A man was once talking to a great scholar about a younger man named Chris. He said, “Chris tells me that he was one of your students.” The professor’s answer was devastating, “He may have attended my lectures, but he was not one of my students.” Are you a student of Jesus, or did you just sit through the class?
Matthew 5-7 – The Sermon on the Mount
This study begins a verse-by-verse exposition of Matthew 5–7, which is the Discipleship Manual for Christians. Matthew 5-7 does not tell us how to receive eternal life; it tells us how to follow Jesus after we already received eternal life.
While there are truths in Matthew 5-7 for non-Christians to glean, this sermon of Jesus is primarily for believers who are following Jesus on the path of discipleship.
One of the supreme handicaps of modern Christianity is that there are so many believers in Christ, but so few disciples (students). Many don’t even know there is a difference. A believer is someone who has believed in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life. A disciple, on the other hand, is someone who is a devoted student and follower of Christ. As such, it is possible to be a believer, but not be a disciple (cf. Luke 19:11-27). It is equally possible to be a disciple but not a believer (Judas).
The goal is to be both. All believers should immediately begin down the path of discipleship (Matt 28:19-20). Traveling this path begins with understanding that there is a difference between believing in Christ for eternal life and following Christ for the abundant life (John 10:10). If we do not realize the distinctions between becoming a believer and living like a disciple, most of the New Testament will not make sense.
This is especially true of the Sermon on the Mount. Some teach that if you are not living by the standards set forth in this Sermon, you are not a Christian. If that were true, a cursory reading of the Sermon proves that nobody is a Christian. The standards presented by Jesus in the Sermon are higher than those taught by the Law of Moses. If the Law was impossible to keep, how much more so the Sermon on the Mount!
If, on the other hand, the Sermon is intended to be a Discipleship Manual, then the high standard of living presented by Christ makes much more sense.
Matthew 5:1-2 – The Setting for the Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 5:1-2 provides the setting for the Sermon on the Mount. These verses clearly state that Christ’s words are intended for His disciples. Many crowds of followers (another synonym for a disciple) were coming to him (cf. 4:25), so Christ went up on a hill, sat down, opened His mouth and began to teach. The phrase opened His mouth is not simply a picture of Jesus speaking. The phrase is used only of prophets when they were about to teach or speak an oracle from God (cf. Ezek 3:27).
As a good student (disciple) of the Word, you might remember that in the parallel account in Luke 6, Jesus is said to have gone down and stood at a level place. How can Matthew say Jesus went up and sat, when Luke says He went down and stood? Assuming that these are the same events, there are three possible explanations.
First, it is possible that Luke’s description occurs prior to all the healing, whereas Matthew’s describes what Jesus did after the miracles.
Second, it is possible that Jesus actually preached two different sermons at two different occasions, though in the same location. Most preachers recycle sermons; why couldn’t Jesus have done the same thing?
The preferred possibility, however, is that the mountain in Matthew 5 only refers to a general area where everyone was, while the level place in Luke 6 denotes a particular spot on the mountain from which Jesus spoke—sometimes sitting, sometimes standing. I have been told that if you visit the site in Israel where Jesus preached this famous sermon, the mountain slopes up, then levels off, then slopes up again. It is easy, when comparing these two texts, to see Jesus performing miracles near the peak of the mountain, then coming down to the level place to preach. Such a position up on the mountain would make a natural amphitheater so that all could hear Him clearly.
The reason I begin our study of the Sermon on the Mount with such an issue is because a true disciple of Christ seeks to know and understand God’s Word. There is no such thing as a disciple who does not carefully study the Bible. Difficulties and questions do arise, but the thoughtful and prayerful student will always discover an answer.
Don’t just attend the lecture, become one of Christ’s students.
My friend. It is a terrible deception to teach that anyone who is not following Jesus(a disciple) can be saved. Being a disciple does not make you perfect but is the natural consequence of believing Jesus. You are Holy and blameless from the moment you are reconciled to God. The gospel call is nothing less than a call to follow Him even though your flesh will give you trouble making the way difficult. You can accept this invitation or reject it. I’m not saying this to be mean.
Shawn,
I understand your concern. Thank you for the kind tone in your disagreement.
However, I am firmly convinced that eternal life is an absolutely free gift of God. We cannot work to earn it, we cannot work to keep it, and no amount of works can prove we have it.
