Matthew 7

This morning I was reading Matthew 7.

It starts out "Judge not, that ye be not judged." Many take this scripture as saying we can never say sin is sin. Yes, we need to check ourselves and let God search our heart. But that doesn't mean God wants us to put blinders on and pretend someone is not for example, lying or having an affair or being revengful or hateful or committing adultery, etc. When you read the whole 7th chapter Jesus is teaching us how to discern evil from good.

1. Verse 6 says don't give what is holy to dogs, don't cast your pearl before swine. He's not speaking about animals here. He's speaking about a group of people. And if we are not to be able to judge anything at all, how would we know who are the ones we should avoid trying to pass the Word of God to?

2. Verse 14 states that the way is narrow and few are going to find it. Not because they can't but because they won't.

3. Verse 15 states "Beware of false prophets that come in sheep's clothing but are really ravening wolves. Now He didn't tell us to beware of false prophets if we couldn't judge who they were.

4. Verses 16 through 20 explains how we will know people by their fruits.

5. Verses 21 through 23 states how many are going to say they know the Lord and have done some good works but they are insincere and God doesn't and won't profess to know them. Their work is iniquity to Him.

6. Verses 24 through 27 gives the lesson of building our house on rock and not sand, being wise and not foolish.

So we see we must fit verse one in with the whole chapter and rightly divide the word of truth. The Bible states we do not have to be ignorant of Satan's devices.

Hymn: The Solid Rock

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus name

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand