Thank you, everyone who led here in singing.
What a joy to be here today singing praises to King Jesus.
It's such a joy for my wife and I, Carol's right here in the first seat, to be here with
you all this morning.
And just a quick introduction.
We're both from Brazil, Belo Horizonte is the name of our city.
My father, about 15 years ago, he started a ministry called Escali, which aims at equipping,
training lay Christian leaders and pastors in Brazil.
And that's what we feel called to continue doing.
That's why we're here having our education at Trinity.
I know Dr. Tully is not here today, so I feel a little bit more off-campus.
And it's a great privilege to be here with you all today.
And I would like to invite you all to open your Bibles to Matthew chapter 5, Matthew chapter
5 and verses 38 to 42.
I'll ask you to please leave it open there for a second.
And I just want to situate us on where this text is located.
You know, chapters 5 to 7 of Matthew are a collection of the Sermon on the Mount, which is Jesus' most famous teachings.
But however famous it is, there's also lots of confusion about what it means and how we should relate to it.
It doesn't take a long time for anyone who's reading through these chapters to see that the Sermon on the Mount paints a picture of a way of life,
which is totally upside down to us.
The meek inherit the earth.
The persecuted rejoice.
The enemies are loved.
This is not at all how the world around us operates.
It's foreign to us both conceptually, like how could I even begin to think about living life this way?
And practically, how can I begin to take steps towards this?
But this is what God's kingdom is like.
It is what true righteousness looks like and what men and women were ultimately made for.
And it is what a blessed life looks like.
And as we read Jesus' words and meditate on them, we're deeply confronted with truths that go against every inclination of our bodies.
There's a disconnect between the way of life in God's kingdom and what we often desire.
Isn't there?
I know that's how I feel sometimes.
And if you've never been confronted or convicted by the teachings of Jesus, you really need to evaluate if you're being honest to your life or to the text in front of you.
So what is the point of the Sermon on the Mount?
Is it just Jesus' way of frustrating us with things that we can't ever do?
Or is it actually a way that we can live our lives?
So I believe we can summarize what the Sermon on the Mount is with three statements.
First, it is a declaration of what true righteousness in God's kingdom look like.
It's Jesus' big manifesto of what people will look like in this kingdom.
How they will talk to each other.
How they will walk.
How they will interact.
What kind of community it is.
But the Sermon on the Mount is also like a big mirror that makes us look at ourselves and compare our way of living with true righteousness.
Chapter 5, verse 20 says,
For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Verse 48,
You, therefore, must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Strong words from Jesus that really makes us sit back and reflect,
How do I compare to the way of life in God's kingdom?
And lastly, the Sermon on the Mount points us to a fulfillment in Jesus.
Matthew 5, 17,
Do not think that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets.
I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.
And to make the point clearer, the sermon ends with this note,
And when Jesus finished these saints, the crowds were astonished as His teaching,
for He was teaching them as one who had authority and not as the scribes.
So, having this big picture, let us now read this text and how Jesus is accomplishing all that in these few five verses that we're going to read right now.
So, follow along with me.
Matthew 5, verses 38 to 42.
Matthew 5, verse 39.
We have all probably heard this text or parts of it several times growing up, right?
And even if we didn't go to church, we know that we're supposed to give the other cheek.
Many of us have used this text to say that in God's kingdom, there is no place for punishment, justice, or violence of any kind.
Others have taught that this text is about nothing more than not giving revenge.
But as we'll go on, we'll see that vengeance and retaliation are only part of the issue.
And Jesus is trying to get to the heart of where these things actually come from.
So, as we go over this text, we'll spend most of our time first trying to gradually understand, with all the examples that Jesus is giving,
what is true righteousness in this text and how we compare to it.
And then, finally, we'll spend the last minutes of this sermon seeing how this text points us to Jesus as the fulfillment of all righteousness
and why that actually is good news for us as God's people.
So, what is true righteousness and how do we compare to it?
Jesus begins this passage by quoting a part of the law that God had given to Israel through His servant Moses.
Verse 38, He says,
You have heard that it was said in the law, an eye for an eye and a two for a two.
Now, I don't know about you, but many times I forget that even though the law of Moses was something pretty far removed in the past,
for us, it was already very ancient even in Jesus' day.
I sometimes have the tendency to think that all the characters in the Bible are just like people living in different villages,
as if Jesus could say,
You know, Moses, when he came with those two big pieces of stone, he told us a good story.
You know how it goes. Here it is.
But that's not at all the case, right?
