The Beatitudes: Christ Magnifying the Law

[2ndTimeIsTheCharm]

You are assuming that I do not know the guidance. I have sufficient gifts from the HS that such an assumption is likely incorrect.

Then why are you even asking all these questions???

 

[2Christ]

The problem is clear though from the OT. There were ample false prophets who could convince people that they were prophets presumably by what they could do as the OT also indicates that prophets ere capable of performing miracles, but likely they also believed that they were speaking under the authority of the HS. By what standards do those who claim the inspiration of the HS back up their claims today? How does one clearly distinguish what the HS says from what is being whispered by some other spirit, or our own desires/ego.

the reference for everything is definitely the words of Christ, if it does not match His words, there is a problem it is why we must be careful and avoid interpretations that distract from the truth. many preachers today do this and twist scripture and they are convincing, unfortunately some fall for these, they interpret falsely the words of Jesus or Paul.

 

[2Christ]

Of course you'd say that. Accept the consequences then.

He does not know what the consequences are but ultimately it is by the words of Jesus that we shall all be judged. some people just don't fear God and that is an error, for myself I certainly do.

 

[rewriter]

Then why are you even asking all these questions???

It is possible that someone will point out an error in my logic, or it is also possible that by asking questions, someone else will see a flaw in their own logic.

Many questions have two kinds of answers, easy ones that people can just spout and feel knowledgeable because they know the answer, until they hit a situation where the easy answer fails, and difficult answers, that take serious effort to learn, but which also hold up when challenged. I like the difficult answers, they are harder to find, but they hold up much better under pressure.

 

[2ndTimeIsTheCharm]

He does not know what the consequences are but ultimately it is by the words of Jesus that we shall all be judged. some people just don't fear God and that is an error, for myself I certainly do.

Here are some more verses to comfort, strengthen and encourage you:

Matthew 5:11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

1 Peter 4:14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

2 Timothy 4:18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

James 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

2 Corinthians 4:9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

1 Peter 3:14 “But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.”

John 15:20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.


So read these verses for yourself - see and know that God is your comfort and strength and will reward you well to compensate for the persecution. These really are the last days and people WILL become more hostile towards you for encouraging others to love God through obedience by His Holy Spirit.

 

[2ndTimeIsTheCharm]

It is possible that someone will point out an error in my logic, or it is also possible that by asking questions, someone else will see a flaw in their own logic.

Many questions have two kinds of answers, easy ones that people can just spout and feel knowledgeable because they know the answer, until they hit a situation where the easy answer fails, and difficult answers, that take serious effort to learn, but which also hold up when challenged. I like the difficult answers, they are harder to find, but they hold up much better under pressure.

Yeah, sure Jan!

 

[2Christ]

Here are some more verses to comfort, strengthen and encourage you:

Matthew 5:11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

1 Peter 4:14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

2 Timothy 4:18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

James 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

2 Corinthians 4:9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

1 Peter 3:14 “But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.”

John 15:20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.


So read these verses for yourself - see and know that God is your comfort and strength and will reward you well to compensate for the persecution. These really are the last days and people WILL become more hostile towards you for encouraging others to love God through obedience by His Holy Spirit.

Thank you sister!

 

[Musicmaster]

It seems that how some perceive the words of Christ about the Law is what's at issue here, even though some individuals have claimed the other has departed from what Christ said, while they themselves force meaning into those texts without any real understanding about what they're talking about apart from some superficial legalism...which is itself a departure from what scripture says:

Romans 2:14-15
14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

How?

Verse 15 "Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;"

See that? It's the WORK of the Law that's within Gentiles today, including us Jews who are in the body of Christ. It would do no good to have mere words written in the heart and mind. Anyone can memorize scripture, but what's most effective is the work of those words, given that the very Author Himself indwells us. He's the One who enlivens the WORK of the Law written in us. Words are words, but work is active and effectual far beyond mere words.

MM

 

[2Christ]

It seems that how some perceive the words of Christ about the Law is what's at issue here, even though some individuals have claimed the other has departed from what Christ said, while they themselves force meaning into those texts without any real understanding about what they're talking about apart from some superficial legalism...which is itself a departure from what scripture says:

Romans 2:14-15
14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

How?

Verse 15 "Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;"

See that? It's the WORK of the Law that's within Gentiles today, including us Jews who are in the body of Christ. It would do no good to have mere words written in the heart and mind. Anyone can memorize scripture, but what's most effective is the work of those words, given that the very Author Himself indwells us. He's the One who enlivens the WORK of the Law written in us. Words are words, but work is active and effectual far beyond mere words.

MM

Its scary to see how many people interpret scripture to fit their own beliefs and say the ten commandments Jesus told us to keep to enter eternal life ( Yes he said this exactly) is no more and no longer important and we can use our own definitions instead of listening to God.

