CHRIST LAID DOWN PRINCIPLES FOR LIVING ON THE PART OF THOSE WHO BELONG TO HIS KINGDOM

CHRIST LAID DOWN PRINCIPLES FOR LIVING ON THE PART OF THOSE WHO BELONG TO HIS KINGDOM

 

1. The sermon on the Mount was given to identify and describe the subjects of Christ's kingdom. And Christians are the aristocracy of that kingdom. Someday they are going to rule and reign with Christ in that kingdom. Therefore the moral and spiritual principles for their conduct is just as valid for today and for the day they will be realized in their fullness. These principles were first set forth in the Old Testament. But Israel had wandered so far from them it was necessary to restate them when Christ came. In the New Testament they are clearly restated again for believers.

2. The first sixteen verses of Matt. 5 describes the subjects of the kingdom. They are the blessed of the Lord, the born-again ones. They are the poor in spirit, they mourn, they are meek, they hunger and thirst after righteousness, they are merciful, pure in heart, are peacemakers, persecut­ed for righteousness, they are reviled and slandered. But they are salt, holding back the evil of the world; and they are light dispensing illumination to the world.

3. The principles for their conduct are set forth in the rest of the chapter. In this portion of scripture appears the passage from which is derived the name given the Brethren approach to war, that of Non-Resistance.

"Ye have heard that it hath been said, an eye for an' eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away" (Matt. 5:38-42).

If the title Non-Resistance appears to be negative and passive, all one, needs do is read the passage that follows. There it is made perfectly plain that this response is to be positive and active. It is to be that of love, the dis­position to do good to its object like God does, and thus to demonstrate that one is a child of God and has come to spiritual maturity like God (Matt. 5:43- 48).