The Sermon on the Mount

Content:

• Introduction
• Seven elements for growing as a Christian
1. Blessed are the poor in spirit
2. Blessed are those who mourn
3. Blessed are the meek
4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
5. Blessed are the merciful
6. Blessed are the pure in heart
7. Blessed are the peacemakers
• Blessed are those who are persecuted
• Jesus and the Law
• Jesus' teaching about anger
• Jesus' teaching on adultery and divorce
• Oaths
• Love and not revenge
• Giving
• The Lord's prayer
• Fasting
• Laying up treasures in Heaven
• Don't be anxious
• Do not judge others
• Casting pearls before swine
• Ask, and it will be given to you
• The Golden Rule
• The narrow gate
• Beware of false prophets 
• The wise and foolish builders

Introduction

The Sermon on the Mount (Mat 5:1–7:29) shows the root of real change in
our lives. Jesus didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance
(Luk 5:32). We are all sinners before him (Rom 3:23, 1 John 1:8–10).

Because The Sermon on the Plain (Luk 6:17–49) (which is another sermon) contains several similarities, it's included in this article.

The Gospel of Matthew mentions "The kingdom of Heaven". The other Gospels mention "The kingdom of God". The meaning of both is the same.

Seven elements for growing as a Christian

1) Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven
(Mat 5:3, Luk 6:20, 24):

It's not about economic poverty. It is confessing that you are sinful, rebellious, and completely without any righteousness to make yourself acceptable to God in yourself. It's being spiritually bankrupt. The Greek word that Jesus uses for poor means destitute. It's a person who has nothing. Spirit here means someone's life.
"poor in spirit" therefore means "destitute of themselves". To be "poor in spirit" is to admit my spiritual poverty before God. King David did (Psalm 86:1). For we are all sinners under God's holy wrath and deserve nothing but God's judgment. We have nothing to offer, nothing to plead for, nothing to buy Heaven's favor with (Mat 18:3).
"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." 
(Psalm 34:18 (19 in some translations)). A person who is truly broken from pride is ready for change, see The Apostle Peter. It keeps us from getting puffed up. The main problem with the church in Laodicea was that they weren't "poor in spirit", see The Seven Churches in the Book of Revelation. See time 7:29–14:34 in
Luke 4 (Part 2) :16-30 • Jesus, the fulfillment of Prophecy. 
It's not the same as seeing yourself in a bad light or having low self-esteem.

God is far from those who are proud, arrogant, and full of themselves.
But those who have been emptied of themselves, humble in heart,
broken from proud, he is right there by their side:

• "For this is what the high and exalted One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: 'I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.'" (Isaiah 57:15 (NIV)).
• "These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word." (Isaiah 66:2b (NIV)).

It's a blessed condition attached to such a situation (Psalm 51:15–17 (17–19 in some translations), see Psalm 51: Coming to God when we fail. It makes us open
to receive from God; we understand that we need him. We aren't good enough and can't be good enough in our own, see Jesus and the Young Rich Man. Jesus can now fill our hearts with his goodness, abilities, and power and we can more easily receive his Salvation (Joel 2:12–13). We have nothing to offer God for our Salvation. 

A brokenness from pride is a positive brokenness. But there is also a destructive brokenness that is something else. People can be physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually broken and need to be healed from it, sometimes with medicine and psychiatric help. The demon-possessed people that Jesus freed are examples of people broken in the most extreme and destructive way, see Exorcism in
Miracles of Jesus. There is hope for such persons, God has the power to heal and restore even such persons: "He (God) heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." (Psalm 147:3). See also Hope in Faith, Hope, and Agape Love. See also time 19:52–26:54 in Luke 4 (Part 2) :16-30 • Jesus, the fulfillment of Prophecy. 

2) Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted
(Mat 5:4, Luk 6:21b, 25b):

One reason for mourning is that I realize the seriousness of my sinful condition. It begins with understanding the gravity of my own sin. Later, that sorrow can also take on a sorrow for sin and shortcomings that have been done to others. There is a time of sorrow that we as believers go through related to our sin and related to all that has been lost in our lives because of our sin. The recognition of sin in our lives is what the Bible calls Godly sorrow (James 4:9–10). Godly sorrow produces
repentance that leads to Salvation that leaves no regret (2 Cor 7:10a). Worldly sorrow is something else. It's a sadness to be caught and contains no remorse
(2 Cor 7:10b). God's response to our sorrow is, to comfort us (2 Cor 1:3–4).

Repentance and brokenness from pride, along with humility, are the keys to
hearing God's voice. It makes us open to what God has to say, see
To hear the voice of God in Psalm 131: I have quieted my soul.

3) Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth (Mat 5:5):

Meekness (humility) is willingness to submit and work under authority, willing to disregard my own "right" and privileges. It speaks of the brokenness of pride 
(Luk 22:61–62, Isaiah 66:2b, Gen (1 Mos) 32:22–32). It's a person who is always ready to get along with anyone, who never believes himself to be superior, and who knows that everything good he has is a gift from God. To see myself as God sees me, as I really am according to God's word (Mat 18:4, Luk 9:48b). To neither think too highly of myself nor struggle with low self-esteem (Rom 12:3).
Thinks about the needs of others more than myself. Apostle Peter is an example of a biblical character who began to think too highly of himself. Gideon is an example of an Old Testament biblical character who struggled with low self-esteem. Both were used by God. Watch the video How did Moses demonstrate godly humility?

A person with low self-esteem spends a lot of time thinking about himself, and that isn't humility. The meaning of pride is centered on the self. See the following verses:

• "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." (James 4:10). 
  
• "The Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation." (Psalm 149:4). 
• "He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate." (Luk 1:52).
• "He (Jesus) humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Phil 2:6–8). 

See also 1. Deny yourself and 2. Take up his cross in The Apostle Peter.

4) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied (Mat 5:6, Luk 6:21a, 25a):

Righteousness between people is based on our actions. To be righteous before God
is something else, because our actions aren't and can't be good enough (Rom 3:20, 
Isaiah 64:6a). Righteousness before God is given through faith in Jesus Christ to
all who believe and trust in him (Rom 3:21–22a, Mat 22:36–40), see Salvation. As born again Christians, we should strive to live a correct (righteous) life towards other people (Mat 22:39) with the help of the Holy Spirit, see Sanctification.

5) Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy
(Mat 5:7, Luk 6:36):

Grace is getting what we don't deserve, such as blessings. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. For example, not getting punished for sin we do (Titus 3:4–5a). 
We should do the same to people who hurt us, offend us, see 
Forgive and You will Be Forgiven. Peter asked Jesus how many times he would forgive, if it was seven times. Jesus answered him that it isn't up to seven times, but seventy times seven (Matt 18:21–22). What Jesus meant is to constantly forgive.

6) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Mat 5:8):

Pure doesn't refer to sinful perfection, as that is impossible to achieve in this life.
It talks about filtering out the impurities in our lives. We therefore need to be cleansed (Psalm 24:3–4).

A pure heart is pure worship of God where there are no other idols picking for attention, and to be honest, sincere, and open to our fellow man. It means filtering out idolatry (putting something or someone above God) from our worship of God, and filtering out dishonesty from our dealings with other people. God looks at our heart (1 Sam 16:7, Proverbs 4:23). The heart stands in the Bible for the whole inner man, thoughts as well as feelings (Proverbs 16:9, 24:1–2). God purifies us through his word together with the Holy Spirit who gives the word life to us and gives it application in our lives (John 15:1–3). We need to embrace the word through the Holy Spirit within us. Then we will see God working in our lives (Psalm 32:1–11).

7) Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God
(Mat 5:9):

Jesus speaks of peace that results from no longer being a stranger to God. The separation between me and God is removed when you become a Christian. It creates joy and peace in our lives (Rom 5:1). Peace with God is a growth of God's grace. When I understand that God's love for me isn't based on what I deserve, but on what he has given me by grace, it creates peace between me and God. 

The opposite is a relationship based on performance. It means I try to live a good Christian life. As a result, God will love me, accept me, and bless me.
One problem with that is that I will never know if I live up to God's standard, see Jesus and the Young Rich Man. And it's certainly not based on God's grace but on my own good performance.

But God showed his love for us by Jesus dying for us while we were still sinners (Rom 5:8, 10, 2 Cor 5:18–19), see The Atonement and Salvation.
When God's grace comes into our lives, peace with God is the result.

I need to have peace in my life to be able to give peace.
As Christians we should love one another (John 13:35), see Unity.

A biblical peacemaker is a person who conveys the gospel to other people; The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The only way to biblical peace is through Christ (John 14:6). Jesus paid the price with his death on the cross.

Blessed are those who are persecuted
(Mat 5:10–16, Luk 6:22–23, 26)

No one comes to God except through Jesus (John 14:6), see
Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life. Jesus exposes the sin of this world 
(John 3:19–20). We as Christians are meant to be the salt and the light in
this world (Mat 5:13–16, Mark 9:50, Luk 14:34–35, Eph 5:8–15, John 3:19–21).
It should be seen in our lives that we are Christians. 