They live centuries apart.
And just as it is for us, it was also hard for them in Jesus' day to keep fresh in their minds what was the true intent of the law.
That's why in verses 21 to 48 in this chapter 5, Jesus says it several times.
You have heard that it was said this, but I tell you that.
It's not as if Jesus is saying that the law is useless and they're not correct anymore.
He's just trying to address the issues of people's current misunderstandings of the law and to show them what is the true righteousness that it pointed to.
So what's the correct understanding of an eye for an eye and a two for a two?
It sure sounds very violent, to say the least, right?
However, if we go back to the text on the law that addressed this issue, we'll see that far from being something the law was encouraging people to do,
this phrase, which was intentionally easy to remember, was placed as a limit to the extent of punishment a crime should have.
It was a provision in the law, much like the provision of divorce, which became allowed in some cases because of the hardness of people's heart.
And this provision was supposed to restrict vengeance and to limit vindictiveness.
The question was, have you been wronged by someone?
And if so, whoever wronged you will be punished.
And the punishment, it must fit the crime.
You can't put a person in jail for stumbling on your foot,
and we're not going to let someone who robbed your house just go away with a written warning.
Instead, it will be like an eye for an eye and a two for a two.
So, for example, Leviticus 24, 21 says,
Whoever kills a person shall be put to death.
The punishment fits the crime.
Verse 22,
You shall have the same rule for the sojourner and for the native, for I am the Lord your God.
This was a law for the land of Israel and all of those in it.
It was supposed to be applied not by the person who received the crime, you see,
but by the government officials, by the governors, or sometimes called princes or elders of the people.
And they were supposed to make this judgment based on the evidence of two or three people.
That's what the law said, and it was commonly summarized in an eye for an eye and a two for a two.
Now, fast forward several hundred years,
and how were the people in Jesus' day actually practicing this law?
Instead of limiting it to the court of law,
they were applying this principle without thinking about any intention of justice and righteousness.
They didn't care if there was an investigation or not, witnesses or not.
They just thought of this law as a concession to take vengeance into their own hands.
They thought,
Okay, he got a chicken for me,
so I'll go ahead and grab two from him,
and then three,
and so on and so forth.
Things just piled up without any control
because they didn't care for justice.
Then what does Jesus say
the citizens of God's upside-down kingdom
should do instead?
Beginning of verse 39,
But I say to you,
do not resist the one who is evil.
For him,
when it comes to our relationship with other people,
it's not up to us
to offer the proper retribution to evil.
And please hear me well here.
Jesus was not saying,
forget about all that punishment
and forget about retribution.
People should do just whatever they want
whenever they feel like it.
No,
not a chance.
The law was intended for good.
What Jesus is saying
is that we don't take vengeance
into our own hands.
The governments and authorities
are the ones set up by God to do so.
Romans 13, 4 says that
the human's authority
are the servants of God,
an avenger who carries out
God's wrath on the wrongdoer.
Not us.
Even more than that,
the Bible says that
God is the ultimate retributer.
1 Corinthians 3, 17 says,
If anyone destroys God's temple,
that is our body,
God will destroy him.
Do you see how this language
fits with the goodness of retribution
that the law was actually pointing to?
But when it comes to our daily lives
and our personal interactions,
we should have a certain orientation
about life
that does not seek to repay offenses
and that does not desire
to preserve our honor
and our pride at all costs.
So we got the principle down.
Do not resist the evil person.
But the question then comes,
how does that look like in real life?
And that's why Jesus
wants to make it clear
with four different examples
of how we should apply it.
And as we go along,
we'll get a better understanding
of what Jesus means
by not resisting the evil person.
Because that is only part
of the picture
of what true righteousness is
in this text.
And the examples are set up
in such a way
that we're supposed to look
at each of them
and ask ourselves,
how do I compare to this?
Verse 39 again,
second part of it now.
If anyone slaps you
on the right cheek,
give him the other also.
We tend to think of this
as a physical attack, right?
Slap on the cheek.
But if we read carefully,
he says on the right cheek.
That may not seem like much,
but it means it wasn't
a full right-handed slap,
not a sounding and impactful,
hurtful slap to the face,
but an ironic, humiliating slap
with the back of the hand.
It was the kind of thing
that you would do
to make the person feel
like the scum of the earth.
It was an assault
on the person's honor.
And what does that look like
for us today?
I mean,
a slap on the face
is still pretty humiliating.
But our lives
are filled with things
usually that are
much more subtle
and much more nuanced
that are nevertheless
damaging to our honor.
