- Use God’s Word to resist the devil/temptation (Matthew 4)
In order to do this, you must know scripture. Study and pray for wisdom. - Repent! Mark 4:17
- Rejoice when people falsely accuse and persecute you for the Lord’s sake (M5:12)
- Be a peacemaker (M5:9) So difficult! but it protects you!
- Keep your heart pure (M5:8) Check your heart! Ask God to show you anything lurking in there that needs to be addressed.
- Be Merciful to others (M5:7) and you will obtain mercy
- Seek, hunger and thirst for righteousness (M5:6)
- Don’t be useless, like salt that loses its flavor, Be the salt of the earth (M5:13) Don’t be lukewarm either- ew
- Don’t hide your walk with Christ, but let your light shine for all to see (M5:14) so they will see your good works and Glorify the Father in Heaven. Hide it under a bushel? NO
- Don’t neglect the study of the old testament, Jesus came to fulfill it not destroy it (M5:17-18)
- Obey the commandments and teach others, work on righteousness (M5:19-20)
- Don’t kill (M:21)
- Don’t be angry at your brother without cause and don’t call your brother a fool (M5:22) or any other nasty scoundrel name- or your sister
- Be a peacemaker -Reconcile with your brother and make peace before you go stand before the Lord at the altar, if he has something against you, leave your gift at the altar, be reconciled and then come back to offer (M5:24)
- Be a peacemaker – try to peacefully settle disputes out of court. Pay what you need to pay, do what’s right and sometimes , even if the other party is wrong, just let it go for peace sake- settle, agree(M:26)
- Don’t commit adultery (M5:28)
- Lustful eyes are guilty of adultery -Don’t look at another woman (or man) to lust after, this is adultery in the heart. (M5:28)
- Pluck your eye out if you have a problem with lust/porn IF you want to save your soul. Better to lose your eye than your soul (M5:29) same with your hand if it causes you to sin (M5:30)
- Don’t divorce your wife (except for unfaithfulness) unless you want to be guilty of adultery (M5:31) or if you marry the divorced woman…same
- Don’t swear at all, let your yes be yes and your no be no, anything more than that is evil (M5:37). I don’t make promises, that’s just me..don’t know if that’s the same thing
- Take the slap (M638-39) and don’t slap back
- If a man sues you and takes our coat, give him your cloke as well (M5:40)
- Go the extra mile for people errrr if you’re forced to go a mile, go two! and i’m guessing you should do it with a good attitude (who is like this!)
- Give to those who ask (M5:42) I’m totally convicted here…..
- Lend to those who need to borrow (M5:43) there’s a verse that says if you lend to the poor, you lend to the Lord and He will repay you….soooooo maybe sometimes don’t expect it back
- Love your neighbors and Love your enemies (M5:43) have you met my neighbors? I can love them, but do I have to look at them?
- Bless those who curse you (M5:44) I do this but it is not easy, because it’s not really what my hearts wants……w
- Pray for those who hate you and persecute you (M5:44) We absolutely need the power of the Holy Spirit for strength to be holy and obey Jesus’ teachings
- Notice that God watches over the righteous and the wicked, he wants them to turn back to Him. He sends rain on the just and the unjust so don’t get caught up in the greater than thou moment.
- Love the haters! (M5:46) so love the Muslims that want to slice your neck, seriously, pray for them. Difficult? Yes! This is why the road to Salvation is narrow and few make it. Be imitators of Christ and remember you are called to be HOLY as God is Holy so stop screaming and cussing at people in the parking lot of church…geeeeeesh! After a lifetime in church, we still don’t get it.
- Be perfect (M5:48)- Seriously? Yes, be perfect as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
I don’t know if I should laugh or cry right now. I thought I’d go through the entire book of Matthew, but it seems there’s enough mind boggling disciplines in Matthew 5 that I need to seriously consider.
Ancient Paths 