Matthew Chapter 7 {Worst of all overt sins of carnality - Sins of the tongue - Do Not Judge Verses 1-5} 7:1~~"Stop judging {krino} {a command}, and you receive not {divine} judgment {for THEIR sins also!} - maybe you will stop, maybe you won't." {Note: Krino means to 'to pronounce an opinion concerning right and wrong' - to judge. Here it is used for a category of sins - the sins of the tongue - to gossip or malign about someone whose brand of sin you can not stand. But, If you talk about another's sins in gossip or by maligning them, then you will receive the discipline FOR THEIR sins as well as discipline for YOUR sins of the tongue - double discipline (2 categories of discipline - self- induced discipline (make yourself miserable) and God adds double divine discipline)!} {Amplification of the Doctrine of Double Discipline} 7:2~~"For by which judgement/standard {the sin you mention} you judge, you will receive judgment . . . and the measure you use will be the measure you receive {double discipline}." {Note: Say the victim here had the sin of pride. And then you SAY to others 'Isn't he proud?' Ok, first, you make yourself miserable worrying about others. Next God disciplines you for judging - ouch. And, here we find God takes the discipline OFF the proud person and puts the discipline on you - double ouch! SideNote: If the victim was not proud, then you maligned him. God gives HIM blessing and you the discipline a proud person would have received. Sex is always one of the lusts of the flesh that people judge others. See the topic of sex at pornea.} {Illustrations of Judging - Verses 3-4} 7:3~~"Why do you make a superficial observation and yet with great scrutiny the splinter in your brother's eye, but fail to evaluate {by the divine viewpoint/norms and standards of the Word of God} the log {much BIGGER than a splinter is the point!} in your own eye? " 7:4~~"Or why do you say to your brother, 'Let me pull the splinter out of your eye,' while there is a log in your own eye? " 7:5~~"You hypocrite! First remove the log from your eye {by using Rebound} and then you can see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye!" {Note: When you can 'see' (are in fellowship), you will also know to keep your attention to yourself and not be worrying about the sins of others!} {Spiritual Believer - Understands doctrine - Verses 6-12} 7:6~~"Do not give what is holy {sanctified/set apart - Church Age doctrine - Christian Way of Life} to dogs or throw your pearls {bible doctrine} before swine . . . with the result that they will trample them under their feet and turn around and tear you to pieces." {Note: In the Old Testament, Gentile unbelievers were referred to as dogs . . . unbelieving Jews were referred to as swine. The religious Jews will tear into you and doctrine if you push Church Age doctrine on them. The Spiritually Mature believer is aware and refrains.} {The 3 fold Emphasis of the believer at this time - Prayer, Doctrine, and Mechanics (Faith Rest Drill) Verses 7-10} 7:7~~"Keep on praying/asking . . . you will receive {didomi} it for your advantage. Keep on seeking {zeteo - bible doctrine} and you will find/discover it. Keep on knocking {krouo} and the door will be opened for you {analogy to the faith rest technique - God provides}." {Note: Didomi in the future passive indicative means 'will receive'. The future tense here, as well as in the verses to follow, indicate a logical progression rather than a chronology of time.} {Note: Zeteo means to seek something of value - bible doctrine.} {Note: Krouo means to knock. In the ancient world it took a lot of courage to knock on doors, the reception was certainly in question. This is an analogy to the faith rest technique.} {The blessing from following verse 7} 7:8~~"For every believer who asks/prays {and this is a habit} . . . receives, and every one who seeks . . . finds {will understand doctrine}, and to the one who knocks . . . it WILL BE OPENED {BY GOD - the syntax of the Greek makes this last part SHOUT at you!}. " {Note: Receives, finds, opens are all are all present active participle in all three indicate habitual activity in phase II, and the active voice means your volition is involved in these activities. Will be opened is the whole emphasis of the passage. To be operative you have to use the proper techniques! Rebound, Prayer, Faith Rest, Cognizance of techniques, Consistent intake of doctrine with great concentration . . .} {Illustration Verses 9-10 - using Parenthood as the example} 7:9~~"What person is there among you whom, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?" {Note: This is not a prayer promise, this is the door being opened! Principal is parental love. We are now the children of God. A gracious parent provides the necessities whether the child is good or bad - based on who the parent is. God is the most gracious of parents!} 7:10~~"Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a venomous snake?" {Grace orientation of the Mature Believer - Understanding the Grace of God} 7:11~~ "If - and it is true - then you all . . . who are imperfect . . . know how to provide for your children, how much more your Father in heaven {Who is perfect} will give The Good {of intrinsic value} Things {food, clothing, shelter, etc.} to those who ask/'pray to' Him {Greek Syntax means the whole pattern is repeated here - pray/seek/knock}?" {Alternative to the Grace Principal - In Contrast to verse 11! Legalism in the Church Age - a Switch} 7:12~~"Therefore in everything, keep on doing to others as you would want them to do to you, for this is the law {Mosaic Law} and the prophets." {Note: This so-called "golden rule" summarizes the attitude of the Mosaic Law. This is natural and even unbelievers can do this. This is NOT the rule for the Church Age believer because we are not under the Mosaic Law! The golden rule of grace is: 'Do unto others as Christ has done for you' [Col.3:13]. In grace, the believer does not earn or deserve anything from God, and the believer must give on the basis of their OWN character (and love when filled with the Holy Spirit). Matthew is stating the general principle here. Luke (in Luke11:13) included Jesus telling them they would receive the Holy Spirit if they asked so they could rise into a greater sphere than the law [although they didn't].