Alice, with the girls of Frank Lowry in Tasmania, Dec 1986
Someone wrote to inquire: who are addressed by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount.
I gave this reply.
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Date: March 12, 2007 5:25:28 PM
Concerning who are addressed by Christ in the Sermon, please take note of two obvious facts.
I gave this reply.
Date: March 12, 2007 5:25:28 PM
Concerning who are addressed by Christ in the Sermon, please take note of two obvious facts.
First, there are so many direct statements involving 'ye,' 'you' and 'your' (second person plural pronoun) throughout the whole Sermon, and the facts attached to these pronouns that we are left without doubt who are being directly addressed by Christ. There are also indirect statements in the third person (both singular and plural) - e.g. 'any man,' 'whoever,' 'they,' 'men,' etc that are general statements of truth.
Christ states again and again, He is addressing those whose God is their Father in heaven.
"Blessed are ye... rejoice, and be exceedingly glad: for great is your reward in heaven..."
"Ye are the light of the world... let your light so shine... your Father which is in heaven..."
"Take heed that ye do not do your alms before men... your father which is in heaven... your Father which seeth in secret..."
"Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what thing ye have need of..."
"After this manner therefore pray ye, Our Father which art in heaven..."
"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you..."
"Yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?"
"... for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things."
"... how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"
Second: these children of God are also often distinctly distinguished from non-children of God throughout the Sermon -
"... when men shall revile you..."
"... to be trodden under the foot of men."
"... let your light so shine before men..."
"... scribes and Pharisees..."
"... as the hypocrites... " many times...
"... as the heathen do..."
"... the Gentiles seek..."
"... the dogs... the swine..." etc, etc.
I think it is plain and obvious - to me anyway - who the audience of Christ's sermon is. They are specifically designated as those whose Father is in heaven. Christ addressed them in that specific manner - repeatedly throughout the Sermon.
Therefore the Sermon is specifically addressed to God's children. Christ begins by making wonderful statements (the beatitudes) of truth about them, and gives most practical instructions to them how they ought to conduct themselves as God's children - in positive exhortations and negative warnings. There is no denying the presence of others - but such are certainly not the intended audience addressed by Christ in the Sermon.
Therefore the Sermon is specifically addressed to God's children. Christ begins by making wonderful statements (the beatitudes) of truth about them, and gives most practical instructions to them how they ought to conduct themselves as God's children - in positive exhortations and negative warnings. There is no denying the presence of others - but such are certainly not the intended audience addressed by Christ in the Sermon.
These are children of God by the sovereign and divine and direct work of the Spirit of God upon the elect individuals WHILE they were in a state of condemnation, dead in trespasses and sin, and slaves to sin. Until they are children of God by God's free and sovereign act, the gospel is perceived by them as foolishness.
It is God's children that are exhorted to a discipleship of daily entering the strait gate and walking on the narrow way. Not doing so, they would fail to work out their OWN salvation... they would make a shipwreck of their faith... they (God's children) would suffer destruction... they (God's children) would fail to find life.
The life that is found by God's children by their entering the strait gate and walking on the narrow way is NOT - NOT - NOT the same as the eternal life God has given to them by His free and sovereign grace.
This is really quite simple and plain: the immortal life that your children possess through your free and sovereign act (with respect to the children) is VERY different and distinct from the life they would find for themselves in their obedient response to the instruction, guidance and exhortations of their loving parents. A child who fails to heed their exhortations may end up a drug addict (an example of entering the wide gate and walking the broad way) - and an in-disciplined sluggard loafing parasite. Another child who heeds parental instruction will find a blessed life - healthy and useful, and pleasing to the father.
A child of God who is tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness does suffer pretty severe destruction - temporal destruction, not eternal destruction. A child of God has been saved from eternal destruction, fully and completely, and eternally by the finished work of Jesus Christ. Nothing could be added to the finished work of Christ in securing our eternal salvation. A child of God who walks soberly, godly and righteously will find a blessed and abundant life here.
When it is said, 'the people were astonished at his doctrine' (7:28), it is most natural that 'the people' refers back to 'his disciples' mentioned in 5:2. The only people that is capable of being astonished/amazed - literally 'ecstasised' - by the teaching of Christ are the spiritual people, the children of God. Natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God... for they are foolishness unto him. I have not heard of a man being astonished by what he perceives as foolishness!
The simple fact that the Sermon is addressed to God's children should determine how the passages are to be understood - they are instruction on how God's children are to conduct themselves; NOT instruction on how sinners may become children of God by doing those things. It is instructing God's children on the subject of discipleship; it is not instructing sinners what they can do to get saved!
The idea that 'destruction' always has the eternal sense is too obvious an error that needs no further comment. One example to the contrary would expose the fallacy of such idea. The context alone determines whether the temporal or eternal destruction is intended.
I do abhor health and wealth gospel... that is one of the fables that those with itching ears are lusting after... those that cannot endure sound doctrine.
This is just my simple sandy opinion... please feel free to add cement and water in whatever proportion you see fit. Just don't let it set too quickly... else we may need to call for civil engineers on the forum to do the hacking!
sing
life must precede the activities of life - including hearing and believing.
