Matthew 7

1-5 Judge not the text says, we are often quick to judge without knowing the whole situation. I have to be very, very careful with judging. I should not do it at all. Not even in thought. Jesus warns us not to judge. The Pharisees were a sect that is prom to judge. Because of their spiritual pride and their system of human standards, they judge others condemned them. This sprit was spreading and contagious, intruding upon the provinces conscience and judging one another in matters that lay between the soul and God. It was in reference to this spirit and practice that Jesus said, Judge not, that ye be not judge. That is do not set yourself up as a standard. Do not make your opinions, your views of duty, your interpretations of scripture, a criterion for others and in your heart condemn them if they do not come up to your ideal. Do not criticize others, conjecturing as to their motives and passing judgment upon them. Because we can’t we read the heart, we have no right to judge. 1 Corinthians 4:5; Romans 2:1. When we judge, criticize, or condemn we are passing judgment upon ourselves and God declares that sentence is just. He accepts their own verdict against themselves. The only person you can judge is yourself 1 Corinthians 11:31. In Luke 7:39-50 is an example of one who judged another and was in turn judged himself. 

 

There are in the church unconsecrated, unconverted men and women who think more of maintaining their own dignity and their own opinions than they do of the salvation of their fellow creatures; and Satan works upon these to stir up difficulties that consume the time and labor of the minister, and many souls are lost as the result. { 5T 616.1} 

 

Ministers and lay members of the church displease God when they allow individuals to tell them the errors and faults of their brethren. They should not listen to these reports, but should inquire: "Have you strictly followed the injunctions of your Saviour? Have you gone to the offender and told him his faults between you and him alone? And has he refused to hear you? Have you carefully and prayerfully taken two or three others, and labored with him in tenderness, humility, and meekness, your heart throbbing with love for his soul?" If the Captain’s orders, in the rules given for the erring, have been strictly followed, then an advance step is to be taken-tell it to the church, and let action be taken in the case according to the Scriptures. Then it is that heaven will ratify the decision made by the church in cutting off the offending member if he does not repent. If these steps have not been taken, close the ear to complaints, and thus refuse to take up a reproach against your neighbor. If there were no brethren and sisters to do this, evil tongues would soon cease; for they would not find so favorable a field in which to work in biting and devouring one another. { 5T 616.4} 

 

When we judge, we notice other faults pretty quickly. We hardly really notice ours unless the Holy Spirit clearly show it to us. It is because we lack love and forbearance that we judge others. We misrepresent Christ and wound that precious soul whom Christ has died for. He who indulges in a censorious spirit is guilty of greater sin than is the one he accuses, for he not only commits the same sin, but adds to it conceit and censoriousness. Proverbs 26:12, 16.

 

I have to get Christ in and to allow Christ to come in. If Christ is in me, I will be helping those and blessing to save and not to judge. Because this is what Christ did while He was on earth. I have a friend in Jesus who is always willing to help, forgive, and restore, not condemn. Christ is the one that died Romans 8:33-34. God love us, Jesus loves us. I must allow Christ to cast out the beam in my eye, so I can help others remove the mote in their eye. I need the eye salve in order to see Revelation 3:17-18. So how do you know if you have a beam in your eye? Genesis 38:24-26 discernment; 2 Samuel 12:5-7 using the prophet; Genesis 4:8-10 Lord trying to reason with Cain. Make him aware of his sin. Only the Holy Spirit can show you, whether it’s through the word, a person (including prophet/ess Hosea 6:5), or by providence and God also uses judgments Isaiah 26:9. We are called hypocrites, if we don’t cast out the beam (a piece of timber) in our own eye, we can’t get the mote (a piece of straw) out of our brother’s eye. 

 

6 Jesus says we need to be careful who we share the pearl and the holiness of the gospel. He mentions dogs and pigs. We know these animals eat anything and represent the wicked Psalm 22:16; Philippians 3:2; Exodus 22:31; 1 Kings 21:23; Isiah 56:11; Proverbs 11:22 but Christ still tried to reach those who were still in the slavery of sin, if they were willing to receive the precious truths of heaven. We see the man at the pool of Bethesda and we also see Saul before he was Paul. 

