WEEK 2 ¤ WHO WE ARE IN HIM ¤ MATT 5:1-12

the beatitudes those with qualities described are called ‘salt of the earth’ and ‘light of the world’ their happiness (“happy are you”) is not in themselves nor for themselves alone salt and light are products of a life energized by the Spirit of God, not self-produced the influence we are called to be

you are salt salt has a preserving quality not just taste  Luke 14:26-34 we are salt when we put Him above all else

you are light light cuts through the darkness gives light to everyone in the house lamp - lampstand the seven lampstands are symbols of seven churches

you are light to the church in Ephesus: 4 “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” (Revelation 2:4-5)

you are salt and light they bring about noticeable changes, but they are seldom noticed themselves the motive: God gets the praise!

fulfillment of the Law everything Jesus did seemed to be opposite of the Pharisee’s understanding of the Law Jesus objected to misinterpretations of the Law, not the Law itself the true purpose of the Law

fulfillment of the Law the idea of “fulfillment” is more than His obedience (keeping the Law) fulfillment means “making it happen” or “accomplished” Jesus is the fulfillment!

fulfillment of the Law Matt 23:23-24 23 “Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the Law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

fulfillment of the Law Romans 8:3-4 3 For what the Law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

fulfillment of the Law His commandments are to be obeyed and taught from the perspective of how Jesus fulfills them through His interpretation of its intent and meaning which brings about the Sermon on the Mount—the morality of the Kingdom—His fulfillment in us

righteousness that surpasses one of Jesus’ most shocking statements His disciples are called to a different kind and quality of righteousness, not an increased quantity our righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees; not because we do more, but that we do less, or do it differently

In Him who we are

righteousness that surpasses not only are we salt and light to a lost world, we are His righteousness! what He has completed and fulfilled is what distinguishes us if we understand this, we understand the Sermon on the Mount