The persecution is due to the conflict between following Jesus, and the desire to live a life without Jesus. When we begin to follow Jesus seriously, we will attract opposition. We are called to suffer for God (1 Pet 2:20b–21). All who want to live a godly life in Jesus will be persecuted (2 Tim 3:12). However, it's possible to be a Christian believer without being persecuted by simply keeping a low profile. 

We should rejoice and be glad if we are persecuted for our Christian faith, for our reward will be great in Heaven (Mat 5:11–12, 1 Pet 4:12–16,
2 Thess 1:4–5, Rom 8:16–18). "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thess 5:18, Acts 16:22–25, Col 2:7b, Psalm 100:4). 

Being thankful and expressing thanksgiving does the following:

• Keeps our hearts in right relationship with the giver of all good gifts.
• Reminds us of how much we actually have.
• Saves us from harmful emotions and attitudes that rob us of God's peace and can lead to discontent and bitterness. 

Jesus and the Law
(Mat 5:17–20)

See Jesus and the Law.

Jesus' teaching about anger
(Mat 5:21–26)

See the commentary on the 6th commandment in the The Ten Commandments.

King David wrote: "Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord."
(Psalm 4:4–5 (5–6 in some translations)). David confronts evil men, his enemies, with a warning that their anger overflows into violence, which it often does. They should think deeply on their beds about what they are doing and be silent before the Lord. They should put their trust in the Lord and not in what their anger could accomplish. 

Apostle Paul quoted that: "Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil." (Eph 4:26). Paul confronts Christian believers. Anger isn't necessarily a sin; Jesus got angry on certain
occasions and he was always without sin. But we aren't Jesus. The possibility for us to get angry and lash out is very great. We must therefore be very careful about it.
"do not let the sun go down on your anger" means that we aren't to dwell on grudges, anger, or insult. We shouldn't allow too much time to pass before we resolve a conflict, either by addressing it individually with the person concerned or by taking it to the Lord in prayer. We should neither repress our feelings nor express ourselves in anger towards this other person. 

"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." (James 1:19–20), see time 19:25–22:27 in James 1 (Part 3) :16–27.

Jesus' teaching on adultery and divorce 
(Mat 5:27–32)

Mat 5:29–30 are comparisons and don’t mean to harm yourself. 
These verses show the seriousness of adultery. See also the comment to
the 7th commandment in the The Ten Commandments.

Oaths
(Mat 5:33–37)

We shall not take an oath at all (Mat 5:34–36), see Jephthah the Judge. Instead, our answer should be 'Yes' or 'No' (Mat 5:37, James 5:12). However, this must not be interpreted as an absolute prohibition of all oaths, for example in a court of law we may have to take an oath to tell the truth, and it's OK to do so, see Heb 6:13,
Luk 1:73, Mat 26:63–64. It's more of an emphasis on truth and honesty.

Love and not revenge
(Mat 5:38–41, 43–48, Luk 6:27–29, 31–36)

As believers, we are not to justify revenge (Mat 5:39–41, Luk 6:29).

• "Do not say, 'I will repay evil'; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you."
  (Proverbs 20:22).
• "Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense." (Proverbs 19:11). This is done because of love.

We should act as Jesus did and leave it to the Lord (1 Pet 2:23). Jesus forgave those who crucified him (Luk 23:33–34a). We should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Mat 5:44–48, Luk 6:27–28, 32–36), see Agape Love in the end part of Spiritual Gifts. See the following verses: 

• "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them." 
  (Rom 12:14).
• "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." 
  (Rom 12:20–21, Proverbs 25:21–22).
• "Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing."
  (1 Pet 3:9).

If we don't forgive we leave room for bitterness. Bitterness spreads like a disease (Heb 12:15). We can forgive in the power of the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus says: "if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also" (Mat 5:39, Luk 6:29a), he means that when we are offended we shouldn't act harshly, even when we have done nothing wrong, but instead forgive and leave it to the Lord. When bad thoughts about it come back, we can ask for the help of the Holy Spirit to deal with it in a biblical way and be able to leave it to God:
० Time 9:14–20:58 in 1 Peter 3 (Part 2) :8-22 • Always Prepared . . ..
० Time 43:04–45:00 in Matthew 5:27-48 – Life in His Kingdom . . ..
० Time 10:16–11:20 in September 2024 Bible Q&A.

We should leave it to the Lord (Rom 12:19, Deu (5 Mos) 32:35). A wicked man who does evil falls into the hole he has made (2 Thess 1:6–10). His mischief returns upon his own head (Psalm 7:14–16 (15–17 in some translations)). Whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap (Gal 6:7), see The book of Obadiah. The only exception to that is if the person who has wronged me comes to the Lord and finds forgiveness in Jesus Christ. I can't then complain that he isn't punished for it, because I have received the same grace, mercy, and forgiveness from the Lord, see Salvation.  

