The Desire of Ages--31--The Sermon on the Mount

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Beacon!!

Why did Jesus give the sermon on the mount? He longed for all who heard His word to receive His grace, His righteousness, and His character experience. He offers it to all of us, so that by an unreserved surrender to Him we can reflect all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing as we are empowered to truly obey the law of God as an affectionate experience of fellowship with Him in continual union and communion of our souls with the divine! Hallelujah!

"Jesus had shown in what righteousness consists, and had pointed to God as its source. Now He turned to practical duties. In almsgiving, in prayer, in fasting, He said, let nothing be done to attract attention or win praise to self. Give in sincerity, for the benefit of the suffering poor. In prayer, let the soul commune with God. In fasting, go not with the head bowed down, and heart filled with thoughts of self. The heart of the Pharisee is a barren and profitless soil, in which no seeds of divine life can flourish. It is he who yields himself most unreservedly to God that will render Him the most acceptable service. For through fellowship with God men become workers together with Him in presenting His character in humanity." {The Desire of Ages, page 312, paragraph 1}

Working together with God is so exciting--because God is always on the move to do what is best for His children--both for this life and the life to come! Trust Him!!!

[Richard Myers]

Amen my dear brothers!  Faith is indeed the victory. We cannot have saving faith unless we know our Savior intimately. How can we trust someone with all we have and all we are unless we know them!  The good fruit that is produced by beholding His glory are all of the fruits of the Spirit, and not one is missing.

The good tree will produce good fruit. If the fruit is unpalatable and worthless, the tree is evil. So the fruit borne in the life testifies as to the condition of the heart and the excellence of the character. Good works can never purchase salvation, but they are an evidence of the faith that acts by love and purifies the soul. And though the eternal reward is not bestowed because of our merit, yet it will be in proportion to the work that has been done through the grace of Christ.

Amen! Grace is more than a word, it is the power that transforms sinners into saints.

[Dorine]

"Thus Christ set forth the principles of His kingdom, and showed them to be the great rule of life. To impress the lesson He adds an illustration. It is not enough, He says, for you to hear My words. By obedience you must make them the foundation of your character. Self is but shifting sand. If you build upon human theories and inventions, your house will fall. By the winds of temptation, the tempests of trial, it will be swept away. But these principles that I have given will endure. Receive Me; build on My words. {DA 314.3}“
Everyone therefore which heareth these words of Mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, which built his house upon the rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon the rock.” Matthew 7:24, 25, R.V. {DA 314.4}"

Instead of looking at the boundaries that Jesus puts in place as restricting our choices, He makes it clear that each one actually sets us free and fills us with all that our hearts ever hoped for when we surrender our whole hearts to Him. Fear disappears. Accepting Christ's love for us overrides our own ambitions and our hearts are filled with His love for others. Each fruit of the Spirit will be seen in the life and in spite of the hatred toward us by those who love evil we will not compromise in any way our loyalty to Christ and His law. This chapter always brings me joy and peace because I know that my Saviour is trustworthy and honest in all He promises.

[Philip T]

The world loves sin, and hates righteousness, and this was the cause of its hostility to Jesus. All who refuse His infinite love will find Christianity a disturbing element. The light of Christ sweeps away the darkness that covers their sins, and the need of reform is made manifest. While those who yield to the influence of the Holy Spirit begin war with themselves, those who cling to sin war against the truth and its representatives.

Here is a fascinating truth, when we surrender to Christ, allowing the Holy Spirit to influence us, we war with ourselves as we walk the path of sanctification; however, when we refuse to submit to Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, and cling to in we will war with Christ and the truth his followers are sharing with the world.

[Beacon]

"In almsgiving, in prayer, in fasting, He said, let nothing be done to attract attention or win praise to self."

"Give in sincerity, for the benefit of the suffering poor."

"In prayer, let the soul commune with God."

"In fasting, go not with the head bowed down, and heart filled with thoughts of self."

"The heart of the Pharisee is a barren and profitless soil, in which no seeds of divine life can flourish."

"It is he who yields himself most unreservedly to God that will render Him the most acceptable service."

"Through fellowship with God men become workers together with Him in presenting His character in humanity."

Are "WE" spending time with God every day, so that "WE"  will be able to represent Him aright??

