – an act of hypocrisy. Those who make such a false profession of faith will look just like those who make a true profession for a time. Both will call Jesus, “Lord, Lord” for a time. Both will walk in the company of Jesus’ disciples for a time. But the difference between the true believer and the false professor will become apparent when the floodwaters come. When trials, tribulations, and persecutions arise, those who have made a false profession will fall away. Certainly, the house of every false professor will be swept away on the day of judgment, “and the ruin of that house [will be] great”. But those who have true faith – those who have dug down deep to build their life on the bedrock of Christ Jesus the Lord will stand. They will stand, not because they are strong in themselves, but because their lives are truly built on the firm foundation of Christ the Lord.
I do wonder how many of those who gathered around Jesus to hear his sermon on the plane were true disciples of his and how many were false. It’s impossible to know for sure.
One thing we do know is that there were times in Jesus’ earthly ministry when great multitudes followed him. Great multitudes surrounded him here on the plane in the beginning. Later, great multitudes followed him into the desert to hear him and to eat the bread he provided. But in the end, very few stood with him.
As I have said, we do know that Judas Iscariot was a false professor, and he was one of the twelve! He was one of those who followed Jesus superficially and for a time with the hopes of selfish gain. But when the time came for Jesus to suffer on the cross, and as Jesus spoke more and more about the suffering that his disciples would endure, Judas showed himself to be a traitor. He was a house with no foundation at all. The floodwaters swept him away.
Now contrast Judas with Peter, the leader of the apostolic band. Peter was not perfect. In fact, he stumbled badly. For a time, it looked like he too had fallen, when he denied his Lord three times on the night of his trial — the night before his crucifixion. But Peter stood in the end. And why did he stand? Why did his house not fall? He stood because his profession of faith was rock solid and true. He stood because Jesus was truly his Savior and Lord! He stood because Jesus Christ made him stand.
Now let us picture the church today. Here I am referring to the many thousands of visible churches that are scattered throughout this nation and world – churches just like this one here. These churches are made up of people who call Jesus “Lord” with their lips. And I do wonder how many of these are houses with a firm foundation, and how many are foundationless. God knows. And time will tell. But between now and the day of judgment the question of Jesus must be raised: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” Those who have Jesus as Savior will have him as Lord, and the Lord must be obeyed.
I do hope that the meaning is clear. I would now like to offer a few contemplation on this text.
The first and most obvious question I must ask is, what about you? Is Jesus truly your Lord? Have you come to him in faith, heard his words, and obeyed him? Have you turned from your sin to walk in obedience?
Now the question on the minds of many will be: what is meant by obedience? Those who know God’s moral law, who understand the teachings of Jesus concerning what that law requires and forbids, and who have a clear view of themselves, will readily admit that they do not obey Christ perfectly, but daily violate his commandments in thought, word, and deed. No one obeys Christ perfectly, friends. Can we agree on that? In fact, did not Christ just warn us about seeing the specks in the eye of others while not seeing the log in our own eye? Clearly, Jesus expects that his disciples will continue to struggle with sin. Indeed, the rest of the Scriptures make this point very clear. True Christians – even the very best of them – are imperfect. We must continually war against sin, but we do not always win. So what is meant by obedience? Or to put it another way, if it is true that disciples of Jesus will war against sin all the days of their life and will reach perfection only in the life to come, then what distinguishes the true and false believer as it pertains to obedience?
Five things come to mind:
Firstly, a true follower of Christ will turn from sin and to obedience initially, that is to say, from the beginning. This is why faith and repentance are often mentioned together in the Scriptures. To turn to Christ savingly involves turning from sin initially. Stated negatively, no one should think that they have Jesus as Lord and Savior if they will not turn from their sin in the beginning.
Secondly, a true follower of Christ will turn from sin and to obedience intentionally. By this, I mean that true disciples of Christ will intend to not sinning further and they will intend to obey Christ from that day forward. Stated negatively, no true disciple of Jesus has this attitude. I’m forgiven. It does not matter if I sin. In fact, I plan to go on sinning, because Jesus is my Savior. If that is your attitude and intention, then I doubt that Jesus is really your Lord. And if he is not your Lord, then he is not your Savior.
Thirdly, when true disciples of Jesus sin, they will do so sorrowfully. God disciplines his children. The Spirit convicts those who belong to him. Those who love Christ sincerely will be grieved when they have sinned against him. Stated negatively, false professors care little about their sin. They may be concerned about the consequences of their actions. They may worry about being caught and exposed. But they will not sorrow over their sin as a true disciple of Jesus would.
Fourthly, true disciples of Jesus will turn from sin and walk in obedience habitually. 1 John 3:6-11 says this very clearly. “No one who abides in [Christ] keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother” (1 John 3:6–10, ESV). So then, though it is not about perfection, but habit, or practice. The true disciple of Jesus will turn from sin and obey Christ the Lord habitually.
Fifthly, the true disciples of Jesus will grow in holiness progressively. They will mature. They will, over time, put sin to death and walk in the ways of Christ more and more.
This process of turning from sin and learning more and more to walk in obedience to the Lord is called sanctification. To be sanctified is to be set apart and made holy. God sanctifies all who are united to Christ by faith, and all who are united to Christ by faith are called by God to progress in their sanctification.
I would like to read what our confession of faith says about sanctification. It is very helpful. If you listen carefully, you will hear support for everything I have just said about obedience.
CHAPTER 13 – OF SANCTIFICATION
Paragraph 1. They who are united to Christ, effectually called, and regenerated, having a new heart and a new spirit created in them through the virtue of Christ’s death and resurrection, are also farther sanctified, really and personally, through the same virtue, by His Word and Spirit dwelling in them; the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed, and the several lusts thereof are more and more weakened and mortified, and they more and more quickened and strengthened in all saving graces, to the practice of all true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.
Paragraph 2. This sanctification is throughout, in the whole man, yet imperfect in this life; there abideth still some remnants of corruption in every part, whence ariseth a continual and irreconcilable war; the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.
Paragraph 3. In which war, although the remaining corruption for a time may much prevail, yet, through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part doth overcome; and so the saints grow in grace, perfecting holiness in the fear of God, pressing after an heavenly life, in evangelical obedience to all the commands which Christ, as Head and King, in His Word hath prescribed to them.
What a beautiful statement this is. And it is true. All true disciples of Jesus – all who are united to him by faith, effectually called and regenerated – are also sanctified. Though it is true that corruptions and imperfections remain and that there is a war to be fought against the sinful flesh, none who call Jesus “Lord” sincerely will go on to live a life marked by perpetual disobedience. On the contrary, all who have Jesus as Lord really and truly will live a life marked by obedience, and they will progress in it.
Now, there is another question that must be addressed given all that has been said about obedience: Are we justified (declared innocent and made right before God) by faith in Christ alone or by our obedience? Some after hearing all of this talk about the necessity of obedience might wonder, is it our obedience that saves us then? Do you understand the question? If it is true that obedience is necessary, then is it our obedience to Christ that saves us?
By no means. Brothers and sisters, don’t ever forget this. We are made right before God by the grace of God alone and through faith in Christ alone. It is impossible to be justified before God by our obedience for three main reasons.
One, were all born in sin. We were born with Adam’s guilt imputed to us and with a corrupted nature. Obedience cannot fix that problem. Only Jesus can. He atoned for sins on the cross. He lived a perfect life so that he has a righteousness of his own to give. And he has sent forth the Spirit to regenerate sinners to heal their corruption.
Two, we ourselves have committed many sins already. This means that we are lawbreakers. We are guilty sinners who deserve God’s judgment. No amount of obedience today can fix the problem of guilt from past sins. If someone commits murder, he is a murderer. The guilt of the crime stays with him, even if he is resolved to love and never murder again from that day forward. Present obedience cannot fix the problem of guilt from past sins.
Three, it is impossible to be justified before God by our obedience because the obedience we offer up to God now is tainted by many imperfections. We do not always obey. And even when we do obey, we find that our obedience is impure. Perhaps our motives are wrong. Perhaps our love for God and others is less than it should be.
Brothers and sisters, we are not saved by obedience. Obedience (or good works) cannot be the reason or ground of our salvation. We are justified before God through faith in Christ alone. He has atoned for sins. He gives us his righteousness. He redeems us and makes us whole. This he does for all who trust in him.
What then is the relationship between faith and obedience? True faith will always be accompanied by obedience. We obey because we have been forgiven. We obey because we have been cleansed. We obey because we have been regenerated and renewed. We obey because we love God, and we know that we love him only because he first loved us. We obey, brothers and sisters, not to be saved, but because God has saved us. He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and has adopted us as his own. How could we not obey him, if Jesus is truly our Savior and Lord?
I have one last question to address: How can we know for sure that we are true disciples of Jesus and not false professors? Here in our passage, Jesus has warned us about the possibility and great danger of making a false profession of faith. How can we know for that we are true disciples of Jesus and not false professors?
There are two questions that we must be asked::
One, are you truly trusting in Jesus as he is offered to you in the gospel? Stated differently, do you agree that you are a sinner in need of a Savior? Do I understand the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ? And have you turned from your sin to trust in Christ alone for the forgiveness of your sins? You can probably see that these questions all have to do with the condition of your mind and heart. How can a person know for sure that they are a true disciple of Jesus and not a false professor? I suppose the first thing they must do is look inward to examine their mind and heart and ask, am I sincere?
But there is another question to ask, and this one is more concrete, measurable, and less subjective: Is there any external evidence that the faith that is in your mind and heart is true? Stated differently, are you producing good and godly fruit? Or to put it yet another way, is your profession of faith accompanied by a change – repentance from sin and obedience to the commandments of the Lord?
The Apostle John says, “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments” (1 John 2:3, ESV). John is addressing the question of assurance here. How can we know that we really and truly have come to know Christ? How can we know that we are true disciples of his? Here him again: “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments” (1 John 2:3, ESV)
So then, obedience to Christ does not bring us salvation, but it does help us to be sure of our salvation, for it is an evidence that our profession of faith is true. Brothers and sisters, to have Jesus as Savior one must confess that he is Lord. And lords are to be obeyed, especially this one.