Giving
(Mat 6:1–4, 5:42, Luk 6:30)

The principles of giving are described at the end of The Book of Corinthians.

Giving is about so much more than just money. Jesus was a giver. He expressed the Father's heart in acts of compassion, fed the multitudes, healed people. Believers should be characterized by generosity and compassion, show mercy and kindness even if the person doesn't deserve these things. We are recipients of God's mercy and love and should therefore be able to act merciful towards other people. 

What about all the beggars we see related to Mat 5:42 and Luk 6:30?
If Christians took those verses quite literally, there would soon be one class of Christian poor, who own nothing, and another class of prosperous idlers and thieves. This isn't what Jesus seeks, but a readiness among his followers to give. In a given case, it may not be love's way of giving. But it's love and mercy that must decide whether we give or refuse. Giving can be Spirit-led. If the will to give is present and the believer listens to God's voice, the giving will be generous and helpful. But indiscriminately handing out money to someone who just takes it and buys booze or drugs isn't being benevolent or helpful. A better choice then might be to regularly give to a trusted organization that helps people in need.

The Lord's prayer
(Mat 6:5–15, Luk 11:2–4)

God's word tells us: 

1. To pray (2 Chron 7:14).
2. God hears us when we pray(2 Chron 7:14). 
3. Prayer makes a difference (James 5:16).

We aren't to pray to impress people (Mat 6:5). That shouldn't be our motive. It's permissible to pray in public, Jesus did. But we should also pray when we are alone, because then all other distractions are minimized (Mat 6:6). God wants us to worship him in spirit and truth (John 4:23–24). We can pray everywhere (John 4:20–22).
God knows our needs before we ask him (Mat 6:7–8) but wants us to ask for them.

The Lord's Prayer is meant to give us guidelines for how to pray (Mat 6:9–13,
Luk 11:2–4). God's name is holy and special (Mat 6:9, Luk 11:2a). We want God's will to be established in our lives and around us (Mat 6:10b). Even Jesus prayed that it would be according to the will of God the Father when he said: "not as I will, but as you will" (Mat 26:39b). Therefore, when we ask God for something, we can add the word submission to our requests and ask for God's will for sovereignty trumps our own desires. We want God to give us what we need in our daily lives, such as wisdom, discernment, strength, ability, and of course food and clothes. God wants us to depend on him daily. He wants a daily relationship. (Mat 6:11, Luk 11:3). 
We should ask God to forgive us, the same way we also forgive others 
(Mat 6:12, Luk 11:4a). If we don't forgive others their sins, God the Father
won't forgive us our sins (Mat 6:14–15), see Forgive and You will Be Forgiven. 

We should also ask God to lead us away from temptation and to deliver us from evil. (Mat 6:13, Luk 11:4b). We are all tempted but temptation alone isn't sin.
It means asking to be saved from being sucked into the temptation. It basically expresses a healthy distrust of one's own ability to resist temptation or to stand up under trials. It recognizes our dependence on the Lord for our sustenance.
The Greek word essentially expresses the idea of ​​not being led into temptation. 

King David wrote: "Do not let my heart incline to any evil,
to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, 
and let me not eat of their delicacies!" (Psalm 141:4).

We can also pray for the people who are trapped in evil, and even for the people who are the source of that evil, but also that God will abolish the evil that we see on Earth and brings his kingdom over these situations (Mat 6:10a, Luk 11:2b).

Fasting
(Mat 6:16–18)

See Fasting.

Laying up treasures in Heaven
(Mat 6:19–24)

We shouldn't collect treasure on Earth. We can't take them with us when we die.
It's better to lay up treasures in Heaven (Mat 6:19–20). Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Mat 6:21, 24a, Ecclesiastes 5:10 (9 in some translations)). No one can serve two masters, such as God and money (Mat 6:24b), see The Parable of the Rich Fool and The Parable of the Dishonest Manager.

Don't be anxious
(Mat 6:25–34)

We shouldn't be anxious for our lives what we shall eat or drink, nor for our bodies what we shall put on (Mat 6:25):

1. We should look at the birds that God feeds and learn from them. Are we not worth much more (Mat 6:26, 10:29–31). God cares about us (1 Pet 5:7).
2. Our anxiety can't add a single hour to our lifespan (Mat 6:27).
3. As God clothes the grass of the field, so he will clothe us (Mat 6:28–30).
   Worrying is a lack of faith, it's a kind of sin (Rom 14:23b).
4. God knows all our needs (Mat 6:31–32).