Sometimes it can be
as obvious as a boss
yelling at us
across the room
for everyone to hear.
Or a joke
that someone tells
to the whole group
about a flaw that you have.
sometimes just a look,
depending on how it's done
and by whom it's done,
can be very humiliating
and hurting
deep down on our pride.
I'm certain that we have
all experienced this
to one degree or another
at some point in life.
And how do we typically respond?
With a strike back
at their honor.
Right?
We don't absorb the blow,
much less give the other cheek.
No, we need to make
things right again.
It almost seems like
a socially accepted idea.
Right?
Think about
a random guy
at the end of his
bar fight story
saying,
I just
didn't let my kid
think I was a loser.
Or
think of the response
of her friends
after a girl says
what was her sarcastic reply
to the inappropriate comment
she heard at work.
Yeah, girl.
You showed him.
has become
socially accepted
and valued.
And unfortunately,
this socially accepted
practice
has infiltrated
many of our own
families.
Our very houses.
Whenever we feel
attacked
by the words
of our spouses
or of our parents,
these are the people
that we know
most intimately.
Right?
We know what
ticks them.
We know what
could hurt them
back.
It's easy
to
vindicate
ourselves
and the family
because we can
hurt them back.
Instead of
doing that,
Jesus tells us
to show
no concern
at all
for the
maintenance
of our honor.
Give the other
cheek.
Give them grace
instead of
any payback
that you're
thinking of
giving
and that
you're
able
to give.
Verse 40.
And if anyone
would sue you
and take your
tunic,
let him have
your cloak
as well.
Now,
the tunic
was someone's
first layer.
In my case,
it's this shirt
underneath.
And the cloak
was the outer layer.
So,
in other words,
he's saying,
if anyone wants
to sue you
for your shirt,
let him have
your coat
also,
or something
like that.
And I want
to emphasize
that he says
if anyone
wants to.
Because if they
actually do
sue you
for your shirt
and win your shirt,
which is not
something common here,
but it was more
back then,
you don't just
give your coat.
But if they're
threatening you
to sue you
for something
small like a shirt
and they're using
that to provoke
you to anger,
then show
that in your heart
you could do
even more than that.
Like your coat,
for example.
we all have
the tendency
of thinking,
are we supposed
to literally
do this?
Right?
And we proceed
to try to draw
a line
of where
good is good enough.
Hey, Jesus,
this is the most
I can do.
But that's not
the point that
Jesus is aiming at.
So,
imagine for a second
that you're preparing
your wedding.
I don't know
how many of you
have gone through that.
My wife and I
went through that.
A couple years ago.
In Brazil,
we usually have
big weddings.
At least compared
to what I've heard
is the common
here in the US.
So,
we really need
to make sure
that we count
exactly how many
people are coming
because otherwise
we'll pay more
for the buffet,
which is the most
expensive part.
Imagine that
you're at the
final stages
of your preparation,
you and your wife.
And one day
you're in the middle
of a random
family gathering
that you're having
and your cousin
turns to your wife
out of the blue
and just says,
so,
since you brought
your little girlfriend
or your little boyfriend
to my birthday party
a couple years ago,
I'll just bring
some of my friends
to your wedding.
That's okay, right?
This is a clear
challenge to you.
Much like the one
who wants to sue
someone else
for their shirt,
the situation
just begs the answer.
What are you going
to say about that?
Your cousin
obviously wants
to see you
and your wife
lose your mind
over this.
Now,
imagine instead
of saying,
no,
what's wrong
with you?
You guys responded
as if this person
didn't just offend
and expose you
in front of
the entire family.
Imagine instead
that you said,
you know what,
cousin,
I know there aren't
going to be too many
people that you know
there and it's
really just our goal
that everyone
has a good time.
So yeah,
definitely bring
as many friends
as you want.
I don't want you
to be feeling
left out.
Now,
I don't know
if Carol and I
would have the composure
to have that kind
of answer
if this actually
happened to us.
But if I were
the imaginary offender
in this case,
the cousin,
I would have no idea
how to respond.
Right?
I would be puzzled
and surprised.
Like,
how can someone
be so loving?
And Paul says
in Romans 12
that this type
of loving response
puts burning coals
on the heads
of our enemies.
They are now
the ones ashamed
and probably convicted
by their own selfishness.
now,
again,
how do we compare
to this kind
of righteousness?
How do we compare
to this kind
of really
it's not a big deal
type of attitude
to the offenses
and threats
against us?
