A small word from Matthew

I felt an urging yesterday to read through Matthew straight through again, so I went ahead and got up early today so that I can spend extra time to read. What I find about Jesus is something you all already know. To be a follower of Jesus meant a high price to pay. I read the calling of the disciples and it says they IMMEDIATELY stopped what they were doing and followed Him. There was no deliberation time, but what if I get hungry, but what about my family, but what if people persecute me, but what if He asks too much of me, the what ifs aren’t there. Now we can debate and say they were thinking them, but obviously their thinking didn’t affect their actions because they IMMEDIATELY left.

They chose to follow Jesus unconditionally. Sometimes I wonder if they knew just what they were getting into. Have you noticed all of them at some point throughout the gospel looked pretty stupid, I’d say it more this way, Jesus told them how it was, He set them in their place. Yet still they followed this man who taught everything backwards to what they understood. We’ve become so accustomed to the church terms, so much of what He said is not so “shocking” to us, but I challenge you to take some time. Read some of what Jesus said. Gees if I heard someone say those things today I’d think they were INSANE! To be my disciple you must drink of my blood and eat of my body. Take up your cross and follow me. A man saying He is the son of God. Those things are ludicrous.
Then think about the lessons He came to teach the people. It’s not adultery just because you do the act, its adultery even if you lust at another. You will not just be held guilty in court if you murder, but even if you become angry with your brother (isn’t that convicting?). Jesus in all of chapter 5 is giving life shaking instructions and truths and then He ends with “You must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect”.

I wonder if we give enough attention to the level of purity and righteousness we’re called to.

As part of our internship we’re going through A Heart Ablaze by John Bevere and it is an amazing series. In the last lesson he talked about our responsibility to flee from sin. I loved it. I’m a big believer in personal responsibility. The Word says to work out your salvation, it says (You) flee from sexual immorality; (You) live above reproach! Etc. God is not going to come down and slap your hand to make you stop sinning. In Romans 12:2 it says do not be conformed to this world but be TRANSFORMED by a renewed mind. We are to ask and pursue a renewed mind by pursuing righteousness and righteous thinking. We are to think on things holy and acceptable. I don’t see in scripture where God stops us from sinning. We have the Holy Spirit who convicts us of sin and it is our responsibility to flee from it.
As I read the words of Jesus throughout Matthew He taught people what sin was and it was their job to stop. Even after healings He says “Go and sin no more”. Jesus called all those He came in contact with to a higher lifestyle and in that culture even an insane lifestyle. He wasn’t telling the Pharisees they were right, he wasn’t praising the saducees, but he was calling us to a higher living. One of faith and righteousness joined together.
I’m not saying that we in and of ourselves are able to leave a life of sin, I’m not saying we can earn salvation, I’m not saying that. I am saying we have been given the ability by the blood of Jesus Christ, the working of the Holy Spirit, and God’s sanctification plan to step up and flee sin. To step up and strive for the lifestyle that Jesus called His followers to.

In the pieces of my spiritual gift summary that I got to read and talked about my gifts of exhortation and prophecy together and that I am a person who desires to speak to individuals about their life and how they can flee from sin and draw closer to God. I didn’t need a spiritual gift test to know that about myself. My desire for everyone I come in contact with is to be real with them and they be real with me, so that us as a body of Christ can push forward diving deeper into the presence of God and being the righteous bride that Jesus Christ deserves when He comes back to get us.

Let’s push harder toward the goal, let’s focus on this Jesus who came and turned the world upside down, let’s be the bride He paid for.
Be Blessed,
J. Tate