Last updated on 1/1/99

Viewpoint Brief Bible Study #54
		JESUS calls US to be members of His church
The Christian religion is the worship and service of Jesus Christ. It’s not Mary we worship, but her Son. We worship neither saints, angels, a law code, nor even God’s Spirit. It’s JESUS who is to be honored. The Bible is our guide.

The Difference Between Being
Wise And Foolish

Cecil May, Jr. wrote in his
PREACHER TALK publication in January 1997
about good deeds Christians should do.

THE DIFFERENCE, he notes, between a wise man and a fool is DOING. Jesus says, "The foolish man hears these sayings of mine, and does not DO them, the wise man hears and DOES." (Matthew 7:24,26).

Jesus told his followers to listen to the scribes and Pharisees, and to DO what they said was to be done. But He added, "Do not do as they DO, because they SAY and do not" (Matthew 23:3).

In Matthew 12:50 we note that Jesus said, "Whoever DOES the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." In Luke 6:46, we hear Him ask, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' and not DO the things which I say?"

Early in the sermon on the mount, Jesus warns, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who DOES the will of my Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:21).

To a lawyer, Jesus emphasizes the point (Luke 10:25-37). Jewish society was a theocracy as far as Roman occupation allowed, so religious law and civil law commingled. Jewish law was made up of the Old Testament and a large body of oral tradition and case law. Lawyers (scribes, and teachers of the law) were experts in these matters. As do some of us preachers and theologians [that ought to catch ALL of us] today, they enjoyed fine distinctions, arguing minute points, "splitting hairs."

The lawyer asked Jesus, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" The question involved the law, of course. Turning the question back to the lawyer, Jesus asked him, "What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?"

The answer was correct, "Love God...love your neighbor."

His problem, therefore, was not a lack of understanding what he should DO to inherit eternal life. He knew the right answer. His doctrine was correct. Jesus went to the heart of the matter by then suggesting, "You have answered rightly. DO this, and you will live."

Did the lawyer come out well in that exchange? He apparently thought not, for he then asked, "And who IS my neighbor?" We're told that his purpose in asking was to trip up the Master teacher.

So Jesus told him the story of the good Samaritan -- you DO know that story, I hope, then asked, "Who do you think WAS neighbor to him who fell among thieves?"

He couldn't bring himself to speak of the unspeakable (Jews didn't admire Samaritans, didn't like Samaritans, and didn't speak to or of them if they could help it), so he replied, "The one who showed mercy to him."

Once more Jesus had made HIS point. He then said, "You should go and DO likewise."

One of the Lord's highest compliments was, "She has DONE what she could" (Mark 14:8). At other times He said, "DO good" (Luke 6:27); "DO his (the Father's) will" (John 9:31); "DO what I command you" (John 15:14).

If our aim is to hear Jesus say to us,
"Well DONE, good and faithful servant,"
we also must DO well.

RAY's COMMENT -- Note Ephesians 2:10 where Paul points out that we are saved by grace through faith, in order to DO good works!

Note also that whenever final judgment is spoken of in the Bible, it's mentioned that we will be judged by what we have DONE.

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          Brief Bible Study #54 from Ray Downen. To go back to Viewpoint's first page, click < here.   Or here to go on to Viewpoint Study 55.  For Ray's concluding remarks, click HERE.