We should seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to us. When we do that, we shouldn't worry about tomorrow
(Mat 6:33–34). This means that we should first seek the rule of Jesus Christ in every aspect of our lives. We should also present our requests to God, by prayer and supplication and with thanksgiving (Phil 4:6 (NIV)). 

Do not judge others
(Mat 7:1–5, Luk 6:37–42)

We are judged with the judgment we pronounce on others (Mat 7:1–2,
Luk 6:37–38). We reap what we sow (Gal 6:7). God the Father didn't send his Son into the world to judge the world, but to save the world through him (John 3:17, 12:47–48), see Salvation. When we judge someone else, we condemn ourselves
(Rom 2:1). We shouldn't judge hypocritically (Luk 6:41–42, Mat 7:3–5), and instead make good choices and decisions (1 Cor 6:4–7), see Dealing With Sin in the Church. 

Jesus said that we should stop judging by appearances alone, but instead judge rightly (John 7:24). He said that after being criticized for healing a person on a Sabbath (John 5:16–18), see the 4th commandment in The Ten Commandments. 
Jesus had done nothing wrong and had therefore been wrongly judged.

We must beware of false prophets (Mat 7:15), see Beware of false prophets below. We can judge and correct what someone teaches, that it's according to scripture (Titus 3:10–11, Heb 4:12–13), see Word of Faith Movement in the U.S 
and The Roman Catholic Church. A judgment that something is true is something that we can do. There are situations when we must judge and correct, see 
The Book of Corinthians. The purpose of all this is to bring about a change in a bad situation, to inform followers about what is biblical, and to protect the Body of Christ (Mark 9:50). See also The Parable about a Blind Leading the Blind.

We make judgements all the time when it comes to life (Luke 12:57). Then we should do it according to the truth of God's word and not according to the world.
But we must not condemn in our judgments.

Casting pearls before swine
(Mat 7:6)

All evangelism isn't good evangelism (Mat 7:6a, Luk 23:8–9). Some evangelism can cause problems and make things worse (Mat 7:6b). God says through Isaiah that his word that goes forth from God won't return to him void, but will accomplish what he desires and will achieve its purpose (Isaiah 55:10–11). This isn't a guarantee that the word we share will never return void, see The Parable of the Sower. 

Jesus said: "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say." (John 8:23, 43).

Apostle John wrote: "They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. . . . whoever is not from God does not listen to us . . .". (1 John 4:5–6).

"Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning." (Proverbs 9:7–9),
see The Book of Proverbs.

Herod Antipas asked Jesus many questions when he had been captured, but Jesus didn't answer him. The reason was that Jesus knew what was in Herod's heart, that he wasn't interested in hearing the truth, he just wanted to be entertained. 
(Luk 23:8–11). He represents the hard way in the The Parable of the Sower.

Herod represents the natural man who can't receive spiritual things, for they are foolishness to him (1 Cor 2:14). Just as a swine can't understand the value of a pearl because he can't eat it, this type of people can't understand the value of the gospel. 

But we should be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks us to give the reason for the hope that we have (1 Pet 3:15b): 

1. Know your audience and tailor your approach to them.
2. Be led by the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:27–31).
3. Be motivated by love (2 Cor 5:14).
4. Keep it about Jesus.
5. Be empowered (Acts 1:4–5).
6. Don't quarrel (John 1:45–46b).
7. Begin and follow up with prayer.

Ask, and it will be given to you
(Mat 7:7–11, Luk 11:9–13)

God answers prayer and will always do what is best for his children (Mat 7:11,
Luk 11:13). Everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened (Mat 7:7–8, Luk 11:9–10, Deu (5 Mos) 4:29, Jer 29:13).
We serve a mighty God for whom nothing is impossible. King David wrote: 
"I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me;
hear my words." (Psalm 17:6). We should pray from our hearts and not use vain repetitions (Mat 6:7), God answers our prayers, see time 7:52–10:17 in
Bible Q&A With Pastor Paul │March 2024. But there are times when it seems that God doesn't answer prayer. Some of the reasons may be the following:

1. We have little or no faith in God, see Faith, Hope, and Agape Love. There was a time when Jesus came to his hometown and could do no mighty work there, except to lay hands on some sick people and heal them. The reason was that they resented him and didn't believe in him. (Mat 13:53–58, Mark 6:1–6,
   Luk 4:16–30). When we ask God in prayer, we must believe and not doubt (Mat 17:20, James 1:6–8, Heb 11:6). God can do far more than anything we ask or imagine through the power of the Holy Spirit who works in us (Eph 3:20).
2. We don't persevere in prayer (Luk 18:1–8, 11:5–8). Jesus said:
   "Will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night?"
   (Luk 18:7), see The Parable of the Persistent Widow.
3. Sometimes there is a divine delay before a prayer is answered. Zechariah had probably been asking God for a son for a long time (Luk 1:13–20). God may have a time for a prayer to be answered, it may be far in the future. It may even be about things that we have stopped praying for.
4. We don't pray according to God's will (1 John 5:14–15, Lamentations 3:37). Sometimes we see God as a genie in a bottle who gives us everything we want when we want it. Sometimes it's better not to get what we ask for.
   Our perception doesn't always agree with God's perception (Isaiah 55:8–9). We don't have all the information that God has (1 Cor 13:12). God sees the whole picture. It may be that God has a different solution to a problem than we have. Jesus shows us this when he prays in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luk 22:41–42). See also time 30:20–35:40 in 
   James 5 • The coming of the Lord is at hand.
5. We are temporally minded, focused on the life in this world (Col 3:1–2).
   God makes decisions in our lives based on eternity.
6. We ask with the wrong motive (James 4:3 (NIV)). Our motives aren't always pure (1 Cor 4:4). Sometimes we pray with the wrong motives.
7. Our prayers are hindered by our behavior (Psalm 66:18, 1 Pet 3:7), see
   time 0:32–1:42 in Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul │December 2023. Wrong behaviors can create a separation between me and God that can prevent my prayers from being answered. It must be restored through confession and repentance, see also Must we lift up our hands when we pray? in 
   The Woman's Place in the Congregation.
8. God has a higher purpose. God allowed a thorn in Paul's flesh to prevent him from becoming proud (2 Cor 12:7–10). A thorn in the flesh can produce something in my life that makes me useful for God. It increases my humility, see 3) Blessed are the meek above. It keeps me from being puffed up and conceited. We fail to see the value of suffering (2 Cor 4:17).
9. We reject the Lord's chastening (Heb 12:5–7a). We should endure all hardships as discipline, see the first part of The Book of James.
10. We should pray from our hearts and not use vain repetitions (Mat 6:7).

See also time 11:28–13:28 in September 2024 Bible Q&A.

There can be great power in one person's prayer: "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." (James 5:16b–18). Mat 18:19–20 that speak of the case when two or three are gathered in the name of Jesus deal with church discipline, see Dealing With Sin in the Church. See these verses explained 
at time 21:14–22:50 in Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul and Sue.

The Golden Rule
(Mat 7:12, Luk 6:31)

The Golden Rule is the principle of treating others as you would like to be treated. 

Whatever we want others to do to us, we must do to them (Mat 7:12a, 
Luk 6:31). This is a summary of the Law and the Prophets (Mat 7:12b).
It's through the power of the Holy Spirit that we do this (1 Thess 4:9–10).
But even then we can't make it perfect. If we could make it perfect,
we shouldn't need another rule. This is a message to the Christian believers.

The greatest and first commandment, part of the Law, is that God is One
(Mark 12:28b–29, 32, Deu (5 Mos) 6:4) (see the last question in The Trinity),
and to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind
(Mat 22:36–38, Mark 12:30, 33, Deu (5 Mos) 6:5). 

The references to heart, soul, and mind are intended to convey the idea of the
whole man, see Body, Soul, and Spirit in The Danger with Gnosticism. The Lord commands that we should love God with everything in us. To love God with all my heart, soul, and mind is to live for God above all else. It's to use all that God has given me; my heart, my thoughts, and even my physical energy for him and his purposes. God wants us to live our lives for him, to please and serve him. This commandment can never be fully obeyed by sinful people. To love God perfectly without failing is beyond our ability. We all spend most of our time living for ourselves in one self-centered way. That's one reason why Jesus needed to come
and die on the cross for our sins. And yet it should remain the goal of our hearts. 
King Josiah of Judah in the Old Testament loved the Lord as much as he could do.

The second greatest commandment that is also part of the Golden Rule is: 
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
(Mat 22:39, Mark 12:31, 33, James 2:8, Lev (3 Mos) 19:18). 

See also Love and not revenge above.

On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets
(Mat 22:36–40, Rom 13:8–10, Gal 5:14). First God, then people.

Jesus also answered an expert in the Law that he would have eternal life if he kept these rules (Luk 10:25–28). However, there is no possible way with our human efforts to keep the Law, see Jesus and the Young Rich Man. No one is declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the Law. Through the Law we become aware of our sin (Rom 3:20). Whoever keeps the whole Law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of transgressing them all (James 2:10), see Jesus and the Law. We have all sinned and fall short of God's glory (Rom 3:23), therefore we need Jesus as our Savior, see Salvation.

