What Is God’s Purpose for My Life? The Sermon on the MountSample

Day 3: Stop Pretending

So far, Jesus has given us a new way to see the Old Testament law. According to the Bible, the law shows our need to depend on God and align with his heart, not a way to earn perfect righteousness on our own. In the following passages, Christ touches on sins that we might be tempted to excuse as private. Each of these failings will ultimately lead to a public display of our rejection of God's word. Yet these three—anger, lust, and divorce—often start in ways that are difficult for others to recognize.

In his instructions on anger, the Greek word Jesus uses in Matthew 5:22 is orgizomenos. This word is a verb that’s perhaps better translated as something akin to holding a grudge. Jesus describes anger that we nurse and keep alive by our own volition rather than thumos, the initial emotion we feel when wronged.

Are you nursing resentment? With whom and why? What does it reveal about your heart?

The Greek is instructive in understanding Christ's warning against lust as well. The word used in the original language is skandalizei, which refers to the stick on which bait was placed in a trap. The stick posed a minor threat outside of the trap, but anyone who took the bait quickly discovered it was attached to something much more dangerous.

Are you allowing lust to take hold of your eyes and heart?

In many ways, Christ's warnings against divorce are an extension of his admonitions against lust. Divorce was much more common in first-century Israel than God ever intended. The Jews typically allowed divorce for reasons like if the wife burned or oversalted a dish. Rabbi Akiva even argued that a man could divorce his wife if he found someone else more attractive.

Are you allowing selfishness to get in the way of loving your spouse? If you’re single, are you idolizing marriage instead of focusing on how the Lord could use you?

Christ’s plea of “Please, no more pretending” (as paraphrased by Eugene Petersen in The Message) sums up his arguments against each of the sins addressed in these first three statements. We cannot afford to pretend that we can manage our sins or ignore our temptations without severe consequences in the end.

One of the most commonly cited reasons people reject Christianity is the hypocrisy they see in Christians. When we’re “pretending,” people can tell, and it can dramatically influence how they view our faith and the God we profess to serve. Take a minute alone to reflect on your inner sins, which, if left unchecked, could lead to something more devastating. Take them to the Lord in confession. Ask the Spirit to show you how you can abide in the Spirit.

Ask him to align your heart and mind with his. Consider confessing these sins to close friends, and ask them to hold you accountable.