#sermononthemount

Today’s red letter post concludes the Sermon on the Mount and focuses on the difference between strong and weak faith, and the presence or absence of obedience of God’s Word.

Jesus compared strong faith and obedience to a house built on a solid foundation. The storm refers to spiritual attacks. If we believe in Jesus and obey Him, He keeps us safe. Conversely, the house built on sand represents weak or no faith and no obedience, and cannot endure the storms/attacks. We are told that we must not only be hearers of the Word, but also doers. We must read Scripture AND apply it to daily life. Merely reading Scripture, without the intention of obeying, is a waste of time…and it’s a sin {knowing the gospel but denying it is the unforgivable sin}.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. - James 1:22-25

I pray that you enjoyed our posts on the Sermon on the Mount. It is the greatest sermon ever given in the history of mankind because it was given by our Lord, and because it is a direct message from God about how we MUST live. The Sermon is not filled with suggestions, nor is it subject to opinion or debate. It’s what God expects from us if we’re to inherit His eternal kingdom.

May the Lord bless you and keep you always! ✝️🤍🙏🏻

Today’s red letter post, from the Sermon on the Mount, features the most terrifying words Jesus will ever say to unrepentant unbelievers. Sadly, so many aren’t aware that they’re headed down a path that ends with those words. In the sermon “Empty Words” {linked below}, Pastor John MacArthur brings up an excellent point that I would like to expand upon. Pastor MacArthur said:

“I can’t ever say to someone, ‘Well now, boy, I know you’re saved and don’t you ever doubt it and don’t you ever ask again. It’s all settled and it’s done because you said the little formula.’ If I do that I give them a psychological assurance of something I don’t even know is true.”

What I would like to add to that is this: many people - my husband included - have been falsely told that all they have to do is “accept Jesus as Lord and Savior”, and that declaring it is “enough”. It’s not. Salvation is not a single statement, followed by a sinner’s prayer. Salvation is not found in any man-made religion. It’s a changed heart that leads to a changed lifestyle. It’s bowing down in humility, faith, repentance, and obedience, and spending time in God’s Word. It’s a willingness to be led by the Holy Spirit, and be open to His conviction and discernment. It’s a willingness to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus, regardless of what it costs you. Further, no man has the knowledge or authority to declare {with assurance} another’s salvation. It’s a dangerous practice that leads to false assurance. If anyone who reads this has been told this, don’t believe it. Read the Bible, cover to cover. Rely only on the Lord for your assurance of salvation. Please listen to the linked sermons. They’re very informative.

May the Lord bless you and keep you always! ✝️🤍🙏🏻

Today’s red letter post contains a warning from Jesus about false prophets and their bad fruits.

False prophets are everywhere, but if we don’t know Scripture, we cannot recognize them. The thing about false prophets is that they mix in a bit of truth with their false doctrines. How they conduct themselves in their personal lives matters. If a pastor preaches the gospel in church, but engages in sinful behavior outside the church, he’s not bearing good fruits. When we have the Holy Spirit indwelling, we can rely on Him to translate Scripture and give us the discernment we need to recognize good and bad fruit.

Do you know what the good fruits are? Galatians 5:22-23 lists them - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. In the “resource” section, I’ve included links to John MacArthur’s sermons explaining them in detail.

May the Lord bless you and keep you always! ✝️🤍🙏🏻

Today’s red letter post features the verse that inspired the name of this blog site.

The wide gate is easy to find; the narrow gate isn’t. The wide gate is easy to navigate; the narrow gate isn’t. The wide gate is deceptive. It “appears” to lead to a nice place…but once people get there, they experience regret for ignoring the warnings, because there’s no escaping it. Satan’s promises are empty. Why wouldn’t they be? He is the father of lies. The path to destruction is wide because the people on it think they’re headed to a huge party where there are no rules. Sadly, those people won’t realize they’ve been deceived until it’s too late.

To pass through the narrow gate, we’re required to leave everything “worldly” behind - including our “old” selves. There’s simply no room for it. John MacArthur, in one of his sermons, compared it to a turnstile, like the ones we see in train stations. Only one person at a time can pass through, without the baggage they’re carrying. The journey is too difficult to carry anything “extra” because our focus is on following Jesus. We don’t want or need our worldly things because greater rewards await us in the Father’s kingdom. There’s no deception. The Lord keeps His promises. For believers, eternity in the presence of Jesus is the ultimate reward. It becomes our focus as soon as we attain salvation. We don’t mind the difficult journey because of what Jesus endured during His ministry, and in the days leading up to His crucifixion. He endured those things for us so that we could live. The Lord is absolute truth, and that’s all we need to know to place our trust in Him. He tells us that we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him…and that He is the only way to the Father. That’s what we need to do and what we need to believe to pass through the narrow gate.

So which path are you on? Narrow or wide? You only have until your last breath to be humble, open your ears to hear, have faith, repent, and obey.

May the Lord bless you and keep you always! ✝️🤍🙏🏻

As we move on through Chapter 7, the last part of the Sermon on the mount, we come to another widely misunderstood verse - “ask, and it will be given to you”.

This does not mean that we will automatically get what we pray for just because we ask. The Lord does answer every prayer, but not every answer is a “yes”. His “no” is still a blessing, and His “not right now” requires patience. Every one of His answers must be met with gratitude. “Seek, and you will find” refers to seeking Him; we will always find Him when we seek Him. “Knock, and it will be opened to you” is most likely about persistence in prayer, that aligns with His will. When we ask for something for our good, He will not give us anything that isn’t useful to us.

Finally, Jesus says, “whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets”. Treat others the way you want to be treated, even those who don’t treat you well. Jesus exemplified what He commands in this verse. He washed Judas’ feet during the Last Supper. He asked His Father to forgive the men who reviled Him as they crucified Him. If we want to spend eternity in our Lord’s presence, we MUST emulate Him and strive to be worthy of the sacrifice He made for us when He washed our sins away with His precious blood.

May the Lord bless you and keep you always. ✝️🤍🙏🏻