The narrow gate
(Mat 7:13–14, Luk 13:22–30)

See The Narrow Gate.

Beware of false prophets
(Mat 7:15–23, Luk 6:43–46)

A prophet is by definition someone who speaks for God, see Spiritual Gifts.

 
Jesus warns us about false prophets (Mat 7:15a, 24:11). They come in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves (Mat 7:15b). They are even found in the body of Christ. A false prophet is someone who lies and speaks twisted things by twisting the meaning of verses in the Bible and trying to convince us that they convey a message from God (Jer 23:16–17, Col 2:8). They tell people what they want to hear (Jer 8:11, 2 Tim 4:3–4), see itching ears. They give people a false sense of security (1 Thess 5:3), see Ahab of Israel and Jehoshaphat of Judah 
in Elijah the Prophet. They blur the distinction between righteousness and sin,
to deceive well-meaning Christian believers into following them (Acts 20:29–30). 
They are trying to take advantage of you financially. Their motive is to make merchandise at your expense. These are characteristics of the end time Antichrist, see Who is the End Time Antichrist?

If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among us and proclaims signs or wonders, and if the signs or wonders spoken of take place, but the prophet teaches a false gospel, then we must not listen to him (Mat 24:24). God then tests us to see if we will follow the miracle or the word of God (Deu (5 Mos) 13:1–3). People who are involved in prophesying and casting out demons in the name of Jesus are called workers of lawlessness by Jesus (Mat 7:21–23, Luk 6:46). Although they did these great miracles, they didn't belong to Jesus (2 Tim 2:19), see 
Balaam and Balak. 

God doesn't necessarily require a person to be godly to give true prophecies from God. Saul prophesied shortly after he had been anointed king (1 Sam 10:10–11).
He also did it when he tried to kill David (1 Sam 19:23–24).

Saul proved to be a very cruel and wicked king, see Samuel and Saul. 

By their fruit we will recognize false prophets (Mat 7:15–20, 12:33, Luk 6:43–45,
Gal 5:19–21a). A person's character is of utmost importance to have any kind of leadership in a church (1 Tim 3:2–7), see The Book of Timothy. Even godly people will make mistakes from time to time, but even then they will show good fruit
(Gal 5:22–23a).

The change that God seeks in our lives is a work that takes place when people really encounter Jesus Christ and he will live inside them through the Holy Spirit, and through that indwelling, these people begin to change their lives (1 Cor 6:9–11), see Sanctification.

The wise and foolish builders
(Mat 7:24–29, Luk 6:47–49)

See The Parable about the Wise and Foolish Builders.

See also Some stories in the gospels at the bottom of The Four Gospels.

Jesus and the Law

Jesus came to fulfill the Law (Mat 5:17–20). The Law is essential the Torah; 
the first five books of the Old Testament containing the Mosaic Laws. Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the Law and the prophets (Heb 1:1–2), see Listen to Jesus.

These laws which are part of the Old Covenant were given to the people of Israel 
(Mal 4:4, Deu (5 Mos) 4:10–14), and not to the Body of Christ. It's a physical Covenant. Their promises made no provision for eternity, they are all for this life.

The purpose of the Mosaic Laws is as follows:

1. The Mosaic Laws weren't given to the people of Israel as a means of being 
   saved, see What Happens to Those Who Have Never Heard About Jesus?
   The people of Israel's possession of the Promised Land depended of their obedience to keep the Mosaic Laws. 
2. These laws reveal God's righteousness but can't make anyone righteous 
   (Gal 2:16, 21). Through these laws we become aware of our sin
   (Rom 3:20), see The Book of Galatians.
3. God doesn't give us the Holy Spirit because we obey the Mosaic Laws 
   (Gal 3:2). We receive the Holy Spirit because we believe and trust in Jesus.
4. The Mosaic Laws are meant to lead us to Christ, but we are no longer under them (Gal 3:24–25). We should now be led by the Holy Spirit who has taken up residence within us as born again Christians, see The Book of Peter.
   Notice then that God will not tell us to do anything that violates his own word. It also doesn't mean that we're doing it perfectly, but we are learning.

The Mosaic Laws contain three types of laws:

1. Ceremonial laws:
   It deals with ceremonials in which Israel participated, such as religious festivals, offerings, and Sabbath keeping.
2. Civil laws:
   It's about things that apply to daily life in Israel. For example, how to treat the poor, dispute between individuals, tithe.
3. Moral laws:
   It deals with sexual relations and most of The Ten Commandments.

