If it doesn’t you, it doesn’t you.
Matthew 5:17-20 NIV
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of
The “heart” isn’t just your . It’s the core of your .
“In biblical usage, kardia [heart] refers more broadly to human inner-life in its totality.” —Jonathan Pennington
Our need .
“You have heard it was said… But I tell you….”
Matthew 5:17 NIV
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
Fulfill = Bring something to its full .
Jeremiah 31:33 NIV
This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
Matthew 5:21-22 NIV
You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, “You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.” 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
“New” Fruit of the Spirit
“Contempt seeks to diminish the inherent value of the other person. It views the other as subhuman. It excludes the other from being worthy of care, thought, or dignity.”—Skye Jethani
1. reveals a heart.
Matthew 5:22b
Anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
“To enter heaven is to become more human than you ever were; to enter hell is to be banished from humanity [by one’s own choice].”
“The gates of hell are locked on the inside.”
–C.S. Lewis
Matthew 5:23-24 NIV
Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
2. reveals a heart.
Matthew 5:27–28 NIV
You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Matthew 5:29-30 NIV
If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
“Jesus does not condemn sexual desires even when those desires are provoked by unexpected or unwelcome temptations, and He does not place the blame for lust on women, the culture, or any other external force. Rather, He warns about the deformation that happens when we deliberately engage our will in the pursuit of lust.” – Skye Jethani
3. reveal a heart.
Matthew 5:33-37 NIV
It has been said, “Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.” 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. 33 Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
“The essence of swearing an oath is a device of manipulation, designed to override the judgment or input of others in order to possess them for our purposes. It is manipulation—or, as we say in our culture, spin. And Jesus says it’s evil.” —Dallas Willard