Monday, November 19, 2018
Christian Versus Pharisaical Faith
THE
BIBLE PRAYER LINE – Bible Questions Answered
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Bible
Prayer Line Index
Bible Questions Answered:
“What
was the difference between Christ's righteousness and that of the
Pharisees?...”
Spencer/
Powder Springs, Georgia U.S.A.
Bible Answer:
Bible Texts:
Matthew
5:20,29,30 KJV
20
For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter
into the kingdom of heaven.
29
And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from
thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should
perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
30
And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee:
for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish,
and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
In these last two verses, our Lord uses what is called a metaphor.
Metaphor;
A figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something
to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a
resemblance, as in “A mighty fortress is our God.”
Something used, or regarded as being used, to represent something
else; emblem; symbol.
Dictionary.Com
Why did Jesus, use a metaphor? He did it to emphasize that
righteousness, and salvation are such priceless things, that no
earthly thing must stand in their way.
Pharisaical
practice, was one of street corner prayers, and rituals, a showy
pretense.
II
Timothy 3:5 KJV
Having
a form of Godliness, but denying The Power thereof: from such turn
away.
Pharisaical:
Of or relating to the Pharisees.
Practicing or advocating strict observance of external forms and
ceremonies of religion or conduct without regard to the spirit;
self-righteous; hypocritical.
Dictionary.Com
The Jewish Pharisees, thought they owned Salvation, but The Lord
Jesus set them straight. Salvation was not a matter of ceremonialism,
but of the heart and faith.
Ceremonialism:
Marked by, involved in, or belonging to ceremony : stressing careful
attention to form and detail.
Rituals and traditions.
Merriam-Webster.com
Philippians
2:5-8 KJV
5
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal
with God:
7
But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of A
Servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8
And being found in fashion as A Man, He humbled Himself, and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
II
Corinthians 8:9 KJV
For
ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich,
yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through H is poverty might
be rich.
Our Lord's example, was that of humility, self sacrifice, putting God
first, and complete obedience.
Godly Gentiles would enter the kingdom of heaven, before Christ
rejecting ritualists.
Matthew 8:11,12 KJV
11
And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and
shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of
heaven.
12
But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer
darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
(Jesus Criticizes Jewish Religious Leaders)
Matthew 23:1-39 NLT
1
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to His disciples,
2
“The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official
interpreters of the law of Moses.
3 So
practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their
example. For they don’t practice what they teach.
4
They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a
finger to ease the burden.
5
“Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide
prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with
extra long tassels.
6
And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats
of honor in the synagogues.
7
They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the
marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’
8
“Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one
teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters.
9
And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only
God in heaven is your Father.
10
And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one
teacher, the Messiah.
11
The greatest among you must be a servant.
12
But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble
themselves will be exalted.
13
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you
Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven
in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t
let others enter either.
15
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you
Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one
convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell
you yourselves are!
16
“Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means
nothing to swear ‘by God’s Temple,’ but that it is binding to
swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.’
17
Blind fools! Which is more important—the gold or the Temple that
makes the gold sacred?
18
And you say that to swear ‘by the altar’ is not binding, but to
swear ‘by the gifts on the altar’ is binding.
19
How blind! For which is more important—the gift on the altar or the
altar that makes the gift sacred?
20
When you swear ‘by the altar,’ you are swearing by it and by
everything on it.
21
And when you swear ‘by the Temple,’ you are swearing by it and by
God, who lives in it.
22
And when you swear ‘by heaven,’ you are swearing by The Throne Of
God and by God, who sits on The Throne.
23
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you
Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest
income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important
aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe,
yes, but do not neglect the more important things.
24
Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally
swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel!
25
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you
Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of
the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and
self-indulgence!
26
You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish,
and then the outside will become clean, too.
27
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you
Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful
on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones
and all sorts of impurity.
28
Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your
hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you
Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets your
ancestors killed, and you decorate the monuments of the Godly people
your ancestors destroyed.
30
Then you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we
would never have joined them in killing the prophets.’
31
“But in saying that, you testify against yourselves that you are
indeed the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
32
Go ahead and finish what your ancestors started.
33
Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?
34
“Therefore, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers of
religious law. But you will kill some by crucifixion, and you will
flog others with whips in your synagogues, chasing them from city to
city.
35
As a result, you will be held responsible for the murder of all Godly
people of all time—from the murder of righteous Abel to the murder
of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you killed in the Temple between
the sanctuary and the altar.
36 I
tell you The Truth, this judgment will fall on this very generation.
(Jesus
Grieves over Jerusalem)
37
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and
stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your
children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but
you wouldn’t let Me.
38
And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate.
39
For I tell you this, you will never see Me again until you say,
‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of The Lord!’”
Traditions, showy pageantry, and ritualistic ceremonial customs, will
never replace, repentance, and acceptance of The Lord Jesus, as Lord
(Master), and Savior!
Matthew
7:21-23 KJV
21
Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which
is in heaven.
22
Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied
in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name
done many wonderful works?
23
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me,
ye that work iniquity.
They never had a personal, saving relationship with The Lord Jesus.
And teaching others to follow them, meant that they were workers of
iniquity.
Come,
we that love The Lord,
Come, we that love The Lord,
And let our joys be known;
Join in a song with sweet accord,
And thus surround the throne.
Chorus:
We’re marching to Zion,
Beautiful, beautiful Zion;
We’re marching upward to Zion,
The beautiful city of God.
Let those refuse to sing,
Who never knew our God;
But children of The Heav’nly King
May speak their joys abroad.
The hill of Zion yields
A thousand sacred sweets
Before we reach the heav’nly fields,
Or walk the golden streets.
Then let our songs abound,
And every tear be dry;
We’re marching through Immanuel’s ground
To fairer worlds on high.
The sorrows of the mind
Be banished from the place;
Religion never was designed
To make our pleasures less.
The men of grace have found
Glory begun below;
Celestial fruits on earthly ground
From faith and hope may grow.
Author: Isaac Watts
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Prayer:
A new heart
also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I
will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you
an heart of flesh.
Matthew 10:32
KJV
Everyone who acknowledges Me
publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before My Father in
heaven.
Matthew 11:28-30
KJV
28 Come unto Me, all ye that labor
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take My yoke upon you, and learn
of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto
your souls.
30 For My yoke is easy, and My
burden is light.
Mark 16:16 KJV
He that believeth and
is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be
damned.