Aug 23
27
“TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO DO NOT DESTROY. A PSALM OF ASAPH. A SONG. We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds. “At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity. When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn; do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with haughty neck.’ ” For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another. For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs. But I will declare it forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.” (Psalm 75, ESV)
“‘Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.’ He also told them a parable: ‘Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.’ ‘Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.’ ‘For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.’” (Luke 6:37–45, ESV)
Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Brothers and sisters, it has been a true joy for me to study Jesus’ Sermon on the Plane (as it is traditionally called) and to deliver these sermons to you over the past couple of weeks. As you know, this teaching from Jesus begins in Luke 6:20 and runs through to the end of the chapter. Here Jesus gathers his newly called disciples and his twelve apostles to himself and he begins to teach them. He delivers sayings to them, and you will notice that the sayings are all about attitude and outlook resulting in a way of life. The Christian faith is a way of life, brothers and sisters. And to live in the way that Christ has commanded, we must perceive the world and think according to his word.
I think it is very significant that these sayings of Jesus are the first things that he said to his disciples (after they were officially called and gathered). First words are very important, wouldn’t you agree? The first words spoken (especially to a newly formed group) set the tone. They establish a direction. And so we should pay very careful attention to these sayings of Jesus which he delivered at first to his disciples.
Now, it must be acknowledged that these sayings of Jesus were not the first things that the disciples of Jesus had learned and believed. These men who followed Jesus knew the Old Testament Scriptures very well. They believed that the Scriptures are the Word of God. They knew the God of the Bible. And they knew the promises that God had made concerning a Savior or Messiah who would eventually come into the world. They believed that Jesus was the Messiah, and this is why they followed him. The point that I am making here is that these disciples of Jesus were not novices. They were not ignorant of the Scriptures. They were not unaware of the promises of God. These men knew the Bible, brothers, and sisters. They understood the storyline of Scripture and the history of God’s work of redemption. Stated in theological terms, they had a solid understanding of the doctrine of Scripture, God, creation, man, covenant, sin, and salvation in Christ. Did they have a lot to learn? Yes, in some ways they did. They had a lot to learn about Jesus the Messiah, how he would accomplish our redemption, and the nature of the New Covenant and the eternal kingdom that he came to inaugurate. Yes, they had a lot to learn. But they were by no means lacking in Biblical and theological foundations. Many of them possessed a true and lively faith. And so Jesus did not begin teaching his disciples as we typically do, by providing answers to questions like these: Who is the first and chiefest being? Ought every one to believe there is a God? How may we know there is a God? What is the Word of God? Etc. They knew these doctrines well. Christ did not need to lay down these doctrinal foundations. And so he presented them with ethical teachings – teachings about the attitude, outlook, and way of life that his followers were to adopt.
In the Sermon on the Plane, Jesus demanded that his disciples see and know for certain that those who follow him are truly blessed. They are blessed even if they are hungry, poor, despised, and mistreated in the world. They are blessed because to them belongs the eternal kingdom of God. And in contrast to this, those who choose the riches of this world and the respect of others over Christ, are truly in a woeful condition. They may be full now, but they will be eternally hungry. They may laugh now, but they will weep eternally. This is the opposite of how the world sees things, but Christ commands his followers to take this view. This we learned in Luke 6:20-26.
And in Luke 6:27-36 Jesus commands his followers to love even their enemies. Those in the world love their friends. Those in the world love those they consider to be lovely or worthy. The world hates its enemies and is accustomed to returning evil for evil, insult for insult, and blow for blow. But Christ commands his followers to be different.” Love your enemies”, he says. “do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them” (Luke 6:27–31). In Luke 6:35 Christ summarizes this teaching, saying, “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:35–36).
Of course, this is a review. And I have provided this review, not only to remind you of what we have learned but so that you might see that Jesus continues to address the attitude or ethos of his disciples in the passage that is before us today. We have heard him say, “Blessed are you… (Luke 6:20-26), and “Love your enemies…” Here Christ says, “Judge not, and you will not be judged”. This whole passage, which begins in Luke 6:37 and ends in verse 45, is about the judgmental attitude that Christ forbids.
In verses 37 and 38, we find four commands. Two are negative and two are positive: “Judge not”, “condemn not”, “forgive” and “give”. So, Christ’s disciples are not to judge or condemn; they are to forgive and give. This is to be our attitude towards others. We are not to be judgemental or condemning. Instead, we are to be forgiving and generous.
Notice that after each one of these commands, we find a general description of how we will be treated by others should we obey. “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you.”.
In the second half of verse 38, we find a brief illustration concerning the charity and generosity that we are to show to others and the charity and generosity that will be returned to us. When Jesus says, “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap”, we are to picture a merchant being generous with their customer.
To give a modern example, if you go to Rite Aid to buy a pint of ice cream, what are you thinking as the clerk fills up the container? Press it down, press it down, and fill it up to the brim! You probably don’t say it out loud, but you are hoping that the clerk is generous with you. If you were to purchase a bag of grain, you would be hoping that the merchant would shake it together so that the grain settles in the bag and you get more. If you were purchasing olive oil, you would want the merchant to fill the bottle up to the point of overflowing.
Here Christ is commanding his disciples to be generous with others. I think it is right for us to see that this is an extension of the command to love even your enemies and to do unto others as you would have them do unto you, which we encountered in the previous passage. Christians are to love. Christians are to be generous. We are not to have a judgemental, condemning attitude towards others. Instead, we are called to be gracious and kind. We are to forgive. We are to give. And we are not to be stingy with our forgiveness and in our giving. Instead, we are called by Christ to be generous. We are to forgive and to give abundantly. Remember, we are to be merciful just as our heavenly Father is merciful (Luke 6:36)! We are to treat others as we would like to be treated.
And then Christ clearly states the principle of reciprocation with these words: “For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” The meaning is this: in general, those who are generous to others will have others be generous to them. Those who forgive others will tend to be forgiven. Those who give to others will often be given unto. But those who judge others harshly, and those who condemn others unfairly, will find that they will be harshly judged and condemned. This principle of reciprocation will play out in our human relationships, and there is also a sense in which it will play out in our relationship with God. God will richly bless those who are generous and kind to others. He will forgive those who forgive and abundantly give to those who give abundantly. And certainly, this principle will play out in eternity.
These teachings of Jesus are very clear, wouldn’t you agree? But some will muddy the clear waters of Jesus’ pure teaching by pushing these sayings of his into contexts they were not intended for. “Judge not”, Jesus says. Does this mean that there is never a time for human judgment? Is a courtroom judge wrong to sentence a convicted criminal? Would the convicted criminal be right to quote the words of Jesus to the judge at his sentencing? Jesus says “Judge not”! That is absurd. Judges are right to judge justly given the office they hold within society. Genesis 9:6 and Romans 13:1-7 make this very clear. If Jesus means that there is never a place for human judgment when he says, “Judge not”, then we have a contradiction, for in these passages (and others) he gives civil magistrates the authority to judge and calls them to do so according to truth and justice.
And I might also ask, is a pastor or church wrong to judge a professing Christian in matters of church discipline? If it is your view that all human judgment is forbidden because Jesus said, “Judge not”, then you have a problem. For the same Jesus who said “judge not” also said,
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 18:15–18, ESV)
That sounds like judgment to me. In fact, Christ uses legal language in this passage when he speaks of charges and witnesses and verdicts that are binding. So then, in one place Christ commands his disciples to “judge not”, but in another place, he commands them to judge.
And consider what Paul the Apostle says about church discipline in 1 Corinthians 5. At the conclusion of a lengthy passage on that theme, he says, “For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. ‘Purge the evil person from among you.’” (1 Corinthians 5:12–13). Here Paul agrees with Jesus when he commands the Corinthians to judge the sinning and unrepentant church member and to “Purge the evil person from among” them.
So what is going on here? How can it be that the Scriptures command us to “judge not” in one place, and to “judge” in another? It’s all about context. Here in Luke 6, Jesus is addressing the mindset, attitude, and disposition of his disciples. He is not forbidding all judgment. He is forbidding a certain kind of judgment though. Specifically, he is forbidding a judgmental spirit in his disciples.
As I was thinking about how to bring clarity to this point, five words came to my mind. All of them start with the letter “P”.
The first word is “Pharisee”. Here in this passage, Jesus forbids his disciples from having the judgemental attitude of the Pharisees. Do you remember how some of the Pharisees treated Jesus and his disciples? We were told about it in Luke 5. The Pharisees and their scribes kept a close eye on Jesus and his disciples, watching and waiting for them to slip up so that they could accuse and condemn them. Their judgments were not according to God’s law but were according to their man-made rules and regulations. Their judgments were harsh and without love and mercy. When Christ says, “judge not” and “condemn not”, he certainly has the attitude of the Pharisees in view.
The second word that came to mind is “position” or “place”. When Jesus says, “judge not” he means that we are not to have a judgemental and condemning attitude leading us to judge others when it is not our position or place to do so. There are some things that only God can judge. God alone sees the hearts of men. And God alone will judge fully and finally on the last day, condemning those not in Christ to eternal punishment. This he will do through Christ the Son. It is not our place to judge and condemn as only God can. Position or place must also be taken into consideration in matters where humans are permitted (and even called) to judge. Think of criminal cases. May humans judge in criminal cases? Yes. But is it everyone’s place to judge and condemn in a civil case? No. The police officer, judge, jury, and correctional officer all have a special role to play given their place or position. And consider the family. Whose place is it to judge and discipline the children? Typically, it is the mother and father’s place. And the same can be said about the church. In matters of discipline, elders are called to lead and oversee. And local churches are, for the most part, to mind their own business. If a child in another family is rebellious, it is the mother and father’s responsibility to judge and to discipline. If a Christian in another congregation is sinning, it is the church of which they are a member’s responsibility to call them to repentance. Judgemental people will often stick their noses in other people’s business and judge and condemn from afar when it is not their place to do so. The words of Paul in Romans 14:4 come to mind. “Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another?”, he asks.
The third word is “proportionate”. Jesus forbids his disciples from judging and condemning in a disproportionate way. Judgemental people, like the Pharisees who judged Jesus, tend to judge harshly and without mercy. They judged him for healing on the Sabbath. They judged him for plucking grain on the Sabbath. They were harsh in their judgments. They judged without mercy, all the while being blind to their own sin.
The fourth word is “pleasing”. Jesus would have his disciples judge in a way that is pleasing to our God who delights to show mercy. If God is merciful even to his enemies, and if he has been so gracious to save sinners through faith in Christ Jesus, then how could we who have been treated so kindly by our God, treat others with such harshness? A judgemental and condemning spirit does not please our Lord, for we are called to be merciful as our heavenly Father is merciful.
The fifth word that comes to mind is “perception”. Jesus forbids his disciples from judging without a clear perception (or view) of the sin. First, we must see our own sin, and then we will be able to accurately perceive (or see) the sins of others.