Verse 41,
And if anyone
forces you
to go one mile,
go with him
two miles.
It was a common
practice in the Roman
Empire for soldiers
to ask random
civilians to carry
their military
equipment for them.
Of course,
there was no other
option.
You could only
obey.
But the most
they could ask
for was one mile.
Now,
we don't have to be
experts in the culture
of that time
to know
that the Israelites
didn't like
the Romans
very much.
I mean,
they invaded
their country,
taxed them,
and abused them
in several ways.
So,
you can imagine
how they felt
about these
mile-long heavy lifting.
Now,
how do we deal
with those
who have authority
over us,
especially
when things
seem to go
against us
in a discomforting
way?
Are we more
inclined
to submit
and endure
with patience
and grace,
even if it seems
unfair at the
moment?
Or are we
too concerned
with reclaiming
our rights
to even think
about submitting,
let alone
walking the extra
mile?
Again,
it's not about
making little rules
for every situation
where we can't ever
deviate from them,
but it's a matter
of the heart,
a desire
and posture
of fighting
against
all inclination
that tell us
to fight back
and to hold
our ground
when we feel
attacked by others
in our pride.
And with the
examples we've
seen so far,
we can start
to sketch out
a better understanding
of what true
righteousness is
in this text.
You see,
it's not really
just about
not resisting
the evil person,
as verse 39
seemed to indicate,
but true
righteousness
abandons
sinful impulses
of self-preservation.
What do I mean
by that?
Not only are we
to let go
of vengeance,
but all
sinful,
that is,
all the wrong
impulses
towards
self-preservation.
By implication,
there are
such things
as good
impulses
of self-preservation.
Right?
It's good
for a mother
to protect
her life
and health
so she can
take good care
of her kids,
whether it be
her life
from the attacks
of others
or her health
from fat,
trans fat,
fat trans,
I don't know
how to say that.
You know,
eating well.
It is not good,
however,
for a mother
to yell
at a stranger
who cut her
off in traffic
so her daughter
will see her
as the strong
independent woman
she always
dreams for her
kid to be.
That's not
the type of
impulse
to preserve.
Of course,
too,
we should all
be concerned
for justice
and for those
who are abused
and afflicted.
Isaiah 1.17
says,
Seek justice,
defend the oppressed,
take up the cause
of the fatherless,
plead the case
of the widow,
and so on.
And these things
are especially relevant
here in the U.S.,
and I don't want to
downplay them
at all.
But the question is,
what are you really
trying to preserve
or fight for?
Are you standing
for those
who are suffering
justice
or just for your
personal honor
and in some
twisted way
making everything
about your pride
and your personal
self and pride?
The point
is simple
to understand
but is
so hard
to apply.
What heart
inclination
are you going
to listen to
before your next
step?
Is it one that
simply wants to
reclaim your honor,
your time,
your energy,
your rights,
your self-esteem,
your social status?
Don't listen
to that anymore.
Verse 42.
Give to the one
who begs from you
and do not refuse
the one who wants
to borrow from you.
Now,
what does this verse
have in common
with the ones
that came before it?
It does not follow
the same pattern
of if this,
then that.
And it's not really
about vengeance
like the previous ones.
So,
what brings all
these verses together?
What do they
have in common?
If we look closely
at these examples,
we'll see that
in all of them,
without exception,
the controlling
impulse
from our sinful nature
is to fight
to preserve
something.
Think about it.
The person
who slaps back
instead of giving
the other cheek
isn't really trying
to hurt
the other person
in their face
but to put them
back on equal
grounds of honor.
The heart
is begging
to have its
treasured honor
back.
The one who
fights back
against those
who want to sue
them
do not necessarily
want something
from that person
but they want
to say,
hey,
I'm no pushover.
I don't care
if it's a shirt,
a blouse,
or even a sock.
I will not let you
go out there
as if you're
somehow above me.
The one who
resists the
inconvenience
of walking
the mile
requested
is saying
in his heart,
why me?
Why am I
always the one
who needs to
put up
with this
kind of stuff?
Ask Steve
or Pastor Mike
or something.
Don't ask me.
And finally,
of the one
to whom
people are asking
and to whom
they want
to borrow from,
what are they
seeking to preserve?
Money.
Right?
I mean,
they think,
it's my money
after all
and I can do
with it
whatever I want.
And if you're
going to get
any money
from me,
you better give
me a pretty
good reason
why I should
trust you
and I will
treat you
like you're
beneath me
the whole time
until you
pay me back
every cent.