 

 

7-12 Jesus share with us the thrice-given promise. Ask, seek, and knock. When we ask, it’s not because we want, because we need. We must ask in faith and without doubting James 1:6; 1 Timothy 2:8. The Lord wants us to ask. He desires us to hunger and ask for His mercy, desire His counsel, and long for His love. Knowing you are a sinner is sufficient ground for asking and He will provide. Ask God to cleanse you from all sin and purify you from all iniquity. Jeremiah 3:13; Leviticus 26:40-42. We are to ask according to His will 1 John 5:14-15. Being involved in the service of Christ, requires us to ask for guidance at every step.

 

Signs of the Times August 15, 1892 Ask and Ye Shall Receive

We need not walk stumblingly, or in uncertainty. If we ask guidance of the Lord, the promise is, "Ye shall receive." The promise is yea and amen in Christ Jesus. "Seek and ye shall find." This is what we need to do every hour of our life; for if we seek the right way in sincerity, we shall find it. We must feel the need of help from the Lord, and seek for it in humble prayer. There is need of dependence upon God; for Christ has said, "Without me ye can do nothing."

 

Seek, we often pray and seek God to bless us. But let us seek God Himself. Seek His presence, His Spirit. Zephaniah 3:3; 1 Chronicles 28:9; Amos 5:4, 6, 8, 14; Isaiah 55:6, 8; 1. Chronicles 22:19. Christ is seeking us Luke 19:10 and those that don’t seek the Lord will be cut off 2 Chronicles 15:13. The requirement when seeking the Lord is to search for Him with all your heart Jeremiah 29:13. Part of seeking God is being in constant prayer. Unceasing prayer is the unbroken union of the soul with God, so that life from God flows into our life; and from our life, purity and holiness flow back to God. Seek every opportunity to go where prayer is wont to be made. 

Knock, Jesus is knocking at the door of our hearts and He also invites us to do the same John 1:38, 39. God will always open His door for us. We should step into the most holy place and commune with Him while we still have opportunity. The time is coming when the door will close, even if we knock Luke 13:23-26

 

We being evil know how to give good things to our children, so how much more does our Heavenly Father want to give good things to us who ask. Especially, the Holy Spirt Luke 11:11-13 and God will freely give it to us Romans 8:32; Psalms 84:12; Jeremiah 33:14

 

What are the good things that God wants to give? Luke 11:13 the Holy Spirit. He is not a thing, but a person. In Luke 1:35 Jesus was also called a "thing" but He clearly was called the Son of God when He was born. In Matthew the word "thing" is added. In the book Desire Of Ages 699.1 Christ wants to bestow the most essential and complete gift/thing to give to His followers, and that is the Holy Spirit, John 14:16-18. All good things are comprised in this. God can give us nothing greater, nothing better MB 132.1. We need to be asking for the Holy Spirit. The Lord wants us to trouble Him in this matter FE 537.

 

Prayer is not to work any change in God; it is to bring us into harmony with God. When we make request of Him, He may see that it is necessary for us to search our hearts and repent of sin. Therefore He takes us through test and trial, He brings us through humiliation, that we may see what hinders the working of His Holy Spirit through us. {COL 143.1}  

 

12 The golden rule is based on this verse. As you want people to treat you, this is how you should treat them. Jesus is saying this is a good way. If you want people to be kind to you and nice, then you would do the same. Even if people don’t treat you nice still treat them with love because this is how you want them to treat you. This goes back to verse 1 and 2, with what’s measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. It also says "all things" so in every aspect of life whether business, wealth, work, and even at home, we are to do justly, and love mercy, and walk humbly with our God Micah 6:8. This principle covers all the relations of human associations. We are to identify with them and put ourselves in their place and do to them what you want them to do to you. This principle is the command "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" Matthew 22:39. When this is practice, the same power will attend the gospel as in the apostolic times MB137.2 Acts 2:44-47; 4:32