God told the Jews in the Old Testament that he would make a New Covenant
with them (Jer 31:31–34, Heb 8:6–13, 10:15–18), see from time 10:12 in 
Hebrews 8 • A better covenant and at time 38:00–41:53 in 1 Peter 1 (Part 1) :1-2.
It's the covenant of grace we now have through Jesus Christ. Even the Jews can
no longer claim the promises of the Old Covenant. God has offered them a
New Covenant through his Son. That they have rejected his Son and the 
New Covenant doesn't mean that the Old Covenant applies for them 
(Rom 6:14, Heb 8:13), see The Parable of Putting New Wine into Old Wineskins.

Jesus said: "The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it. But it is easier for heaven and Earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void." (Luk 16:16–17). John the Baptist was like the last Old Testament prophet.
Until the time of John, the Law and the Prophets ruled as the Old Covenant for the people of Israel. Jesus came and spoke about the kingdom of God and introduced
the New Covenant at the Last Supper for all people on Earth based on him 
(Luk 22:19–20, 1 Cor 11:23–26). It was activated through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ through his blood so that we can be forgiven. 

The Old Covenant was a physical covenant for Israel. The New Covenant is a spiritual covenant  for Jews and Gentiles (2 Cor 3:6, 8). We aren't "slaves" to the Mosaic Laws. (Gal 2:4, 2 Cor 3:16–17). "Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'" (John 8:31–32). And Jesus also said:
"If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:36). See differences between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant explained at time 21:12–25:43 in Bible Q&A With Pastor Paul │March 2024.

The Law will not go away because it's a reflection of God's character, his holiness and purity, see God's Attributes, and that will never change. Jesus created a completely new relationship to the Law by dying on the cross and sending the Holy Spirit 
(who is the lawgiver) into our hearts. Now we as Christians have an inner voice
of the Holy Spirit, who merges with our own spirits, see Sanctification.  

The ceremonial laws point to and lead us to Jesus (Gal 3:24), who fulfilled these laws (Mat 5:17). (See the celebration of Christmas explained at time 48:31–51:47 in Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul │December 2023.) The civil laws and the moral laws are brought into our minds by the Holy Spirit as Christians in the New Covenant, described in the New Testament (Jer 31:33, 2 Cor 3:3, Rom 7:6, Gal 3:23–25, 5:18,
Heb 7:18–19). As Christians, we should be led by the Holy Spirit within us. Christ is the end of the Law, so that there is righteousness for everyone who believes and trusts in him (Rom 10:4). However, the moral laws are the same and even stricter in the New Covenant as in the Old Covenant (1 Tim 1:8–11), see
The Ten Commandments. See what Jesus said at The Sermon on the Mount.
See also Life in the Spirit in The Book of Romans.

There is always a risk of falling into Legalism which isn't biblical. It's keeping
man-made rules and regulations so that we can be considered righteous in God's sight. It's done to be acceptable to God. See Legalism in The Book of Colossians
and Disputable Matters in The Book of Romans.

Tithing is under the Mosaic Laws of the Old Covenant. See it explained (Mal 3:8–10)
in The Book of Malachi. As Christians we aren't under the Mosaic Laws. We are under the New Covenant described in the New Testament. The New Testament doesn't require believers to tithe. The principles of giving in the New Covenant are described at the end part of The Book of Corinthians.

Jesus came to fulfill the Law (Mat 5:17). It includes all the three types of laws above. It means that he came to satisfy the demands of the Law and to fulfill all that it points to. The requirements of the Law are the requirements of righteousness that God has established. None of us can measure up to them. Whoever keeps the whole Law and yet stumbles at one point is guilty of breaking them all (James 2:10).
Because we fail, we are under the curse of the Law which is death (Rom 7:9–11).
The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23a). 

By fulfilling the demands and the requirements of the Law, Jesus released
us from the curse. Jesus kept the Law perfectly as a man but also as Son of God (Heb 4:15). Keeping them perfect gave Jesus the ability to pay the debt we owe to the Law. Through his physical death on the cross he payed the price and fulfilled the requirements of the Law for us all (Heb 9:15), see 
The Crucifixion of Jesus. Whoever is hanged on a pole is under God’s curse 

(Gal 3:13, Deu (5 Mos) 21:23). Jesus took the curse for us. By doing so, he satisfied the requirements of the Law. Our part in this is to acknowledge it, believe and trust Jesus, and invite him into our heart (John 1:12), see Salvation. 

This can be compared with dispensationalism, see time 22:32–27:31 in
Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul │ January 2024.

See also Some stories in the gospels at the bottom of The Four Gospels.