Michael continues that Jesus himself came to inspire and convict those who are called to a holy different way of life. He gave them a different standard of righteousness. In Matthew 5:20-24 Jesus said, “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
We need to be right with our brothers and sisters before we can be right with God. If you claim to love your brother and sister whom you have seen and yet keep resentment against them, how can you love God whom you have not seen? In order to approach God’s throne of grace, then come with clean hands and a clean heart. This means to reconcile with your brothers, sisters and your neighbor to come to God with a heart free from guile and vindictiveness. Then when we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. When our vertical relationship with God is aligned, as we walk in the light of Christ as he is in the light, the blood of Jesus Christ will (continue to) cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Jesus emphasized the spirit of the law instead of the letter of the law. Living the beatitudes ... to love your spouse and to forgive others is to forsake worldly attitudes ... to give up a spirit of anger, strife, contention, vindictiveness, and resentment. Instead we reconcile our hearts with God’s heart with meekness and humility ... with a broken heart mourning over the sin nature that has separated our souls from God’s Holy Spirit. When we ask God for forgiveness, God cleanses our hearts by the of the blood of Christ, for He is our perfect sacrifice for sin, having shed His innocent blood in exchange for our guilty blood. Then we can walk in the newness of the spirit of life in Christ.
Samuel said, God doesn’t want your sacrifice at the altar... he wants your heart. He wants us to bow our hearts in humble adoration before we bow the knee. The object of prayer is to align my heart with God’s heart. As Jesus said in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Not my will but thine be done.” David prayed in Psalm 51 after having committed adultery with Bathsheba and then murdering her husband Uriah to cover up the adultery: “God, against you and you only have I sinned. Create in me a new heart O Lord and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.” A broken and a contrite heart is the beginning of confession and reconciliation. In order to forsake sin, we need to recognize the sin that doth so easily beset us. Then we can come to our Father with a broken heart of meekness and humility. As David prayed, “Be merciful unto me O Lord according to your infinite mercy and loving kindness, blot out my transgressions.”
Who pursued whom? Did we seek God or did He seek us? God himself was the prime mover. For in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. God has called us from a world of sin and iniquity into the glorious light of the gospel of truth. Before the foundation of the world He chose us and elected us to be the holy and without blame before Him in love. This is amazing grace ... this is unfailing love. For Christ came not into the world to condemn the world but that they world through him might be saved.
Jesus said ... A new commandment I give you ... that you should love each other as I have loved you that we may ever live together in fellowship with Him to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ, Michael
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