Following Jesus is much harder than having a list of cultural do’s and don’ts

NT Wright

Many in the modern western evangelical world have abused this understanding of allegiance to focus on a moral rule book view of the gospel. 

There is Right and there is Wrong and Jesus goes over the standards very thoroughly in the Sermon on the Mount. 

“You have heard that it was said to those of old,  ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable  to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. (Matthew 5)

Jesus displays Very clearly that if we’re going to follow him we have to get to the heart of the matter and leave aside legalism. 

Jesus was constantly exposing their schemes....

Through legalistic structures, hypocritical religious leaders attempt to separate themselves from whom they deem to be sinners. 

Jesus crushes this with the Beatitudes...

“Blessed are  the poor in spirit, for  theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are  those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

 “Blessed are the  meek, for they  shall inherit the earth."

(Matthew 5)

Jesus exposes these corrupt power schemes by showing our call to perfection and following God immediately reveals our inadequacy and our need for relationship with our Father.

Sweeping aside legalism and intimately calling for relationship.

. It requires humility in every moment to realize God has a better way... A way that is typically counterintuitive to the way we would normally act.

Following Jesus is literally the "test of fire" that will reveal our true heart... This is judgment in the hands of a loving God.

"For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 

Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 

If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 

If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

(1 Corinthians 3)

As you can see no one is getting away with being salted by fire. Following Jesus requires self sacrificial love that looks out for the outcast and rejects hypocrisy that keeps people from God our Father!

Let us lay aside our judgement and build upon the foundation and teachings of Jesus who is our Messiah and KIng!

#NTWright #biblestudy #timmackie #hope