Obviously,
just like
the other
examples,
this does not
mean that we
must give
money to
everyone
who asks
every time.
demanding
this
is making
the same
mistake
as the
person
who says
that there
is never
space for
retaliation
and justice
just because
Jesus told
us to give
the other
cheek.
We are
instead supposed
to have a
certain view
of our
money
that is not
striving to
preserve it
at all times
just for the
sake of it
or for the
love of it.
We are to be
generous people.
on the
other hand,
it's not
because someone
asks for
money.
That money
is what
they need
or even
what's the
most loving
thing to
give them.
Right?
Let's say
it's summertime
and you're
eating outside
at one of
the restaurants
downtown
and a
disheveled
man smelling
like alcohol
comes up to
you and
asks for
five bucks
to get
something to
eat.
In this
instance,
how does
want to
obey what
Jesus is
requiring
in verse
42?
What is
the best
way to
help this
man?
Is it
to give
him the
cash?
Well,
here's what
you could
do.
You could
say to
them,
sir,
I'm not
going to
give you
any money
but I'll
do something
better.
Just pick
something off
the menu
here and
I'll buy
it for
you.
In doing
so,
you obey
Jesus by
not refusing
the one
who's asking
and you
avoid unwisely
contributing to
something that
might be harmful
to the person
that is
alcohol.
You help
him without
hurting him
and that's
true righteousness.
So,
you see,
this whole
section is
not just
about not
giving vengeance
or revenge
and at this
point it's
clear that
true righteousness
also does not
stop at
abandoning the
sinful impulses
of self-preservation.
true righteousness
also embraces
a lifestyle
of mercy
and grace.
Mercy
does not
give what
the person
deserves.
The person
who offends
you deserves
punishment.
You don't
give that to
them.
Grace
gives even
when they
don't deserve
it,
especially
because they
don't deserve
it.
Our offenders
and those who
beg from us
are not entitled
to anything
from us,
but we give
it to them
anyway.
As imitators
of God
himself who
does the
same thing
for us.
As Jesus
will say in
a few
verses,
love your
enemies so
that you may
be sons of
your fathers,
that is,
imitators of
your fathers.
For he
makes his
son rise on
the evil
and on the
good,
and he
sends rain
on the just
and on the
unjust.
So,
what Jesus
is saying
in all these
five verses
is that
true righteousness
both abandons
sinful impulses
of self-preservation
and it
also
embraces
a lifestyle
of mercy
and of grace.
And I think
we can all
agree that
in one degree
or another
we all fall
short of this.
So,
with that in
mind,
we come to
our second
and final
point.
How does
this teaching
point us
to Jesus
as the
fulfillment
of all
righteousness
and why
is that
good news
for us?
So,
friends,
the thing
about these
early chapters
of Matthew's
gospel is
that when we
look at the
Sermon on the
Mount,
we're only
getting a
glimpse of
the whole
story.
We're taking
a peek at
the guest
room when
he's building
this whole
house in
the book.
He's inviting
us,
Matthew,
the author
of this
gospel,
to continue
reading so
we can fully
understand what
Jesus means
with being
the fulfillment
of the
law.
If you
remember a
few verses
earlier,
verse 17,
he said,
do not
think that I
have come
to abolish
the law
and the
prophets.
I have
not come
to abolish
them,
but to
fulfill
them.
We need
to understand
that Jesus
was the
center of
everything that
God's law
pointed to.
In fact,
Jesus was
such a
turning point
to the
way people
needed to
see and
relate to
God and
his law,
that he
said things
like this
throughout
the whole
sermon.
You heard
that it
was said,
this thing
on the
law,
but I
tell you,
this is
no ordinary
teacher,
and Matthew
makes it
clear by
the end
of the
sermon
just how
unlike
the other
teachers
of Israel
Jesus
was.
The
crowds
were
astonished
at his
teaching,
for he
was teaching
them with
one who
had
authority.
What
kind of
authority
is this?
What
does it
do?
What is
it for?
Matthew
wants us
to keep
reading.
On chapter
9,
Jesus is
going to
heal the
paralytic,
and the
reason why
he does
that is,
verse 6,
so you
may know
that the
Son of
Man has
authority on
earth to
forgive sins.
Likewise,
chapter 10,
verse 1,
Jesus gives
his apostles
authority to
drive out
impure spirits
and heal
every disease.
And if we
keep reading,
later on we'll
see Jesus
suffering without
taking revenge
into his own
hands and
dying a shameful
death though he
lived a sinless
life.
