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Proclaiming the Message of the Cross

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Jesus Pusher 712

I am a Jesus pusher! The premise of the Sermon on the Mount is my helplessness merged with His greatness! Jesus illustrates this reality in six significant areas of our lives.

MURDER/hate and forgiveness (Matthew 5:21-25)
MORALITY/adultery and lust (Matthew 5:26-30)
MARRIAGE/divorce and concern (Matthew 5:31-32)
MORALS/swearing and honesty (Matthew 5:33-37)
MALICE/revenge and forgiveness (Matthew 5:38-42)
MOTIVE/hate and love (Matthew 5:43-48)

As we view these six areas of application, two things are happening. One is INTENSIFICATION. Jesus introduced this with the call to righteousness that “exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees” (Matthew 5:20). The call of each application is an impossibility. We are to move from not murdering to eliminating anger, refraining from adultery to destroying lust, causing division to causing godliness, forced honesty to always being honest, receiving justice to generous forgiving, and from hating to perfect love.

Jesus does a second interesting thing in this application, the fulfillment of the Kingdom INTERNATIONALIZATION. Each illustration moves from an exterior behavior to an internal motive. No wonder Jesus cried out at the end of this chapter, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). What else could we be? His nature indwells our poverty-stricken hearts and sources us with His being. We live an impossible life and dwell in an impossible state. What we desperately try to achieve in the outward and fail is superseded by the inward reality through union with Him. He eliminates the effort and replaces struggling with resting. The Kingdom of God becomes who we are. Our lives reveal His heart. Rejoice in this hour. Union with Him is the Kingdom. I am a Jesus pusher!!!

March 27, 2023 By Stephen Manley • Filed Under: » Jesus Pusher, » Stephen Manley

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