Notice that the rest of the text is about perception, or seeing. First, Christ warns against following teachers who are blind. After this, Christ warns his followers to take the log out of their own eye before they try to take the speck out of their brother’s eye. And finally, Christ warns his disciples about judging the hearts and minds of others, for whether a man is good or evil will become clear, for men will be known by their fruit.
Before we go on to consider Jesus’ instruction about judging with clear sight or perception, let us be sure that Jesus’ command is settled in our minds and hearts. “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:37–38, ESV). May the Lord have mercy on us and help us overcome our judgmental, critical, and condemning attitudes. May he give us the grace to be generous, kind, forgiving, and merciful to others, just as our Father in Heaven is merciful.
As I have said, in the remainder of our passage Christ focuses his attention on the need for his disciples to have a clear perception of sin. First, we must see our own sin clearly. Only then we will be able to think rightly about the sins of others.
First, Jesus warns his disciples about spiritual blindness. Those who are blind should not be followed. And if these disciples and apostles of his were to be good leaders in the church in the future, they would need to have a clear perception of sin, starting with their own. Otherwise, they would be like the Pharisees who were judgemental.
In verse 39 we read, “He also told them a parable: ‘Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?’” The meaning of the parable is clear. If someone is blind, they will need someone who can see to lead them. And so it is with the relationship between a disciple and a teacher. Teachers (or leaders) must see things clearly if they are to teach and lead others. Here Christ warns us to not follow teachers who are blind. Certainly, he had the self-righteous Pharisees in view. They should not be followed because they were blind to their own sin. They were therefore judgemental of others. And do not forget that Jesus was preparing many of these disciples of his to be future leaders within his church. If they were to lead well, they would need to have a clear perception of sin starting with their own. Only then would they be able to judge others with a right and merciful judgment.
In verse 40 Jesus says, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.” If your teacher is blind, then you will be blind too. But if your teacher sees clearly, then you will see clearly too, once you are fully trained.
That Jesus is warning against spiritual blindness, and particularly blindness concerning sin, is made clear in verse 41. There Jesus says, “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye” (Luke 6:41–42, ESV).
This is a powerful picture that Jesus paints, don’t you agree? Can you imagine someone with a large beam of wood stuck in their eye being concerned with the fact that others have specks or small splinters in their eyes? It’s absurd. The man with a beam of wood in his eye is blind. He cannot see clearly to remove the speck in the eyes of others.
By the way, everyone knows that the eye is a very delicate part of the body. If someone has a speck in their eye they will need help removing it. But the one who helps remove it will need to be very careful. They will need a steady hand and clear sight. And so it is when addressing the sin of another. Great care must be taken. A steady hand is required. Certainly, clear sight is needed. The one who has splinters (or a plank! ) in his own eye is in no condition to help others with the speck in theirs. The only thing they should be concerned with is removing what is in their eye. And only after that will they be able to see clearly to help others with what is in theirs.
The Pharisees had beams of wood in their eyes. They were sinners in need of the Savior, but they did not see it. They thought they were righteous. And yet they spent their time looking for faults and sins in others. They were judgemental hypocrites. They were blind leaders. And so Jesus warned his hearers to not follow them or to be like them. The disciples of Jesus, and especially those who would lead within his kingdom, would need to live according to a different ethic. They would need to acknowledge their own sin from the beginning (no one came to Christ as Savior unless they see their sin and their need for a savior). And the disciples of Jesus will need to live a life of constant repentance. Or to use the language of Jesus, his disciples will need to be primarily concerned with the logs and specks in their own eyes. And only then will they be able to see and think correctly about the sins of others.
It is not difficult to understand how this works. In the Christian life, we will have to deal with sin – our own sin and the sin of others. We are called to help one another with sin. We are to encourage and exhort one another to turn from sin. Sometimes we must confront sin in others. In some instances, when sin is not turned from, judgments must be made by the church with the elders of the church in the lead. Now imagine how different that process would be in a church filled with self-righteous, judgemental, hypocrites in comparison to a church filled with men and women who are aware of their own sin, are humble and repentant, and are filled with kindness, compassion, and love because they have experienced the kindness, compassion, and love of God. The church filled with (or led by) self-righteous, judgemental, hypocrites will do great damage to others (both will fall into the pit). But the church filled with (and led by) those who are more concerned with the log in their own eye than the speck in their brothers, will be a great help to fellow sinners saved by the grace of God who are walking in the Way.
Do you wish to avoid the judgmental and condemning attitude that Jesus forbids? Do wish to abundantly forgive and generously give as Christ commands? Do wish to have a clear view of the sin of others so that you might help them on the Way? Then focus first on the log that is in your own eye. Only then will you be able to “see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.”
There is one last section for us to consider today. It is a famous passage. I suppose that it could be considered all by itself. But I see a connection here to the them of judgment.
In verse 43 we read, “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks’” (Luke 6:37–45, ESV).
The general principle being taught here by our Lord is that the words of men and women, and the actions of men and women flow from the heart. If a person’s heart is good and pure it will produce good, pure, and holy words and deeds. But if the heart of a person is evil, it will naturally produce evil words and deeds. This is what Christ means when he speaks of trees and fruit. Trees with good roots and sap will produce good fruit. Trees that are diseased in the root and sap will produce diseased fruit. And if you are uncertain about the kind of tree that you are dealing with as you examine the trunk, the branches, and the leaves, you be sure once you examine the fruit. An apricot and peach tree might have a similar appearance (at least to the novice). But all will know the difference between them once they bear fruit.
This teaching from our Lord helps us to understand how human behavior works. It is important for is to understand that our words and actions flow from the heart. Therefore, true and lasting change will take place in us only when the mind and heart are changed. The Christian is changed and begins to walk in a holy way because God, by his grace, renews us in the inner man through Christ the Son and by the Spirit. This renewal takes place before we trust in Christ. It is called regeneration or new birth. And this renewal continues throughout the Christian life. This progressive and ongoing renewal is called sanctification. Real and lasting change takes place only when we are renewed in the inner man, and this renewal is by the grace of God. Christ’s teaching about good and bad trees producing good and bad fruit helps us to see this.
But what does this teaching have to with judgment? I think what we have here is a warning to not judge the hearts of men, their thoughts or their intentions. God alone can see the heart. He knows what is in the heart of every man. But the heart and mind of man is hidden from our sight. We can only judge by what we see and hear. And here Jesus tells us that the good and the evil will be known by their fruit.
I’ll move this sermon toward a conclusion by offering a few reflections on the text we have considered.
The teaching of Jesus to “judge not” is vital to the Christian community. A church will not thrive – it will likely not survive – if it has a judgemental spirit.
A judgemental spirit will hinder the spread of the gospel.
A judgemental spirit will hinder sanctification.
A judgemental spirit will stifle love.
A judgemental spirit will not bring glory to our God, who is merciful, gracious, and kind.
It is no wonder that Jesus presented this teaching to his disciples soon after calling them. The judgemental spirit of the Pharisees was a great threat to them, and so Jesus warned them, “‘Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.’”
Aug 23
27
Q. 96. How do Baptism and the Lord’s Supper become effectual means of salvation?
A. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper become effectual means of salvation, not from any virtue in them or in him that doth administer them, but only by the blessing of Christ and the working of the Spirit in those that by faith receive them. (1 Peter 3:21; 1 Cor. 3:6,7; 1 Cor. 12:13)
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.” (1 Peter 3:18–22, ESV)
There is a doctrine out there that goes by the name baptismal regeneration. This is the teaching that God regenerates sinners — that is to say, makes them spiritually alive — through the waters of baptism. This view is to be rejected, for it contradicts what the scriptures clearly teach, which is that God regenerates sinners by the power of his Holy Spirit, not because they believe and are baptized, but so that they will believe and be baptized. Those who are dead in the trespasses and sins do not believe, brothers and sisters, for they are dead. God must breathe spiritual life into them if they are to run to God through faith in Christ. We are naturally blind. God must give us eyes to see. We are naturally deaf. God must give us ears to hear. We are naturally rebellious. God must subdue us and call us to himself by his word and Spirit. Regeneration does not happen because we believe. And regeneration certainly does not happen because or when we are baptized. No, regeneration (or new birth) happens before we believe. We are able to believe only because God has made us spiritually alive.
But this does not mean that the Spirit of God does not work any further within us after regeneration and faith. No, the Spirit does continue to work within those he calls to the Father through the Son. He seals those who believe by his Spirit, and he does sanctify them further still.
But what about this passage in 1 Peter that I have just read which says, “baptism… now saves you”. Does Peter mean to say that we are saved by baptism? Is baptism the instrument by which we receive the gift of salvation? Certainly, our answer must be, no, for the scriptures clearly teach in many other places that the instrument by which we receive salvation is faith. Then what does Peter mean?
The short answer is this: it may be said that baptism saves us because of what it is that baptism signifies. In water baptism, the believer makes a public profession of faith. It is not the baptism itself that saves, but the thing that baptism signifies. Water baptism signifies the washing away of our sins. And how is it that our sins are washed away? Not by the baptismal waters themselves, but by the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and received by faith. That is what 1 Peter 3:21 actually says. And I quote: “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ…” (1 Peter 3:21, ESV). So, when one is baptized in water they are saying to the world, “Jesus is Lord”, and they are appealing to God for a good conscience. What is their appeal rooted in? Not the baptismal water itself, but the finished work of Christ. Faith in Christ is the means by which we come to have the salvation that Christ has earned. It may be said that baptism saves us because baptism is a sign of all that.
Now, this is not an exposition of 1 Peter 3:18-22. Much more could be said about that passage. Here we are considering the doctrine presented in Baptist Catechism 96, and this doctrine is very helpful as we seek to understand how the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper work.
The question is, “How do Baptism and the Lord’s Supper become effectual means of salvation?”
Are baptism and the Lord’s Supper used by the Lord to bring salvation and its benefits to the elect of God? Well, of course. They are means of grace in much the same way that the word of God is a means of grace.
If I said that the word of God saves you, what would you think? I hope you will understand what I mean. The word does not save automatically so that all who hear God’s word are saved by it. No, it is a means to salvation. But to be saved one must receive the word by faith. In particular, they must receive the gospel of Jesus Christ which is presented there. And it is the same with baptism and the Lord’s Supper. They are a means of grace, for they do signify the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. But they do not save automatically so that all who are baptized, or all who partake of the Lord’s Supper, are saved.
Listen to the answer our catechism gives. It is most helpful.
“Baptism and the Lord’s Supper become effectual means of salvation…” Notice the word “become”. They are not an automatic means of salvation, as I have already said.
