Post by Scott Ross on Oct 14, 2008 10:06:19 GMT -5
Moving right along at a slow pace here...
In Matthew 23, Jesus speaks of the seven woes.
Woe to you...
1- You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces.
2- You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
3- You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' 17You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
4- You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.
5- You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
6- You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean.
7- You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous.
And then he finishes by saying:
33"You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?
He was speaking to the crowds and his disciples, and talking about the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. These were the most righteous people living in that culture.
The point I took from all of this is that trying to make others adhere to any 'law' is wrong. It causes people to end up under a burden rather that living in the freedom of Christ.
This is really pointed out in the 2nd woe that he speaks of.
You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
This sure speaks volumes about being under the authority of man. Jesus gives us a true freedom when we accept Him into our lives.
As He tells us in Matthew 11:
30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
If this isn't how one feels, then it is probably because they are trying to follow mans commandments and not the commandments given by Jesus.
Thus they end up living under a burden which is placed upon them by the teachings of man, rather than experiencing the true freedom that is found in Christ.
There is nothing more freeing than to allow the Holy Spirit to guide one's life. (of course that is how it is for me anyhow....)
Scott
In Matthew 23, Jesus speaks of the seven woes.
Woe to you...
1- You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces.
2- You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
3- You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' 17You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
4- You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.
5- You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
6- You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean.
7- You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous.
And then he finishes by saying:
33"You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?
He was speaking to the crowds and his disciples, and talking about the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. These were the most righteous people living in that culture.
The point I took from all of this is that trying to make others adhere to any 'law' is wrong. It causes people to end up under a burden rather that living in the freedom of Christ.
This is really pointed out in the 2nd woe that he speaks of.
You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
This sure speaks volumes about being under the authority of man. Jesus gives us a true freedom when we accept Him into our lives.
As He tells us in Matthew 11:
30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
If this isn't how one feels, then it is probably because they are trying to follow mans commandments and not the commandments given by Jesus.
Thus they end up living under a burden which is placed upon them by the teachings of man, rather than experiencing the true freedom that is found in Christ.
There is nothing more freeing than to allow the Holy Spirit to guide one's life. (of course that is how it is for me anyhow....)
Scott