} {Unbeliever - rejects salvation - Verses 13-27} {Sermon on the Mount ends with a Gospel Message - Two Gates} 7:13~~"Enter you through the narrow gate {positive volition at the point of gospel hearing- divine good}, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to {eternal} destruction . . . and there are many who enter through it." {Note: The narrow gate is 'salvation' . . . upon believing in Jesus Christ after hearing the gospel. It is narrow because there is only one way to enter through. This is an appeal to Judas Iscariot and any other unbelievers who may have found Him teaching at this point on the mountain. There are many illustrations of faith [non-meritorious actions]: eating, drinking, opening the eyes, buying gold, and entering the narrow gate.} {Amplification} 7:14~~"Because the gate is narrow and narrow/difficult is 'the way' {divine good - grace} that leads to {eternal} life, and there are few who find it." {Hindrance to the Gospel - why people pass u p the narrow gate - Verses 15-23}{Non-recognition of False Teachers} 7:15~~ "Constantly watch for false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves." {Note: Religion rejects Christianity and counterfeits in these areas: doctrine of demons [1Tim.4:1], the devil's communion table [1Cor.10:20-21], ministers of evil [2Cor.11:13-15], the social gospel [2Cor.11:3-4], spirituality by doing 'good' [Gal.3:2-3], righteousness [Matt.19:16-28], power [2Thess.2:8-10], false gods [2Thess.2:3-4], righteousness [Matt.23].} {Production of False Teachers Verses 16-20} 7:16~~"You will recognize them by their production. People don't gather grapes from thorns or figs from a cactus, do they? {'No' is the required answer} 7:17~~"In the same way, every good tree {believer filled with the Holy Spirit} bears {divine} good fruit, but the bad {corrupt/religious} tree bears spoiled fruit {human good}." 7:18~~"A good tree is not able to bear spoiled fruit {all production in the filling of the Holy Spirit is Divine Good}, nor a corrupt tree to bear good fruit {nothing done in the power of the flesh is divine Good - only human good}." 7:19~~"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire {the unbeliever is sent to the lake of fire and ALL human production by believers and unbelievers alike is destroyed by the Baptism of Fire - wood, hay and stubble}. " 7:20~~"So then, you will recognize/identify them by their fruit {production}." {The Judgment of False Teachers Verses 21-23} 7:21~~"Not everyone who says to Me {in eternity}, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the kingdom of heaven, only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven." {Note: The recognize Jesus as Lord too late. The 'will of the Father' is given in verse 13 "enter you" See 1Jn.3: 23 'to believe on the Name of His Son - Jesus Christ'} {The Religious Crowd will say this including Judas Iscariot} 7:22~~"On that day, many will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons and do many wonderful deeds?' " {Note: Yes, they did but using the power of Satan, not from the power of the filling of the Holy Spirit that is only given to believers in the church age.} 7:23~~"Then I {Jesus} will declare to them, 'I never knew you. Go away from Me, you that work lawlessness {lawbreakers}!' " {Issue of Salvation Repeated for Judas Iscariot - Verses 24-29} {Hearing and Doing} 7:24~~"Therefore, everyone who hears these {good news} words of Mine and does them {believes in Christ} is like a wise man who built his house on rock {Jesus is the foundation}." 7:25~~"The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house; but it did not collapse because it received founding on the rock with the result that it remained standing forever and ever {doctrine of eternal security - perfect tense of the verb}." 7:26~~"Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them is like a foolish man {unbeliever} who built his house on sand." 7:27~~"The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against the house, and it collapsed; it was a tremendous fall {judgment of the unbeliever}!" {Conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount - Chapters 5, 6 and 7} 7:28 When Jesus finished saying these things, the crowds were astonished/shocked by His doctrine/teaching {yet NO converts! Great teaching, but floored with the content of the doctrine!} . . . 7:29~~ because He repeatedly taught them like One Who always had authority {dogmatic - not wishy-washy as most pastors are today - maybe means this, maybe that}, and not like their scribes {Jewish theologians and experts in the law}. {Note: After this message, Judas Iscariot remained an unbeliever and a thief [Jn.12:4-6]. Materialism lust caused him to betray Jesus to the Sanhedran [Mt.26:14-16; Mk.14:10-11], Satan entered Judas to do this job [Lk.22:3; Jn.13:26-27]. Satan's possession would have been impossible had he been a believer. Judas died an unbeliever [Mt.27:3-10; Acts 1:16-20].} ************************************************ This page is sponsored by Kenneth Sidley, CPA, an Orange County California CPA (949) 706-3133. Please call Ken for high quality, low cost CPA services in Orange County California. This includes audit, review, compilation, tax returns, Quickbooks, and business consulting services. 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