Next we read, “not from any virtue in them…” Baptism and the Lord’s Supper save and sanctify, not because there is power in the water itself, or in the bread and cup itself, but because of what they point to, namely Christ, crucified and risen, and the forgiveness of sins that is found in him.
The answer continues with these words, “or in him that doth administer them…” In other words, it is not the minister who makes these sacraments effective by his blessing. By the way, it may be that you were baptized by a man who later showed himself to be a fraud. It doesn’t matter. Did you have sincere faith when you were baptized? Were you baptized in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Then your baptism should be considered valid, even if the minister showed himself to be unworthy.
Next, we find the phrase, “but only by the blessing of Christ and the working of the Spirit in those that by faith receive them.” So it is Christ who makes these sacraments an effective means of grace for his people. He uses these things to bring his people into the faith, to sanctify them, and to keep them. This he does by the working of the Holy Spirit.
Baptismal water, and the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper, are common elements. But they are made Holy by the blessing of Christ, through the working of the Holy Spirit. We should approach these sacraments with reverence, therefore. The water is just water. It is not magical water. The bread is bread, and the wine is wine. They are not transformed into anything else when the minister blesses them. But we know that the Spirit is present in a unique way when his people partake of these things. Reverence is needed, therefore. We must be careful to approach the sacraments in a worthy manner.
And what is needed, above all else, to approach in a worthy manner? Faith in Christ is needed. It is a most unworthy thing to partake of these elements without faith, for then we are hypocrites. When we are baptized, and when we partake of the Supper, we say through our actions, “Jesus is Lord”, and “I believe”. But if there is no true faith, then we contradict ourselves. Worse yet, we take God’s name in vain. We claim that we are his, and that he is ours, when in fact it is not true.
So let us come worthily, brothers and sisters. Let us be careful to give baptism only to those who make a credible profession of faith, and let us come prepared to the table lest there be found in any of an unbelieving heart. And how do those who believe live? They strive to keep the commandments of God.
Lastly, let us come to the waters of baptism, and to the bread and the cup of the Supper, knowing for certain that God does work through these things to distribute his grace to his people. We should come expecting to receive from him, therefore.
Q. 96. How do Baptism and the Lord’s Supper become effectual means of salvation?
A. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper become effectual means of salvation, not from any virtue in them or in him that doth administer them, but only by the blessing of Christ and the working of the Spirit in those that by faith receive them. (1 Peter 3:21; 1 Cor. 3:6,7; 1 Cor. 12:13)
Aug 23
20
“And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God. Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the LORD your God. When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted. It shall be eaten the same day you offer it or on the day after, and anything left over until the third day shall be burned up with fire. If it is eaten at all on the third day, it is tainted; it will not be accepted, and everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned what is holy to the LORD, and that person shall be cut off from his people. When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God. You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another. You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD. You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning. You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the LORD. You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD. You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD… [Verse 33] When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measures of length or weight or quantity. You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. And you shall observe all my statutes and all my rules, and do them: I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:1–18, 33–37, ESV)
“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:27–36, ESV)
Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
As we move forward in our consideration of Jesus’ sermon on the plane, we should remember a few things that were stated in the sermon that I preached on the previous passage.
One, do not forget Jesus’ audience. He directed these sayings, not to the non-believing world, but to his disciples. This does not mean that the principles stated here have no significance or application for the non-beliving world. But it does mean that what Jesus said was first and foremost for his disciples. He called his disciples to himself, fixed his eyes on them, and spoke these words (Luke 6:20).
Two, do not forget what the sermon on the plane is. Here we find ethical teachings from Jesus. Here Jesus tells his followers how they are to live in the world. The Chritian faith is a way of life, remember. Yes, it is a way of believing. But it is not only that. It is also a way of living. Christians, having belived what the Bible says, and having placed their faith or trust in Jesus, are then to walk in a particular way. They are to walk in the way of Christ. They are to obey God’s moral law. They are to adopt these ethical teaching of Jesus and live according to them. christ Everyone is to do that. But here Jesus gives special instructions to his disciples concerning the way in which they are to walk in this world.
Three, do not forget what the previous passage said. Jesus began his sermon on the plane by declaring his followers to be blessed. And he did not only say that they were blessed, he gave the reasons. Followers of Jesus are truly blessed because the eternal kingdom of God belongs to them. They are forgiven and made righteous in God’s sight through faith in Jesus. They will enter heaven when they die. They will enter the new heavans and earth when Christ returns to judge and make all things new. So then, those who follow Jesus have reason to rejoice even if they are poor, hungry, mourning, and despised by men presently in this world. Christ spoke to his followers saying, “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!” (Luke 6:22, ESV). And then he commanded them to ‘Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets” (Luke 6:22–23, ESV). So then, those who have faith in Jesus are to have this mindset. They must see and know that they are blessed in Christ. And then, being convinced of this, they are to rejoice, even in the face of persecution. They must see himselves as blessed and also know that those not in Christ are in a woeful condition. This is true even if they are rich, comfortable, and honored by others in this world. The whole passage that we considered last week was about adopting this heavenly and eternal mindset. And the mindset was to result in rejoicing.
Brothers and sisters, I want you to see that the passage we considered last Sunday (Luke 6:20-26), and the passage we are considering today (Luke 6:27-36), are intimately related. In the previous passage, Jesus declared his followers (who gave up the things of this world to follow him) to be blessed, and he pronounced woes on those wicked who choose the riches, pleasures, and prestige of this world over devotion to Christ. Jesus’ followers are blessed even when they suffer persecution at the hands of the wicked. The question that naturally follows is this: how should the disciples of Jesus treat the wicked? What should their attitude or disposition be towards those who exclude, revile, and persecute them? How is the follower of Jesus to relate to those who refuse to follow after Christ, and even do them harm? Is this not the question that naturally arises? If it is true that the disciples of Jesus will suffer persecutions in the world of the kind described in Luke 6:22, then how are Christians to treat their enemies? Are we to exchange evil for evil, blow for blow, insult for insult, curse for curse? Listen again to the words of Jesus. “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6:27–28, ESV).
Speaking of abuse… this passage that we are considering today has often been abused. Some have run to this passage to support the idea that civil authorities ought not to punish murderers with the death penalty. “Love your enemies”, Jesus says. “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” And so they pick up this text that was addressed to Jesus’ disciples and apply it to the civil magistrate. Others have used this text to teach that Christians should never defend themselves, attempt to escape their abusers, or demand restitution when some damage has been done to their person or property. After all, Jesus says, “To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either”, or so the argument does. And others have taught that Christians cannot serve in the military or in our judicial system, for serving in these spheres naturally requires the Christian to violate the principles that Jesus here teaches his disciples.
Clearly, these are misinterpretations and misapplications of this text. One, these interpretations of the text ignore the very specific context of Jesus’ words. He was speaking to his followers regarding how they are to view and relate to personal enemies. This text is not about how a civil magistrate is to relate to a convicted criminal, how a military man is to relate to an enemy force, or how a homeowner, husband, and father is to relate to a dangerous intruder. Yes, there are principles here that may be applied even in situations like these. But the text does not teach the non-aggression principle, as some have claimed, for Jesus has personal enemies and enduring persecution for the Son of Man’s sake in view when he says, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” Two, whatever Jesus says here about loving your enemies cannot contradict what the Scriptures say elsewhere. And a careful examination of the Scriptures reveals that God has given the civil magistrate the authority to punish the criminal even with the sword (see Romans 13), that Christians may serve in the civil realm and even in the military (see Luke 3:14), and that self-defense is permitted. In fact, in Luke 22:36 Jesus speaks to his disciples, saying, “And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one” (Luke 22:36, ESV). This is not a reference to the sword of the civil magistrate, but the sword of self-defense. Christians are certainly permitted to defend their person and property against violent men and thieves.
What then is Jesus teaching here? He is instructing his disciples concerning the mindset or attitude they are to have towards their personal enemies and even their persecutors. And of course, this mindset or attitude will result in a way of life. So then, just as the mindset about being eternally blessed in Christ (as was taught in the previous passage) is to produce rejoicing in the believer, so too the love that we have for our enemies in the heart is to result in showing mercy and doing good even to those who mistreat us. Here Jesus commands his followers to love their enemies and to be merciful to them, for in this way they will show themselves to be “sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil” (Luke 6:35).
In just a moment, we will consider this text piece by piece. But before we do, I would like to pause and acknowledge that this teaching is very challenging. We should admit that our natural (sinful) inclination is not to love our enemies but to hate them. Our natural (sinful) proclivity is to retaliate against those who do us harm. We have all felt the desire to get even, to exchange blow for blow, and insult for insult. But this is not the way of Christ. Remember, the Christian faith is a way of life. And this is not the way that Christ has commanded his followers to walk. Friend, are you a disciple of Jesus? A disciple is a learner, remember? And if you are a disciple of Jesus you are not only to learn true doctrine from him. You are also to learn to walk in his way. Or to use the language of John, “By this we may know that we are in [Christ]: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:5–6, ESV).
Let us go now to our text. We will consider it in three parts. First of all, we will look at the command that Christ gives to his disciples to love their enemies (vs. 27-31). Secondly, we will consider what the Lord said about this being a distinguishing characteristic of the Christian (vs. 32-34). And thirdly, we will consider the motivation we have to love our enemies, namely, the glory of God and our eternal good.
First, Christ commands his disciples to love their enemies. In verse 27 we hear the voice of our Savior: “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies…” This is a commandment. Christ commands his followers to walk in this way: they are to love their enemies. To love is to have affection or concern for another person. And Christ is here commanding that his followers to have a kind of affection and concern for their enemies. I do not take this to mean that we must have the same kind (or degree) of affection and concern for our enemies as parents have for their children, or as husbands and wives have for oneanother, or as brothers and sisters in Christ have for eachother. I think it is understood that there will always be differing degrees of affection and concern for others depending on the relationship. But the command of Christ is clear and unwavering: “Love your enemies”, Christ says. As you think of your enemies, or as you look at your enemy, you are to love them. You are to have affection (or sympathy) for them. You are to be concerned for their well-being – especially their eternal well-being.
The command to love your enemies is the primary command in this passage. What does Jesus command his followers to do as it pertains to their relationship with those who mistreat them? They are to love their enemies. But you will notice that this primary command is followed by seven subordinate commands. And these all clarify what Jesus means when he says, “love your enemies”. Ok, Jesus. So you are saying that I am to love my enemies. I am to have a kind of affection and concern for them. But how am I to treat them? What is this love to look like practically speaking
Next, Christ says, “do good to those who hate you…” Does someone hate you? Do they hate you because you are a follower of Jesus and because you walk in the way? Then love them in return, and do good to them.
