Bible Studies

The seventh commandment is clear: “You shall not commit adultery.” The rabbis taught a narrow view of this commandment: the physical act of adultery. Jesus, the only perfect interpreter of the Law, went behind the physical act to the... Continue Reading »

I have a book of sermons entitled, “Do Right.” As I began to write this Bible study, I thought of that title. In Matthew 5:21-26, Jesus admonishes us to do what is right. In verses 21-22, Jesus speaks about... Continue Reading »

Law and grace can be viewed as two important biblical realities that often seem to create tension and even lead to confusion. John Newton, author of “Amazing Grace,” said, “Ignorance of the nature and design of the Law is... Continue Reading »

The late Martyn Lloyd-Jones once wrote, “The glory of the gospel is that when the church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it. If we Christians are indistinguishable from non-Christians, we are useless.” In Matthew 5:13-16,... Continue Reading »

Persecution is not pleasant, yet it is part of the blessed, abundant life we are privileged to live as followers of Jesus. In Matthew 5:10-12, Jesus completed the Beatitudes. D.A. Carson has noted that this final beatitude is the... Continue Reading »

In Matthew 5:7, Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” “Merciful” is a term that emphasizes who someone is more than what they do. Someone has observed, “The merciful show mercy not because of some... Continue Reading »

The Sermon on the Mount begins with the eight progressive steps of the blessed, abundant life that is kingdom living. R.T. Kendall has called this kind of living “the rule of the ungrieved Holy Spirit in our lives.” The... Continue Reading »

In the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7, Jesus does not show us how to be saved, but how the saved should live. It is instruction for kingdom living. The word makarios (blessed) has been translated as happy, fortunate... Continue Reading »