 

13-14 When Christ was on the earth he Himself chosen the narrow way. There is nothing that Christ has told us, that He has not done Himself. When choosing the narrow way, we are choosing Christ and letting go of sin. Luke also says something similar in chapter 13:24-27, here is sounds like when I heal stands up, probation is closed. Christ has been knocking at your door and you refused. Now that the sanctuary is closed, people want to knock at His door and Christ answered and said " I know you not whence ye are" this is a sin serious rebuke. We must strive to enter in the strait gate. Philippians 3:14 says "..press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." We must give up our own ways, our will, evil habits and practices if we want to keep the way of the Lord MB 138.4. Part of that also include staying away from politics. Our nation currently is under a lot of political warfare. Politics is ruling the masses in the media and in the news and wide is its destruction. In Luke 12:13-14 Jesus was asked to speak with a person about dividing the inheritance between brothers, but His response was "who made me a judge or a divider over you" Christ gave the man a plain answer that this was not His work.He did not involve Himself in civil magistrate. During His life on earth Christ has been asked to decide legal and political questions, but He refused to interfere in temporal matters 9T 217.3-218. We are to stay in the narrow way and focus on our relationship with God and winning souls for the kingdom. 2. Corinthians 6:14-15; 1 Corinthians 10:21; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Romans 13:12-14. When stay connected to Christ, the blessed promise in Revelation 22:14 will be fulfilled. How to find the strait gate or narrow way? 1T 127-130 Matthew 16:24

 

15-23 Christ is warning us to watch out for false prophets which teach false doctrines. He also repeats this to his disciples in Matthew 24:4-5, 11, 24-25. Peter also shares what these false prophets will do and their results 2 Peter 2:1-3. John says many false prophets are gone out into the world 1 John 4:1. In Isaiah 8:20 they have to speak according to this word, if we don’t know the word, how will we know their are speaking according to the word of God. When harvesting, you don’t gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles. In James 3:12 a fig tree can not produce olives, or a grapevine figs. So a good tree bring forth good fruit , a corrupt tree bring forth evil fruit. The good fruit is the fruits of the Spirit and Christ’s Righteousness Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 5:9 Philippians 1:11. A bad tree is the fruits of the flesh Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 5:3. We should cease to listen to instruction that will lead to error Proverbs 19:27. It will become more difficult to know them by their fruits. Because Satan has ministers who transform into ministers of righteousness to deceive. 

 

In Matthew 3:10, the axe is laid at the root. In other words, God will reveal what is truly in the heart and that will be judged Ecclesiastes 12:14. John said "bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance" Matthew 3:8; Acts 26:20. What fruit meet repentance? 2 Corinthians 7:10-11 Jesus continues and say "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven." Only those that do the will of the Father shall enter in Luke 6:46. Doing what the Lord says is doing the will of the Father. Matthew 7:24, but Christ addresses the main issue which is sin because the main reason He doesn’t know you, it’s because you work iniquity. Anyone who name’s the name of Christ shall depart from iniquity 2 Timothy 2:19.

 

24-29 Jesus does speak of a coming judgment and if we not only hear His words, but to actually do them, we have establish ourselves in Christ and it’s because we love Him. When the storm blows and the flood came, by God’s grace we will not fall, because we believe in the words of Christ. This is righteousness by faith. If we hear the words of Christ and not do them, we shall fall, because the storm will blow and the flood will come, but it will sweep us away like sand because we did not do His will.

 

Christ is the rock, 1 Corinthians 10:4; 3:11; Acts 4:12. We build on Christ by obeying His word...Religion consists in doing the words of Christ, not doing to earn God’s favor, because we are all underserving , we have received the gift of His love. MB149. Christ is the true foundation, why, cause He has proved that the Word is true and sure and last forever and forever. Psalms 119:140, 160; Matthew 24:34-35; 1 Peter 1:25; Psalms 12:6-7. Christ is the word and it is very sharp Hebrews 4:12. 

 

Lord I trust in your word, may it accomplish all it’s purpose.