I think of Paul’s words to the church in Rome. He wrote to them, saying, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:19–21, ESV). If someone hates you and does evil to you, as a Christian, you are not to avenge yourself. Instead, you are to leave the vengeance to the Lord, and you are to do good to your enemy. If he’s “hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink”. And when Paul says you will “heap burning coals on his head” (quoting Proverbs 25:22), he means that you will get your enemies’ attention this way.
“Love your enemies”, Jesus commands. And by this, he means, we are to “do good to those who hate” us. Next, he commands his followers to “bless those who curse” them. To curse is to speak against. To bless is to speak well of. When an enemy curses you, brothers and sisters – or to use the language from the previous passage – when your enemy reviles you and spurns your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! (Luke 6:22, ESV), you are not to curse in return but to bless. You are to answer your enemy’s hateful speech with kind speech. You are even to ask God to do something good for that person, for that is what means to pronounce a blessing on another.
The third sub-command, following the main command to “love your enemies”, is found at the end of verse 28: “pray for those who abuse you”, Christ says. The Greek word translated as “abuse” can also be translated with a variety of English words. Other translations say, “mistreat”, “spitefully use”, and “falsely accuse”. How is the Christian to respond to mistreatment? They are to pray for their abuser. Notice, the text does not say that the Christian is to enable the abuser, or that Christians must not remove themselves from the abuser so as to escape the abuse (think of how often Paul fled from persecution in a given city). But the Christians is called to pray for those who mistreat them. We are to be like our Lord who cried out to the Father on the cross, and prayed for those who crucified him, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34, ESV).
The fourth sub-command is found in verse 29: “To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either” (Luke 6:29, ESV). The command is found in the phrase, “offer the other also”. A slap to the face is an act of disrespect. It is not a full-blown assault with the intent to do bodily harm. If the intent were to do serious physical harm, the hand would not be open but closed. So then, Christ is here teaching that a Christian should be willing to accept disrespect and loss for the sake of maintaining a Christian witness.
Christ does not here forbid self-defense in a general sense. Instead, he teaches that a Christain must be willing to endure mistreatment, especially for the sake of Christ and the gospel. If someone slaps you on the cheek, especially if it is because you follow Jesus, then do not retaliate. Turn the other cheek to them, which is a sign of your willingness to endure mistreatment in Jesus’ name.
Listen to Peter’s teaching on this point. In 1 Peter 2:19 we read, “For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:19–23, ESV).
The fifth and sixth sub-commands are found in verse 30: “Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back” (Luke 6:30, ESV). Again, I must offer a word of caution. I do not believe that Christ is here saying that we must give to every beggar who asks for a handout. It may be that we have legitimate concerns that the money we give would be used, not for good, but for evil. And we must not forget what Paul says, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10, ESV). Indeed, we are to be wise with the resources that God has given to us. We are not to squander those resources or enable others in their addictions, etc. In context, Jesus is teaching that if an enemy of ours is in some legitimate need and he pleads with us for help, we must respond generously. We are not to hold back if it is within our power and if it is our place to meet the need. And in situations where our goods are taken from us (the context being persecution on account of Christ), we are not to demand to have our goods returned to us. Again I say, this is not common theft, but some form of persecution that is in view. And in situations like these, the Christian is to suffer the wrong. We are not to seek revenge. We are not to be driven by angry and vindictive passions.
The seventh sub-command is special. It has been referred to as the golden rule. It is a law of sorts which clearly communicates what it means to love another person. Sometimes it might be unclear as to what exactly our duty is to another person, but this law is light to our feet: “And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them” (Luke 6:31, ESV). Do you wish that people would treat you with kindness and respect? Do you wish that people would help you if you were in some need? Then treat others in this way – yes, even your enemies. The question we must ask is, how would I want to be treated in this situation? And then we are commanded to treat others in that same way.
To summarize this entire section, I’ll quote from the commentator J.C. Ryle again, just as I did in the previous sermon. His words are succinct and clear.
“In the first place our Lord explains the nature and extent of Christian charity. The disciples might ask, Whom are we to love? He bids them ‘love their enemies, do good to them that hate them, bless them that curse them, and pray for them that despitefully use them.’ Their love was to be like his own towards sinners – unselfish, disinterested, and uninfluenced by any hope for return. – What was to be the manner of this love? the disciples might ask. It was to be self-sacrificing and self-denying. ‘Unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other’ – ‘Him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.’ They were to give up much, and endure much, for the sake of showing kindness and avoiding strife. They were to forego even their rights, and submit to wrong, rather than awake angry passions and create quarrels. In this they were to be like their Master, long-suffering, meek, and lowly in heart.”
Brothers and sisters, I’m afraid that this teaching from our Lord is often neglected today. The Christian faith is a way of life, and the way is to be marked by love – self-sacrificing love – yes, even love for our enemies.
After Christ commands his disciples to love even their enemies, he teaches that this is to be a defining characteristic of his followers.
In verse 32 we read, “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount.”
So you can see that Christ calls his disciples to a higher way. Even the non-beliving and unregenerate will love those who love them, do good to those who do good to them, and lend to those who will surely repay. But Christ calls his disciples to a higher way of life. You see, the unregenerate are willing to live according to the works principle. I’ll love you, so long as you are worthy, is the idea. If you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. But the follower of Christ is called higher. The love and mercy we show is to be unmerited. I’ll love you, not because you are worthy – not because you have earned my love – but because Christ has commanded it. I’ll scratch your back knowing that you will likely never scratch mine. More than this, I will bless you even if you curse me. I’ll do good to you even if you do evil to me. This is a higher way of life. It is a way of life characterized by unconditional love.
You know, we use the phrase “unconditional love”, and “unconditional grace” often within the church. What does it mean? It means that God’s love for us in Christ Jesus, and the common mercy that God shows even to the wicked, is not conditioned, based, or rooted in the creature, but is freely given. In other words, God’s mercy and grace it is not earned by us in any way. The love that the world has is often conditional. I’ll show respect to you so long as… That is the way of the world. But those in Christ are called to walk on a higher path by loving with a greater kind of love – unconditional love.
The third and final observation that I have from our text has to do with motivation. The disciple of Jesus is to love their enemies for the glory of God and for their eternal good.
Look at verse 35: “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:27–36, ESV).
I mention our eternal good because of Christ’s words, “and your reward will be great”. It is very rewarding to live and to love in this way. Truth be told, it is rewarding now! It is a great blessing to live in this self-sacrificial way. It is a joyous thing to love others unconditionally. It is joy to give and to serve. It is not a burden, brothers and sisters, but freedom and joy. And in contrast to this, a self-centered life really a miserable life. “You’ve probably heard it say, it is more blessed to give than receive”. And this is true. To love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, brings great rewards in this life, and especially in the life to come. The disciples of Jesus who live and love in this way will store up for themselves treasures in heaven.
When I speak of being motivated by the glory of God I mean that by living and loving in this way we will bring honor to our Father and heaven and show that we are indeed his beloved and redeemed children. Christ said, love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return… and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” So then, those who are adopted as sons and daughters of God through faith in Christ are to imitate their heavenly Father in this way. Just as he shows mercy to all – even to the ungrateful and evil – causing it to rain on the just and unjust alike, so too the disciples of Jesus are to show love and mercy to all, yes even our enemies.
Brothers and sisters, I will move this sermon towards a close by offering a few reflections on this text.
Some of you might be able to apply this text in a very direct way. Perhaps you have a coworker, a boss, or a neighbor who mistreats you because you are a follower of Christ. Christians throughout history, and even up to this present day have endured persecution of the kind described in the previous text, and therefore, they have the opportunity to apply the teaching of our Lord in a very direct way. Love your enemies. But all of Jesus’ disciples must adopt this mindset even if they are not reviled and mistreated on account of the Son of Man (Luke 6:22). And if we have this mindset to love our enemies unconditionally and selflessly, then we will be well prepared to love everyone, especially those who are friends of ours, with the unconditional love of Christ. Brothers and sisters, love your enemies and love one another too!
In another place, Christ said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34–35, ESV). So you see, love is one of the distinguishing characteristics of the Christian. Christians are to be known for their love – unconditional, selfless love – love for their enemies, and especially their love for one another.
I want you to think of how easy it is to slip back into the works principle even in your closest and most intimate relationships. I am thinking here of the relationship between parent and child, amongst siblings, between husbands and wives, and even within the church, member to member, and between pastors and members. You might not even be aware of it, but it is very easy to fall into the I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine mindset, or the I’ll love you so long as you are lovely error. This mindset is a relationship killer. It is selfishness at its core. It is about receiving before it is about giving. It will never produce a relationship characterized by the love and mercy of God. Instead, this mindset will produce a vicious cycle of bitterness, backbiting, and revenge. Can you picture it? One dirty look is exchanged for another. Every harsh and impatient word receives a harsh reply. Every insult is answered with an insult of equal or greater force. Over time, the heart grows cold and hard. Conditional love is cold. It is not freely or generously given. No, it is calculating. Have they earned it?, is the question. Have they pleased me enough to be worthy to receive my kindness? But unconditional love is true love. It is warm and life-giving. It is generous and free-flowing, for love and kindness are shown irrespective of merit. This is the kind of love that God shows to sinners. He is merciful even to the unrighteous. He gives good gifts even to those who hate him. And this is especially the kind of love that Christ has for his church unto salvation. He has loved us with unconditional love. He died for us while we were yet sinners. He laid down his life for his people. Though were undeserving and while we were still his enemies, Christ was crucified for us and for our salvation. While we were still rebels, he graciously and effectively called us to himself by his word and Spirit. Christians are called to love in this unconditional way. Love your enemies, brothers and sisters. And especially love one another.
Can you imagine how wonderful the world would be if everyone loved in this unconditional way? And even if you were to imagine a world still plagued by sin, think of how good it would be if most or many would respond to personal mistreatment in a merciful and gracious manner. I suppose that most wars would cease. Certainly, personal conflicts would diminish and hearts would not be so cold. Frankly, I do not have hope for the non-beliving world. Unless the Lord shows mercy and regenerates them by his word and Spirit, and saves them through faith in Christ the Son, the world will continue to hate, take revenge on personal enemies, and love according to the question of merit or personal benefit. But the Christian is to walk in a differnt way. Therefore, we should expect to have a little taste of heaven on earth in our churches and in our homes as we love one another with the unconditional love of God. And we ought to be resolved to give the world a taste of it too as we show unconditional love and mercy even to those who mistreat us.
