5 Sep 2014

Matthew 5:19

Posted by joncooper

Matthew 5:19: “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

People say “Oh, there are no ranks in Heaven. There are no big I’s or little U’s. We are all the same.” But we are not all the same. It really does matter how you live your life. You see, God cares about our faithfulness. Notice that God does not say “Oh, it doesn’t matter if you follow me or not. Just do your thing. It will all be fine in the end.” Not at all! Instead we see God saying that those who are obedient and who teach others to be obedient will be called great in Heaven, while those who are disobedient and who teach others to do the same will be called the least in the kingdom.

What is it that determines one’s status – least vs greatest? Two things: your obedience and your testimony. Were you obedient, and did your example teach others to be obedient as well? Or were you disobedient and, by example or word, encouraged others to do the same? Did you draw people to God, or did you draw people away from Him? Did you further the gospel, or were you an obstacle to it?

You may think that God doesn’t care, but the truth is that He cares tremendously about how we live our lives. You will stand before Jesus and give an account of your life, and there will be consequences (or rewards) for your actions. If you have been living a careless life then now is the time to change – before it’s too late and your life comes to an end.

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