Romans 2:14-15 is often quoted to claim that God's Law has been abolished. However, in its context, Paul is making the opposite point.

For when Gentiles that have not the law do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are the law unto themselves; in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness therewith...(Romans 2:14-15, ASV)

The Gentiles "have not the law" because they did not receive the written Law through Moses as Israel did. Paul is not saying the Law no longer exists. Instead, he says they "do... the things of the law." If the Law had ended, there would be nothing left to do.

When Paul says they are "a law unto themselves," he is not saying everyone creates their own morality. The very next verse explains that they "show the work of the law written in their hearts." Their conscience recognizes God's moral standards, such as that murder, theft, and lying are wrong, even without possessing the written Law.

Paul's point throughout Romans 2 is not that the Law has disappeared, but that merely possessing it does not make anyone righteous. In fact, just one verse earlier he writes, For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. (Romans 2:13, ASV). This would make little sense if Paul believed God's Law no longer mattered. His argument is that God looks at obedience, not simply at whether someone was born a Jew or possessed the written Law.

This agrees completely with Jesus' teaching:

Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law... (Matthew 5:17-18, ASV)

It also fulfills God's promise of the New Covenant:

I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it... (Jeremiah 31:33, ASV)

The New Covenant does not remove God's Law. It moves it from stone tablets to willing hearts. Jesus Himself taught this in the Sermon on the Mount by showing that obedience begins in the heart, condemning hatred as the root of murder and lust as the root of adultery.

Therefore, Romans 2:14-15 does not teach that God's Law has ended. It teaches that God's moral Law is so universal that even those without the written Scriptures can recognize its principles through conscience. Rather than abolishing the Law, Paul shows that God's righteous standard applies to everyone, exactly as Jesus taught!

 

[Musicmaster]

Its scary to see how many people interpret scripture to fit their own beliefs and say the ten commandments Jesus told us to keep to enter eternal life ( Yes he said this exactly) is no more and no longer important and we can use our own definitions instead of listening to God.

Romans 2:14-15 is often quoted to claim that God's Law has been abolished. However, in its context, Paul is making the opposite point.

For when Gentiles that have not the law do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are the law unto themselves; in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness therewith...(Romans 2:14-15, ASV)

The Gentiles "have not the law" because they did not receive the written Law through Moses as Israel did. Paul is not saying the Law no longer exists. Instead, he says they "do... the things of the law." If the Law had ended, there would be nothing left to do.

When Paul says they are "a law unto themselves," he is not saying everyone creates their own morality. The very next verse explains that they "show the work of the law written in their hearts." Their conscience recognizes God's moral standards, such as that murder, theft, and lying are wrong, even without possessing the written Law.

Paul's point throughout Romans 2 is not that the Law has disappeared, but that merely possessing it does not make anyone righteous. In fact, just one verse earlier he writes, For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. (Romans 2:13, ASV). This would make little sense if Paul believed God's Law no longer mattered. His argument is that God looks at obedience, not simply at whether someone was born a Jew or possessed the written Law.

This agrees completely with Jesus' teaching:

Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law... (Matthew 5:17-18, ASV)

It also fulfills God's promise of the New Covenant:

I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it... (Jeremiah 31:33, ASV)

The New Covenant does not remove God's Law. It moves it from stone tablets to willing hearts. Jesus Himself taught this in the Sermon on the Mount by showing that obedience begins in the heart, condemning hatred as the root of murder and lust as the root of adultery.

Therefore, Romans 2:14-15 does not teach that God's Law has ended. It teaches that God's moral Law is so universal that even those without the written Scriptures can recognize its principles through conscience. Rather than abolishing the Law, Paul shows that God's righteous standard applies to everyone, exactly as Jesus taught!

Realistically, the Law is sill in force to this very day and beyond. It is by the Law that we know what sin is, and it is the Law that stands as the indictment against all who reject Christ Jesus as Messiah.

MM

 

[2Christ]

The beatitudes, A Practical Application and Christ's Warning​

The Beatitudes are often admired as beautiful sayings, but Jesus did not give them merely to inspire us. He gave them to reveal the kind of heart God desires in everyone who follows Him. The following addition is meant to help connect Christ's words to everyday life and to remind us that the Sermon on the Mount is not optional teaching. Jesus presents it as the standard for those who would enter His Kingdom.

Immediately after magnifying the Law, Jesus gives a solemn warning:

Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.(Matthew 5:19, ASV)

He concludes the Sermon on the Mount with an even stronger warning:

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21, ASV)

And finally:

Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock... And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. (Matthew 7:24, 26, ASV)

These warnings remind us that the Beatitudes are not simply beautiful ideals. They describe the character of those in whom God's Law has been written on the heart. To admire Christ's words without living them is to hear Him without obeying Him.

What does this look like today?