And the Christian is able to love in this way. Why?
One, the Christian has experienced the unconditional love of God in Christ Jesus in the Covenant of Grace.
Two, the Christian’s heart has been renewed or regenerated by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit has made our cold, hard hearts warm and soft.
Three, the Christian has been freed from bondage to sin in the kingdom of darkness and death and has been transferred into the kingdom of light where Jesus is Lord. The ethics are different here.
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” (1 John 4:7–12, ESV)
Lastly, do not forget that Christ commands his disciples to love in this way. If we are followers of Jesus, we must love as he loves. We cannot pride ourselves in having sound doctrine and right worship and forsake love. As Paul says, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing… So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3, 13, ESV)
Aug 23
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Q. 95. How is the Word to be read and heard that it may become effectual to salvation?
A. That the Word may become effectual to salvation we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation and prayer, receive it in faith and love, lay it up in our hearts and practice it in our lives. (Prov. 8:34; 1 Peter 2:1,2; 1 Tim. 4:13; Heb. 2:1,3; Heb. 4:2; 2 Thess. 2:10; Ps. 119:11; James 1:21,25)
“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.” (James 1:19–26, ESV)
When we talk about the ordinary means of grace, two things must be remembered. On the one hand, we are saying that these are the things that God ordinarily uses to work within the lives of his people: the word of God read and preached, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer.
By the way, some might ask, what about fellowship? Doesn’t God work in our lives through other Christians, this is to say, through the fellowship of Christ found within the church. Yes, God works through fellowship, and I would say that that is implied in each one of these means of grace that are mentioned in our catechism. God distributes his grace through the word read and preached. Where does this happen? Primarily in the church. And God works through baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Where are these things to be administered except in the context of the church? Baptism is to be applied and the Lord’s Supper is to be observed when the church assembles. In fact, our union with Christ, and therefore our union with one another, is symbolized through these ordinances. And the same is true for prayer. Yes, we pray in private, just as we read the scriptures in private. But the church is to be devoted to prayer when she assembles. So Christian fellowship is everywhere implied in this discussion about the ordinary means of grace. To state the matter differently, do you wish to be nourished by the grace of God as a Christian? Then you had better be a part of the church, for God has determined to graciously strengthen, purify, nourish, and encourage his people in the church and through true Christain fellowship.
To return now to the two points that I was making about the ordinary means of grace, on the one hand, we are saying that these are the things that God ordinarily uses to work within the lives of his people: the word of God read and preached, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer. On the other hand, we must guard against the error of thinking that these things work in an automatic fashion irrespective of the condition of the mind and heart of the one who partakes. No, brothers and sisters, we do have the responsibility to partake of these means of grace in a worthy manner and with faith in our hearts.
Does that sound like a strange thing for a Reformed and Calvinistic minister to say? I’ll say it again, we do have the responsibility to partake of these means of grace in a worthy manner and with faith in our hearts. It is a common misunderstanding, but a very serious one, that the Reformed only believe in the sovereignty of God over salvation, and deny all human responsibility. Have you encountered that misconception before? Or perhaps you have actually held such a view. It simply is not true.
Is God sovereign over our salvation and our sanctification? Yes, he is. Do we come to be saved and to be sanctified by his grace alone? Yes, we do. But are we also responsible to repent and believe upon Christ, to turn away from evil and to cling to what is good, and to persevere in Christ, making use of the means of grace that God has provided? Yes, we are. And this is why the scriptures call us to do these things. They are things that we must do. But we can do them only by the free grace of God.
All of this does connect to what we are learning about the means of grace, doesn’t it? God works through these means, that is true. But we are called by God to partake of these means thoughtfully and prayerfully with faith in our hearts.
So then, the word of God is a means of grace. People are brought to salvation through the word, and they are sanctified in Christ by the word. The Spirit of God works through the Scriptures as they are read and preached.
Now we ask, “How is the Word to be read and heard that it may become effectual to salvation?’ In other words, how are we to approach the Scriptures?
Let us consider the answer: “That the Word may become effectual to salvation we must attend thereunto with diligence…” This means that we are to give attention to the word regularly. In Proverbs 8:34 we read, “Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors” (Proverbs 8:34, ESV). The one who is wise will run daily to God for wisdom and nourishment. We must diligently partake of the word of God as it is read and preached.
Next, we find the words, “preparation and prayer”. The prayer of the Psalmist in Psalm 119:18 should be our prayer: “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” I’ll ask you this, do you pray on Saturday night, or as you come to church on Sunday morning that the Lord would speak to you through his word as it is read and preached. Do you pray for those who minister the word that they would speak with clarity and that God’s Spirit would move upon you and others. Do you come to hear the word eagerly expecting to hear from the Lord? We should, brothers and sisters. We should expect God to work through the ministry of the word each and every Lord’s Day, and we should come to the assembly with our hearts and minds prepared to receive.
You know, we live in an age where Christians may scour the internet and find audio recordings of the most gifted preachers delivering the very best sermons. Beware of this, friends. Those resources are a blessing, but do not forget that God has determined to work through the ordinary — ordinary preachers reading and preaching God’s word in an ordinary way. Come expecting to hear from the Lord, and come prepared.
Next, we are instructed to receive the word “in faith and love”. To receive God’s word in faith is to receive believing that it is in fact God’s word to us, that he inspired the composition of it, and has preserved it so that when we read the Scriptures we are in fact reading the words of God. To receive God’s word by faith is also to receive it believing that God will surely keep all of the promises that are found within. One should not expect to be blessed by the word, nourished and strengthened, if he comes doubting, “for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord” (James 1:6–7, ESV). To receive God’s word with love is to receive it being reassured of God’s love for us in Christ, and with love in our hearts for God.
We are to lay God’s word up in our hearts, brothers and sisters. This means that we are to hear God’s word, meditate upon it, cherish it, and even devote it to memory. This is what Psalm 119:11 so beautifully describes, saying, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11, ESV).
This leads nicely to the last phrase of our catechism, which is “practice it in our lives.” We are to approach God’s word with the intention of putting it into practice. We must be doers of the word, and not hearers only.
Listen to James: “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” (James 1:21–25, ESV)
The one who diligently hears God’s word read and preached, with their heart prepared, in faith and with love towards God, with the resolve to obey what God commands, will be blessed. To approach God’s word in this way is a very good thing. It is a means of grace for the people of God. I am afraid it is a very dangerous thing, however, to approach God’s word in a careless manner. To come to it casually and unprepared, with unbelief and a lack of love for God, with no intention to obey what is said. Both the scriptures and experience testify that to approach God’s word in this careless way leads, not to blessing, but a curse. The one who approaches God’s word in this careless way will find their heart growing harder and harder with the passing of time, and not softer to God and the things of God. Let us approach God’s word with reverence, brothers and sisters.
Q. 95. How is the Word to be read and heard that it may become effectual to salvation?
A. That the Word may become effectual to salvation we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation and prayer, receive it in faith and love, lay it up in our hearts and practice it in our lives. (Prov. 8:34; 1 Peter 2:1,2; 1 Tim. 4:13; Heb. 2:1,3; Heb. 4:2; 2 Thess. 2:10; Ps. 119:11; James 1:21,25)
Aug 23
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“Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall, who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music, who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! Therefore they shall now be the first of those who go into exile, and the revelry of those who stretch themselves out shall pass away.” (Amos 6:4–7, ESV)
“And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all. And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.” (Luke 6:17–26, ESV)
Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
We come now in our study of Luke’s Gospel to what has been called, Jesus’ Sermon on the Plane. This sermon is very similar to the sermon of Jesus that is recorded in Matthew’s Gospel, which is called the Sermon on the Mount. In fact, I misspoke last Sunday when, in passing, I referred to this sermon in Luke’s Gospel as the Sermon on the Mount, and only realized my error after the fact. To set the record straight, Luke records for us the Sermon on the Plane, for in Luke 6:17 we read, “And he [Jesus] came down with them and stood on a level place…”, and then in 6:20 we read, “And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” (Luke 6:20, ESV), etc. So, Luke records for us a sermon that Jesus preached in a level place, or a plane.
As I have said, the Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in Matthew 5:1-7:27, and the Sermon on the Plane, as recorded here in Luke 6:20-49, are very similar, but they are not the same. And one might wonder why are they different. The answer is simple, I think. Jesus preached a lot. He had standard sayings that he would repeat over and over again but with some variation. Matthew and Luke were both concerned to record for us the sayings of Jesus. But that does not mean they were both recounting the exact same sermon. In Luke, we appear to have an abbreviated version of the sayings of Jesus. It seems that Jesus delivered an abbreviated version of, what we call, the Sermon on the Mount when he came down from the mountain to this level place with his disciples.
As we turn now to Luke’s Gospel, let us pay special attention to Jesus’ audience. Some have errored in their interpretation and application of these sayings of Jesus, and I think that many of these errors can be traced back to a failure to identify Jesus’ audience. Who was Jesus preaching to? That is the question.
Back in Luke 6:12 we read, “In these days he [Jesus] went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles” (Luke 6:12–13, ESV). After this, the apostles are named. And then in verse 17 we read, “And he came down with them”, that is to say, with the twelve, “and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon…” (Luke 6:17, ESV).
Can you picture the scene? You have Jesus with the twelve apostles. And it is not only the twelve who were with him, but many other disciples of Jesus were there too. A disciple is a learner or follower. So there were twelve main disciples of Jesus. These are called apostles. But there were many other disciples too. Luke describes them as being a “great crowd”. And Luke also mentions “a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases…” (Luke 6:17–18, ESV). One thing that should be acknowledged is that those who came from Tyre and Sidon were most likely Gentiles. And this fits with the theme that has been building in Luke – Jesus is the Savior, not of the Jews only, but of the Gentiles too – he is the Savior of the world. And so it was not only Jews who followed him in the beginning, but some Gentiles too.
This “great multitude” came from “ Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon… “to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured.” (Luke 6:17–18, ESV). So, they did not only come to be healed physically and spiritually but to hear him. We have already witnessed this in Luke’s Gospel. The miraculous healings Jesus performed were, in part, a demonstration that his word was true. And in verse 19 we read, “And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.” Finally, in verse 20 we read, “And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God”, etc.
So, if I were to ask you the question, to whom did Jesus preach in his Sermon on the Plane, what would you say? Answer: he was speaking to his disciples. And by the way, the same may be said of the Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5:1 says, “Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven’” (Matthew 5:1–3, ESV).