But by his
authority he
defeated the
grave and
raised to
life as he
said he
would.
And right
before he
went back to
the Father he
said to the
apostles,
all authority
in heaven and
on earth has
been given to
me.
Not just
authority to
teach, to
heal, to
cast out
demons, but
all authority.
Go therefore
by his
authority and
make disciples
of all nations
baptizing them
in the name of
the Father, the
Son, and the
Holy Spirit.
Teaching them to
observe all that
I have commended
you.
And behold, I'm
with you always
to the end of
the age.
So for
Matthew, the
pathway towards
true righteousness
is not first and
foremost to strive
to be a
citizen of
heaven.
By ourselves, any
such effort is
vain.
As we've seen
today looking at
this text and as
we know from
experience, true
righteousness is
only found in the
one who holds all
authority, even to
fulfill the law and
even to make
disciples out of
people like us who
once lived according
to the values of
this world and not
of his kingdom.
And the
my friends, we
are the
benefactors of
this authority.
He's making
disciples of all
the nations to
this day.
He has not
abandoned us, but
has included us
into his kingdom.
If we by faith
desire to be his
disciples.
And he will
remain with us
always to the
end of the age.
And that is a
reason for great
hope.
especially for
those of you
who like me
have been at
times actually
discouraged by a
text like this.
Not because it's
hard to understand,
you see, but
because it's so
difficult to live
out.
The way of life in
God's kingdom is so
beautiful.
But for me, it
seems so distant
at times because of
how poorly I
compare to it.
But then I'm
reminded of this
promise.
the one who
has all authority
and who is the
fulfillment of all
righteousness has
called me himself
and guaranteed that
he will be with me
always to the end
of the age.
That's what gives me
confidence to wake
up every morning to
follow his footsteps.
And what gives me
confidence at all to
preach this this
morning.
So friends, as we
conclude, I really
want us to read one
last text as we wrap
it up.
You can open it with
me or not.
It's 1 Peter 2, 21-24.
It's a really
important text and the
echoes to our passage
in Matthew 5 are just
too obvious to ignore.
So let's read the
words of the Apostle
Peter who wanted to
encourage those
Christians who were
suffering under
persecution to remain
faithful to this
teaching and maybe it
served as an
encouragement for us
too.
1 Peter 2, 21-24
says,
For to this you have
been called, because
Christ also suffered
for you, leaving you
an example so that you
might follow in his
footsteps.
And look at the
example he left to
those whom he called.
He committed no sin,
neither was deceit
found in his mouth.
When he was reviled, he
did not revile in return.
When he suffered, he
did not threaten, but
continued entrusting
himself to him who
judges justly.
Friends, things don't go
unnoticed in God's
kingdom.
God takes vengeance for
us so we don't have to
take it.
And thankfully, he's much
more just than we'll ever
be.
Verse 24, he himself
bore our sins in his
body on the cross that we
might die to sin and live
for righteousness.
By his wounds you have
been healed.
What a blessed hope.
Friends, isn't it amazing
that we can be assured
that our wounds have
already been healed?
In Christ, we can find
forgiveness of our sins
and all of our
unrighteousness.
Christ died for us so that
we might die to sin and to
enable us to, in fact, live
for righteousness, which we
can't without him.
Because of the nature of
our calling and what Christ
has done for us, we can
abandon sinful impulses of
self-preservation and embrace
a life of mercy and grace.
And this can be true for any
of us if we only take up his
calling with faith and follow
him.
It is for this that we have
been called, to follow his
footsteps.
And that's why he healed us, to
be like him.
And he empowers us to do so by
his abiding presence with us.
That's what a blessed life truly
looks like.
Not what the world has to offer
with all of its advertisements
and career plans and diets and
exercises and retirements in
Florida.
No.
True righteousness in Christ.
That's the blessed life that I
want for myself, for my family,
for each of us today, and for
God's people worldwide.
And I hope you want it too.
Let's pray.
Dear God,
we are both convicted and
encouraged by this message,
Lord.
Thank you because you have not
left us for our own efforts.
But you have empowered us,
Lord, through your Holy Spirit
in us.
Jesus' presence with us.
To live in a life of true
righteousness.
It will not be perfect here,
Lord.
We know that.
But we know that you're working
with us.
And one day, you'll bring us back
to glory with you.
Where we will, in fact, forever
reign in righteousness with you.
Thank you, Lord Jesus.
Help us to live out this life today
as we walk out.
And be with us, Lord,
because we need you.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Thank you.