Jesus was not describing a special class of religious people. He was describing the kind of heart every disciple should have.

The poor in spirit know they need God. They do not trust in their own goodness or believe they have all the answers.

Those who mourn are grieved by sin, first in their own lives, and then by the suffering and brokenness they see in the world around them.

The meek are not weak. They have strength under control. They do not seek revenge, dominate others, or insist on always getting their own way. They remain humble and trust God to be their defender.

Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness have a deep desire to live as God commands. They seek truth, love what is right, and refuse to be satisfied with the standards of the world.

The merciful forgive because they know they themselves have received mercy. They show compassion instead of looking for opportunities to condemn.

The pure in heart are sincere before God. They are the same person in private as they are in public. Their desire is to please God even when no one else is watching.

The peacemakers do more than avoid conflict. They bring healing where there is division, speak the truth in love, forgive freely, and point others to Christ, the Prince of Peace.

These qualities cannot be produced by outward rule-keeping alone. They are the evidence that God's promise through Jeremiah has become a reality, that His Law has been written on the heart. The Beatitudes are therefore not the replacement of God's Law. They are the clearest picture of what God's Law looks like when it has taken root within a believer and begun to shape every thought, every word, and every action. They are the first visible fruits of a heart transformed by God.

 

[2Christ]

Realistically, the Law is sill in force to this very day and beyond. It is by the Law that we know what sin is, and it is the Law that stands as the indictment against all who reject Christ Jesus as Messiah.

MM

Yes, the Law is still in force and stands as a witness against all who remain in sin, including those who reject Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

Amen.

 

[GWH]

Actually, in the Beatitudes Jesus magnified grace/love.
Then the Sermon on the Mount continued by elaborating on the law in light of love.

 

[Cameron143]

The beattitudes, as with the entire chapter, reveal the superiority of Christianity and the genuine Christian life by revealing the source of true blessing.

 

[Musicmaster]

Yes, the Law is still in force and stands as a witness against all who remain in sin, including those who reject Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

Amen.

Blessedly, in addition to that, we are dead to the Law...all who are in Christ Jesus.

MM

 

[frederickdoc]

The Beatitudes: Christ Magnifying the Law

Long before Bethlehem, Isaiah was given a strange and wonderful promise about what the Messiah would do with God's Law:


It's worth pausing on that. Not abolish the Law. Not soften it. Magnify it, make it Larger, Weightier, more Glorious than it had ever appeared before. And our Lord settles any doubt that this is what He came to do, right at the opening of the very sermon that contains the Beatitudes:


That last line tells us everything. The Lord does not lower the bar of the Law for us, He raises it. The scribes and Pharisees had shrunk obedience down to outward conformity: don't kill, don't commit the act of adultery, and you've kept the commandment. Jesus relocates the Law to the heart. Not just "thou shalt not kill," but don't even nurse hatred against your brother. Not just "thou shalt not commit adultery," but don't even harbor the lust that leads there (Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28). This is the Law magnified and not stripped down, but shown in its full and proper weight.

And before our Lord ever touches a single commandment in that sermon, He opens with the Beatitudes, a description of the very kind of heart the Law was always meant to produce:


None of these can be reduced to an external act checked off a list. You cannot legislate poverty of spirit. You cannot command mourning over sin, or purity of heart, by decree. Yet this inward reality is exactly what the Law, rightly understood, was always pointing toward — as Moses himself said long before: "Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart" (Deuteronomy 10:16). The Beatitudes show us the fruit of a Law that has been honoured in spirit, not merely obeyed in the letter written on stone.

This inward magnifying of the Law is not a New Testament novelty grafted onto the Old. It was promised centuries earlier through Jeremiah, as the very heart of the New Covenant God swore He would make:


The old covenant was written on tablets of stone, external, and so breakable from the outside in. The new covenant promised something far greater: the same Law, but relocated, written upon the heart itself, so that obedience would flow from the inside out rather than being forced from the outside in.

This is precisely what we are given a glimpse of in the Beatitudes. The poor in spirit, the merciful, the pure in heart, these are not people keeping external rules more carefully than the Pharisees. They are people in whom the Law has already become internal, the very shape of their character, the fruit of God's own hand writing upon the heart what stone could never hold.

Isaiah prophesied that God would magnify the Law and make it honourable. Jeremiah promised this would come to pass by the Law being written on the heart. And in the Beatitudes, our Lord shows us, made manifest. what that written-on-the-heart Law actually looks like once it has taken root and borne fruit in a soul. Isaiah's prophecy and Jeremiah's promise meet at the Sermon on the Mount: the Law magnified, and the Law internalized, are one and the same Law, seen from two angles — and the Beatitudes are its first fruit.

Jesus raise the Bar command to Parah Ruach .Dii this and you know Him totally.
Start in The branch branch town many prophecies in Isaiah