So, Jesus spoke these words to his disciples. Stated negatively, he did not direct these sayings to the non-believing world. He was not preaching to the poor, in general, to the hungry, in general, or to those who weep and are hated in general. No, he was speaking to his disciples when he pronounced these blessings on them. You see, these people were blessed, not because they were poor, hungry, mournful, and hated, but because they were disciples of Jesus. And it was because they were disciples of Jesus, that Christ could say to them, “for yours is the kingdom of God”, “for you shall be satisfied”, “for you shall laugh”, and “for behold, your reward is great in heaven”.
Please understand, there is no inherent blessing in poverty. There is no inherent blessing in hunger, mourning, or persecution. But there is blessing (happiness) in Jesus. Those who are poor, hungry, mourning, and persecuted in Christ are blessed, for in Christ we have inherited a kingdom. In Christ, we shall be satisfied and laugh. In Christ and through faith in him, we have a great reward in heaven. And it should also be said that those who are poor, hungry, mourning, and persecuted because of their allegiance with Christ or, to use the language of Luke 6:22, “on account the Son of Man!”, are especially blessed. You see, that was the reality for many who followed Christ in those days. They left everything to follow him (see Luke 6:11, 28), and they became outcasts. So poor were they that they had to pluck grain from the fields even on the Sabbath day to satiate their hunger.
I wonder if you are beginning to see why it is vital for us to identify Jesus’ audience. This teaching, friends, is not directed to the world. Yes, some things are said about the non-believer in these sermons. And yes, there are truths stated in these sermons that may be applied to the non-believer. But the sermons are directed to the disciples of Jesus.
This teaching is not directed to the non-believing world, and neither is it directed to civil governments. I do not want to spend too much time on this, but I have heard some say that Jesus’ teachings found later in this sermon regarding loving your enemies, being kind to the evil person, judging not, and forgiving, should be applied by our civil governments. The idea here is that Jesus provides civil government nations with a new, kind, and gentle civil law or ethic to replace the old, harsh, and judgemental civil law given to Old Covenant Israel. This view must be rejected. In fact, retributive justice is one of the only things that civil governments are to be concerned with (see Romans 13). Also, civil governments are to defend the nation against enemies. Jesus is not revealing a new civil law, here. He is not telling governments to judge not in a civil sense or to love their enemies in a civil sense. In fact, there are no civil laws given to the New Covenant people of God, for the New Covenant people of God are not a nation but are sojourners and exiles on this earth. Christ’s kingdom is not of this world. Common civil governments today have the moral and natural law of God as their guide, just as they always have. And civil magistrates are to use the sword that God has entrusted to them to punish wrongdoers and to reward those who do good. They are to concern themselves with retributive justice as it pertains to crimes against persons. And it is God’s moral law that informs us concerning what is just. So, while the Sermon on the Plane or Mount might apply to individuals who serve within civil governments in a personal way, it is certainly not a new civil law.
And there is one more thing that I should say, even if it is just in passing. Jesus’ Sermon on the Plane and his Sermon on the Mount are not a replacement for the moral law of God as revealed in nature and summarised in the Ten Commandments. Yes, it is true. When Jesus goes up on the mountain to pray, when he calls his disciples to come up with him, and when he comes down and begins to teach, this is to remind of the book of Exodus and of Moses’ activities on Mt. Sinai. There Israel entered into a covenant with God. And there God’s Old Covenant people were given law to govern them – first the moral, and then civil and ceremonial laws. Jesus is presented here as a second and greater Moses. And yes, having called his disciples to follow him, and having appointed the twelve apostles (which is reminiscent of the twelve tribes of Old Covenant Israel), he does present them with kingdom ethics. But it is ridiculous to assume that these ethical teachings of our Lord were intended to replace the moral law of God which was written on Adam’s heart in the beginning, on stone at Sinai, on the hearts of God’s people in regeneration (Jeremiah 31), and by which all men will be judged on the last day, if not in Christ (Romans 1-3). The rest of the Scriptures are very clear that the moral law of God, which is summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments, is ever binding. Christ did not relax the moral law in the least – not in his way of life, and not in his teachings. These sermons of Jesus are not opposed to the moral law. They are not meant to replace it but perfectly agree with what the Ten Commandments state.
So what is the Sermon on the Plane?
Here we find ethical teachings from Jesus for his disciples as it pertains to life in his kingdom. Here Jesus tells his followers how they are to live in this world as members of his New Covenant and citizens of his eternal kingdom.
Dear friends, please hear me. The Christian faith is a way of life. This is the first principle that I want you to draw from our passage. The Christian faith is a way of life.
Now please do not misunderstand. The Christian faith is not merely a way of life. Before we can live in the way that Christ has called us to live, we must believe the truths that Christ has taught. We must believe the truths contained within Holy Scripture – truths about God, creation, man, sin, and salvation in Jesus Christ. We must believe what the Scriptures teach concerning who Jesus is and what he has done to accomplish our redemption. And we must also turn from our sins to trust in Christ as our Lord and Savior. And so I say, the Christian faith is not merely a way of life. It is a system of doctrine that must be believed. And it begins with heartfelt repentance, personal trust in Jesus, and a confession that he is Lord. But after that, the Christian faith is a way of life.
Those who follow Jesus – those who believe his words, trust in his work, and say that he is Lord – are called to walk in his ways. They are to obey God’s moral law, which is summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments, just as Christ did. Indeed, it is this law – the moral law – that is written anew and afresh on the hearts of God’s people by the Spirit in regeneration. And those who follow after Jesus are to live according to his kingdom ethics as communicated here in the Sermon of the Plane, and in the Gospel According To Matthew, in what is called the Sermon on the Mount. The Christian faith is a way of life.
As a bit of an aside, did you know that the first Christians called themselves followers of “the Way”? This name for the early Christain church is used in Acts 9, 19, and 22. Why would the early Christians refer to themselves as the Way? For one, they believed in Jesus Christ who claimed to be “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), and “the door” through whom all must enter to be reconciled to God (John 10:7, 9). Jesus is the way, and Christians trust in him. Secondly, Christians do not only trust in Jesus, who is the way, they are also committed to walking in the way (or on the road or path) that Christ has modeled and commanded. Therefore, to be a disciple of Jesus is to be a follower and learner of the Way.
The Christian faith is a way of life.
Here is the second principle that I want you to draw from our text: According to Jesus, walking in this Way will require a particular perspective, outlook, mindset, or philosophy.
And what is that outlook? Well, according to our passage those who follow Jesus are truly blessed. They are truly blessed, even if they are poor, hungry, sorrowful, despised, and rejected in this world. And conversely, those who are rich, full, happy, and highly esteemed now and in this world, are in fact in a miserable condition, if they do not have Jesus as Lord and Savior. It seems backward and upside down, doesnt it? But Jesus is here teaching that those who wish to follow him and walk in his Way must have this mindset.
Notice that in verses 20-23, Jesus declares his disciples to be blessed. Notice what I said. I did not say that Jesus tells his disciples how to be blessed. Rather, he declares that his disciples are blessed. Can you see the difference? It is a matter of fact that those who have faith in Christ are blessed.
Look at verse 20: “And [Jesus] lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor… Blessed are you who are hungry now… Blessed are you who weep now… Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!” Here Jesus declares that his followers are blessed.
Listen to what the commentator, J.C. Ryle, says about this.
“Let us first notice in these verses, who are those whom the Lord pronounces blessed. The list is a remarkable and startling one. It singles out those who are ‘poor,’ and those who ‘hunger,’ – those who ‘weep’ and those who are ‘hated’ by man. These are the persons to whom the great Head of the Chruch says, ‘Blessed are ye!’ We must take good heed that we do not misunderstand our Lord’s meaning, when we read these expressions. We must not for a moment suppose that the mere fact of being poor, and hungry, and sorrowful, and hated by man, will entitle anyone to lay claim to an interest in Christ’s blessing. The poverty spoken of, is a poverty accompanied by grace. The [lack] is a [lack] [prompted] by faithful adherence to Jesus. The afflictions are the afflictions of the gospel. The persecution is persecution for the Son of Man’s sake. Such [lack], and poverty, and affliction, and persecution, were the inevitable consequences of faith in Christ, at the beginning of Christianity. Thousands had to give up everything in this world, because of their religion. It was their case which Jesus had specially in view in this passage. He desires to supply them, and all who suffer like them for the gospel’s sake, with special comfort and consolation.
Those who follow Jesus are blessed. This is true even if they suffer greatly in this world. And this is especially true if their suffering comes as a result of their leaving everything to follow Jesus.
The question is, do you believe this? Do you have this perspective, outlook, mindset, or philosophy? Do you agree that the followers of Jesus are blessed – that they have every reason to rejoice and to be happy – even if they suffer many afflictions in this life an account of Jesus, the Son of Man?
Brothers and sisters, with the passing of time I have grown more and more convinced that if a Christian is to walk faithfully in the Way, then they must have this mindset. Stated negatively, if a disciple of Jesus lacks this mindset, or if they are uncertain about the fact that followers of Christ are blessed even if they suffer for his namesake now, then they will have a difficult time walking faithfully in the Way. They will definitely have a difficult time walking in the Way happily and with peace and joy in their hearts.
At this point, we must observe that Jesus did not merely declare his followers to be blessed, he also gave the reasons. So these are not empty words of blessing being uttered by our Lord. Rather, these are true pronouncements based upon facts.
Let’s read verses 20-23 again and pay special attention to the phrases that begin with the word “for”. The word “for” indicates that the reason for what has just been said is about to be given. “Blessed are you who are poor…” Why? we might ask. “…for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets” (Luke 6:20–23, ESV).
In this passage, Jesus demands that his disciples adopt this mindset. They are not to root their happiness and joy in the here and now and in their present circumstances. Instead, they are to remember the past, and they are especially to look to the future and root their happiness there. They are to set their hope and happiness on Christ and on the eternal reward that Christ has earned for them.
First, Jesus urged his disciples to look to the past when he said, “for so their fathers did to the prophets.” We should remember that Jesus and his disciples were being severely criticized by the Pharisees and their scribes – the religious elite of Israel. And so Jesus reminds his disciples that their fathers – the people of Israel who lived under the Old Mosaic Covenant – often treated the prophets like this. The prophets old – the true ones – were often mistreated. They were despised and rejected even by their own people – the people of Israel. For an example of this, you may read of the trials of the prophet Jerimiah, how he was beaten and imprisoned by his own people, in Jerimiah 20 and 37. Jesus reminds his disciples of this history to show them that they are in good company when they are mistreated on account of Christ. And we who live now after the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ may add Christ himself and his apostles to the list. They all suffered. Christ warned his disciples that they would suffer for his name’s sake (see Luke 21:17). It is no wonder, then, that Christ began his ethical teaching by demanding that his disciples adopt this mindset. Without this mindset, they could not endure. So look to the past, brothers and sisters. Rember that Christ, the apostles, and the prophets were all despised and rejected in this world. And yet how do you view them? Do you consider them to be blessed or miserable people? If you have faith, you will say that they were and are the most blessed people! And so Jesus reminded his disciples of the faithful and blessed prophets of old to show us that we are in good company when we suffer for his name’s sake, just as they did.