I think the Scripture makes a clear distinction between the conditions of receiving eternal life, and the conditions of being a disciple or follower of Jesus. Certainly, having eternal life should lead to a life of Godliness, but Scripture is also pretty clear that we can short-circuit this process.
Thank you as well. And just so you understand me I am equally convinced that salvation is a free gift that we cannot earn. I just believe that this free gift includes power and grace through the Holy Sprit to overcome sin. And that He literally and freely makes us a new creation with a new heart and new desires. We can’t give ourselves a new heart or new desires. That is a free gift that we cannot produce in the strength of our flesh. There are many things that make this path difficult but the trials and temptations can and are used by God to prove our faith. Our faith is a gift of God and it is the very faith of Jesus Himself. I believe that we have sin that cannot go unconfessed for long that God always comes for is when we stray and that ultimately we never stop wanting Him to from the day we are supernaturally recreated by the Spirit of the living God. The Spirit is living and active. There is no other. Jesus is as faithful to His disciples today as he was when he walked the earth in the flesh. The ones He knew He had given new life and power in the Holy Spirit. This is not and never will be a popular message or widely accepted. But the fruit is obvious and never fear driven. Much “christian” teaching is trying to get people who do not know God to enjoy sonship and believe they are priests of God who have a powerful, loving God. The problem is many do not believe. Please do not confuse what I am saying with sinless perfection. Disciples are messy and make mistakes, but are sanctified. We aren’t disciples because we decide to be we are disciples because Jesus speaks we hear His voice and we follow.
One more thing if what I am saying is true. If you accepted it then you would have to change much of what you teach, it would make many who you regard as friends angry with you, and would hurt your reputation. But it wouldn’t make you love people less. It would probably result in a few people who were on the fence to give their lives to Christ. It would mean fewer followers of your blog and many more dissenters.
Shown, I won’t argue theology to take sides with either you or Jeremy. I do, however, observe people. There are those who claim they have believed, yet show no evidence to the rest of us that they are following Jesus. They may or may not attend church services, but that’s it. There seems to be great love for the things of this world, but no love for God or neighbor. I don’t know what to call such people, but I don’t call them followers of Jesus. Have they received eternal life, and now they’re sitting on it? I can’t make that determination. But I have observed that these people may be found in abundance in every church I have ever attended.
I don’t want to be pushy. I don’t believe in theology. I believe Jesus. He is good, loving, kind, and merciful. He is faithful to bring us up in our most Holy faith. The parable of the Sower, wheat and tares, those on his left and right hands. Those who do the will of His Father, those who don’t. IF anyone accepts the Father’s love they will know the truth, and the truth will set them free. Jesus is the truth. I don’t hate false professors. I fear for them.
Shawn,
I hear what you are saying in your longer comment above. I don’t exactly disagree, though I think where we differ is that I see a distinction between receiving eternal life by faith and living as a follower of Jesus. I think the Scriptures indicate that a person can be one of these without being the other, but the goal and desire is to be both.
Regarding why I write what I write, I don’t write for blog followers. I write what I am learning and thinking and what I believe is true. If people want to join the conversation, as you are, that is fine. If not, that is fine too.
Note that if I changed my theology to reflect your opinion, I might actually increase my blog followers, since most of the popular blogs out there teach what I understand you as saying.
On a side note. I read a couple of Wayne Jacobsen’s pdf books. I got a lot from them. I think there are a lot of blogs like you said. In my past I went to churches where the primary teaching was ask Jesus to forgive your sins and that is how to get saved. I believe I did not know God when I did that. It wasn’t until much later. I consider myself to be a disciple. But a really messed up one. But Jesus is my Lord, Master, teacher, and friend. He is still teaching me to leave my works behind and simply follow Him wherever He goes. I am still learning. That’s what I believe makes me a disciple. He is teaching me Himself. This is how I know I know Him. I’m not trying to change your mind. I think I was but I’m learning to not do that. Thanks Jeremy. I think I would enjoy meeting you. Even though I will probably have to wait. I think you know what I mean.
Glad to know you are reading some Wayne Jacobsen. As expected, I don’t agree with everything he says, but then, as you and I are finding, none of us agree on everything, and sometimes, we even disagree with ourselves over time…. Ha!
I would love meeting you as well! Someday…. If you ever get over to Oregon (Portland/Salem area), let me know and maybe we can meet up!