Christian Commentary Encouraging Devotions

It's impossible if you're trying to do it in your own steam.

"We are defined foremost not by what we do or don't do

but by who we are in Christ.

What we do flows from who we are."

And that's a secret to learn quickly.

When you read through what Jesus has to say in Matthew 5,

it starts to look pretty hard, in fact, impossible, to follow all His commands.

"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.'

But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully

has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away.

It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away." Matthew 5:27-30

Are we supposed to gouge out our eye and cut off our hand?

Would that be enough?

What happens when we run out of body parts?

"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'

But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person.

If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

How does this apply to the police and the military?

And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. Matthew 5:38-42

Elsewhere in the Bible it talks about not lending. Contradiction?

God is clearly looking at the inward versus the outward.

He's calling us to surpass the norm.

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48

I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law,

you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:20

This was written to people who think they're saved by works.

Works don't cut it when it comes to our eternal destination.

We can never meaure up.

The standard keeps getting lifted higher and higher the more you read.

It's the spirit of the law, not the letter of the law we are to follow.

It's huge to follow Jesus.

We can't take gouge out your eye and hack off your hand literally.

He is calling us to more than taking it literally.

Let your light shine before men,

that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Doing the good works, i.e. keeping the law, is not for us...

not for our salvation.

It's for a testimony to others.

That they might turn to Him.

It's all about what's in our heart.

Our motive.

The Bible's calling us to deeper, bigger.

We can't put God in a box.

We can't fix anything, least of all ourselves.

His plan, His ways, are so much higher than ours.