================================
1
Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2
Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3
Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
4
Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose,
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
5
Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.

Lyrics:Frances Ridley Havergal (1836-1879)
Music:Henri Abraham Cesar Malan (1787-1864)

[Richard Myers]

Amen dear Brother Beacon!   Yes, it is possible to reflect the character of God.

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness.” The sense of unworthiness will lead the heart to hunger and thirst for righteousness, and this desire will not be disappointed. Those who make room in their hearts for Jesus will realize His love. All who long to bear the likeness of the character of God shall be satisfied. The Holy Spirit never leaves unassisted the soul who is looking unto Jesus. He takes of the things of Christ and shows them unto him. If the eye is kept fixed on Christ, the work of the Spirit ceases not until the soul is conformed to His image. The pure element of love will expand the soul, giving it a capacity for higher attainments, for increased knowledge of heavenly things, so that it will not rest short of the fullness. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled.”

Many fail to keep their eyes upon Jesus. When Peter took his eyes off of Jesus when walking on water, he fell, so will we when we allow our eyes to wander away from Christ. When we again focus on the goodness of God, He will  forgive our sins and by beholding His glory we will be conformed to image (2 Cor. 3:18). It would be very good to spend a thoughtful hour a day contemplating the life of Jesus. It is this grace that saves us. The greatest sermon ever preached is that which is found in this chapter. The truth that was needed in that day is just as much needed today. The foundation of our faith is clearly presented. It is this which has been perverted by Satan then and now. It would be good for all to not just read this chapter, but to study it until they recognize what it means to be a converted Christian. There is no excuse for sinning. God wants to  keep us from sinning.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Beacon and Brother Richard!

Only Christ can give us a truly humble heart that is open to His continual leading. By beholding the loveliness of God's character as it is manifest in Christ, all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing will be revealed in the life, as God empowers the converted soul to live up to the light of God's truth in His law of love! Let us more fully appreciate the righteousness of Christ by beholding His life and words afresh each day--especially the closing scenes of His life in which we see Him suffering for all of our sins, dying in agony because of what sin has done to the heart of infinite love, and experiencing such a transformation in heart and life that we are kept from sin by the indwelling divine nature accessible to us by the Holy Spirit in each promise of God!

"The proud heart strives to earn salvation; but both our title to heaven and our fitness for it are found in the righteousness of Christ. The Lord can do nothing toward the recovery of man until, convinced of his own weakness, and stripped of all self-sufficiency, he yields himself to the control of God. Then he can receive the gift that God is waiting to bestow. From the soul that feels his need, nothing is withheld. He has unrestricted access to Him in whom all fullness dwells. 'For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.' Isaiah 57:15." {The Desire of Ages, page 300, paragraph 1}

It is a true blessing to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. He revives and empowers us to live more like Him every day!

[rahab]

"Thus Christ set forth the principles of His kingdom, and showed them to be the great rule of life. To impress the lesson He adds an illustration. It is not enough, He says, for you to hear My words. By obedience you must make them the foundation of your character. Self is but shifting sand. If you build upon human theories and inventions, your house will fall. By the winds of temptation, the tempests of trial, it will be swept away. But these principles that I have given will endure. Receive Me; build on My words. {DA 314.3}“
Everyone therefore which heareth these words of Mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, which built his house upon the rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon the rock.” Matthew 7:24, 25, R.V. {DA 314.4}"

Instead of looking at the boundaries that Jesus puts in place as restricting our choices, He makes it clear that each one actually sets us free and fills us with all that our hearts ever hoped for when we surrender our whole hearts to Him. Fear disappears. Accepting Christ's love for us overrides our own ambitions and our hearts are filled with His love for others. Each fruit of the Spirit will be seen in the life and in spite of the hatred toward us by those who love evil we will not compromise in any way our loyalty to Christ and His law. This chapter always brings me joy and peace because I know that my Saviour is trustworthy and honest in all He promises.

Reflections:

It is interesting that the world looks at the law as restrictive.  But as you say, the law kept rightly is actually freedom.
 The law is a law of love and how God runs His universe.  It can never be changed. 
What was nailed to the cross wasn’t the law but was the sins of the righteous forgiven.

When others don’t understand and instead follow the evil one, we should have pity in our hearts for the erring.