How Are We To Live?

N. T. #15 "How Are We To Live?"

Feb. 27, 2023

Matthew 3-Part 4

LET IT GLOW

How are we to live? Is it by the law of God, by faith and obedience, by love, by being good? 

John the Baptist had two purposes: to lead people to repent of their sin and to prepare them for Christ's coming. His message was four-fold:

1. Flee the wrath to come, which was coming upon only spectators. John 3:36 says, He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. 
2. Repent, which requires a change in conduct. Luke 7 tells us But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him. Two kinds of people who often shut themselves off from God are persons of high estate (wealth and social standing), and people of religion (the self-righteous).
3. Heritage is of no value. It is of no value when we have religious family or friends. Salvation is an individual belief. 
4. Judgment is at hand. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:12) (The Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible)

Friend, are you a believer in Jesus Christ? We all struggle in this life and face challenges daily. We all fail, but grace and mercy are available for us through repentance. Simply ask forgiveness of sin. 

LET IT GROW

Word got out about John baptizing folks in the Jordan River. People were curious, including the religious one-Pharisees and Sadducees. John confronted them for their wrong ways and philosophies. Boy, did they get an earful, too. Those guys wanted information, not transformation. They wanted their lives left alone. John's message was sobering. 

Who were those Pharisees and Sadducees?

• The Pharisees separated themselves from anything non-Jewish, carefully following the Old Testament laws and oral traditions handed down through the centuries. They were from all classes of people and legalistic, as well as hypocritical, ignoring the true intent of the law. The Pharisees were very influential in the synagogues. 
• The Sadducees believed the Pentateuch alone (Gen.-Deut.) to be God's Word. They were descended mainly from priestly nobility. They used their religion to advance their political position. The Sadducees profited from business in the Temple. This group denied the supernatural, resurrections of the dead, and the existence of angels. As the saying goes, they were sad, you see, because they did not believe in the resurrection. (Life Application Study Bible)

Together, those two groups made up the Jewish high council called the Sanhedrin. In a nutshell, the difference between the two groups were Pharisees were ritualists, separatists, and legalists; the Sadducees were rationalists, compromisers, and political opportunists. (John MacArthur)

Does any of this describe our religious ways of life? Jesus calls us to walk by faith, not by sight and to follow Him, not rules. Although, the Ten Commandments are to be a way of life for which we are striving. 

LET IT GO

Thank You Jesus for giving us a new way of life.

Your blood has washed away my sins, Jesus thank You. 

The Father's wrath completely satisfied, Jesus thank You.

Once Your enemy, now seated at Your table, Jesus thank You.

Such grace, mercy, and love, Jesus!

Oh, how I fall short. Please forgive me, Jesus.