In this Sermon on the Plane Christ taught his disciples to not root their happiness in their present circumstances but to remember the past, and he especially directed their attention to the future and to their eternal reward. He reminds us that if we are united to him by faith, then we are truly blessed, for ours is the kingdom of God. Here is a reference to the eternal kingdom of God, the new heavens and earth. He is telling his disciples that this kingdom is theirs through faith in him. Christ came to establish this everlasting kingdom (see Daniel 7:27 and Luke 1:33). Those who have faith in him and follow in his way are brought into that kingdom, even now. And they will be brought safely into that eternal kingdom when Christ returns at the consummation. And there, in eternity, we shall be satisfied. There, all of our mourning will be turned to laughter and everlasting joy.
Look to the future, brothers and sisters. Look to Christ and to the eternal reward that he has earned for you. Root your happiness in that! The soil of your present circumstance is dry. It cannot nourish you with true happiness. And if it is not dry now, it soon will be. But the soil in Christ’s eternal kingdom, which he has earned through his shed blood, will never dry, for it is watered by “the river of the water of life [which will flow, forever and ever,] from the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Revelation 22:1, ESV). Look to the future, brothers and sisters. Look to Christ and to the eternal reward that he has earned for you. Root your happiness in that!
So, does this mean that Jesus’ disciples will experience nothing but sorrow in this life? Does this mean that all of our comfort and joy will be experienced only in the life to come? Certainly not! Indeed, disciples of Jesus do enjoy many wonderful blessings and comforts in this life. I suspect if we were to pause now and ask everyone to testify concerning the blessings they in enjoy in this world, all of you would give thanks to God for many good things: food, water, clothing, shelter, family, and friends, not to mention a great measure of peace and prosperity. God does often pour out many earthly blessings on his people in addition to the blessings that are ours in Christ Jesus. But here Christ shows that even when his disciples suffer poverty, hunger, and persecution, they are still truly blessed, for their greatest rewards and enjoyments are not here, but are in heaven. In fact, Christ teaches his disciples that they are to have this perspective and believe these things so strongly that they will be able to rejoice in the day of persecution.
It’s interesting, this text is filled with adjectives that describe the reality of things. “Blessed are you… Blessed are you… Blessed are you…” These are not imperatives (or commands), as if Christ said, “be blessed”, but adjectives that describe reality. Blessed are my disciples, Jesus says. These adjectives are not to be obeyed but believed. But there is a string of imperatives (or commands) found at the end of this passage in verse 23. “Rejoice in that day…” What day? On the day mentioned in verse 22 when “people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!” (Luke 6:22, ESV), “Rejoice in that day”, Christ commands. The word rejoice is in the imperative mood in the Greek. It is a command. And “leap for joy”, Christ says. This too is a command.
Can we just pause for a moment and acknowledge the fact that to the non-belive this sounds like the behavior of a crazy person? Why in their right mind would rejoice, and even leap for joy, on the day when they are hated, excluded, reviled, and spurned as evil by others? The reason that this sounds like the behavior of a crazy person to the non-beliver is that the reaction does not seem to fit the reality of the circumstance.
But as I have said, Christ is calling his disciples to see things differently. He is calling (even commanding them) to take a different perspective. And it is not an imaginary perspective that they are to take. Christ is not commanding his disciples to detach from reality and to live in a fantasy world so that they might respond to persecution with rejoicing. No, he is calling them to see how things really are and to respond thus.
I said there is a string of commands found in verse 23. The first is the word “rejoice.” The second is the word “leap”. And the third is the most important, for it is the foundation for this behavior. It is the word “behold”. Here Christ commands his disciples to “look and see” that their “reward is great in heaven” (Luke 6:23, ESV). This reality is the reason for our rejoicing, always, and even in the face of persecution. “Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven…” (Luke 6:23, ESV). This is about mindset. Here Christ commands his disciples to have an eternal mindset. They must if they are to walk faithfully with him. They must if they are to have his joy and peace.
There is one more point that needs to be drawn out of this passage before we move to some suggestions for application. This point will be brief. To live according to the way of Christ, Christians must see that they are truly and eternally blessed in him, and they must also see that those who do not follow Christ are, in fact, under God’s wrath and curse.
This perspective is clearly set forth in Luke 6:24-26. Here Jesus pronounces “woes” upon the non-beliving. The first word is a word of contrast. “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets” (Luke 6:24–26, ESV).
I need not say much about the particulars of this passage, for the meaning should be clear to you as you contrast it with the “blessings” passage we have just considered. In brief, Jesus declares those who do not follow after him, perhaps out of a fear of losing the wealth and status they now enjoy in the world, as being in a state of intense hardship, distress, disaster, and horror (Johannes P. Louw Nida, 242). The Greek word translated as “woe” is very strong. When Jesus used it he was exclaiming that those who do not follow after him are in a very pitiful, hard, and horrifying state of being, even if they be very rich, comfortable, and highly esteemed in this world.
And just like with the pronouncement of blessings, the pronouncement of woes are rooted in reality. “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.” In other words, you have experienced the hight of your comforts. “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.” The hunger that Christ speaks of here is an eternal and spiritual hunger. “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.” Again I say, this is eternal. “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets”. So then, these rich and highly esteemed ones who refuse to align with Christ out of fear of losing their worldly riches and honor, are in bad company, historically speaking. For it was the false prophets that were often honored within Old Covenant Israel.
Please listen again to J.C. Ryle’s:
“Here, however, no less than in the preceding verses, we must take care that we do not misapprehend our Lord’s meaning. We are not to suppose that the possession of riches, and a rejoicing spirit, and the good word of man, are necessarily proofs that people are not Christ’s disciples. Abraham and Job were rich. David and St. Paul had their seasons of rejoicing. Timothy was one who had a good report from those that were without. All these, we know, were true servants of God. All these were blessed in this life, and shall receive the blessing of the Lord in the day of his appearing.
Who are the persons to whom our Lord says, ‘Woe unto you?’ They are the men who refuse to seek treasure in heaven, because they love the good things of this world better, and will not give up their money, if need requires, for Christ’s sake. – They are the men who prefer the joys and so-called happiness of this world, [over] joy and peace in believing, and will not risk the loss of the one in order to gain the other. – They are those who love the praise of man more than the praise of God, and will turn their backs on Christ, rather than not keep in with the world. – These are the kind of men whom our Lord had in view when he pronounces the solemn words, ‘Woe, woe unto you.’ He knew that there were thousands of such persons among the Jews, thousands who, notwithstanding his miracles and sermons, would love the world better than him. He knew well that there would always be thousands of such in his professing church, – thousands who, though convinced of the truth of the gospel, would never give up anything for his sake. – To all such he delivers an awful warning. – ‘Woe, woe, unto you.”
Friends, things are not always as they appear. Though the rich and highly esteemed ones of this earth may appear to be the happiest of all people, in fact, they are in a miserable condition, if not in Christ, for they remain under God’s wrath and curse, and they will have his wrath poured out on them at the final judgment unless they turn from their sins to trust in Christ and follow him. But of course, their perspective would need to change if they are to follow Christ. They would need to come to see Christ and the kingdom of Christ as being far more precious than the pleasures of this world.
I’ll conclude now by making five brief suggestions for application.
Firstly, I wish to speak directly to our young people, and to those who are new to the faith. I want to ask you, do you have this perspective that Jesus commands? To you see the world according to the truths that Christ has here revealed. To be very direct, when you think of the rich, powerful, and famous in the world, what do you think? How do you perceive them? Do you think of them as being the most blessed – the most happy and satisfied – people in the world? Or do you think of them as being in a miserable condition, if they are not followers of Jesus? And what do you think when you consider someone who is poor and unpopular, and yet strong in the faith? Do you see them as pitiful? Or do you see them as blessed and happy? I’m pleading with you, young person, to see the world according to the truth of Christ. To be a faithful and happy follower of Jesus requires this perspective.
Secondly, I wish to speak to those who are more advanced in years and mature in Christ. Do not let your guard down, brothers and sisters. Even if you gained this heavenly and eternal perspective in the past, do not think that it won’t be challenged. It may be that you or someone you love comes under affliction in the future and the Evil One will tempt you with evil thoughts to question the goodness of God towards his people. Even the Psalmist Asaph was troubled by thoughts like these. In Psalm 73 he says, “Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked…” (Psalm 73:1–3, ESV). And after a long description of the prosperity of the wicked, he says, “But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end. Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors!” (Psalm 73:16–19, ESV), etc. So here in Psalm 73 we have an example of one who was mature in Christ who was tempted. He almost lost the heavenly and eternal perspective that he once had. And how did he regain it? By coming in the temple of the living and contemplating these truths again in light of God, the final judgment, and eternity. To those who are mature in Christ I say, be sure to maintain the heavenly and eternal perspective that you now have.
Thirdly, I wish to speak to those who are suffering affliction now to say, if you are in Christ Jesus you are blessed. It is fact. But you do need to perceive it. You are blessed in Christ, for yours is the kingdom of God. You shall be satisfied there. You shall laugh there. Indeed it is true, Your reward is great in heaven. Those who are suffering on account of their devotion to Christ especially need to be reminded of this truth.
Fourthly, I wish to speak to those who experiencing prosperity and comfort in this life. What should I say to you? Oh yes, the Apostle Paul told me what I am supposed to say to you. He wrote to Pastor Timothy, saying, “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:17–19, ESV).
Fifthly, and lastly, I wish to speak to those who are listening who have not yet believed upon Christ to follow him in the Way. I pray that you would come to see yourselves as being in a most miserable and woeful situation. Apart from Christ, we remain in our sins and under God’s wrath and curse. Apart from Christ we will be judged on the last day and go to eternal punishment. But in Christ, there is the forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, and the sure promise of life everlast in the new heavens and earth which Christ has earned. I plead with you to turn from your sins, to trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, confessing that Jesus is your Lord and Savior.
"Him we proclaim,
warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom,
that we may present everyone mature in Christ."
(Colossians 1:28, ESV)
