Is Jesus' Sermon on the Mount The Law for Christians?

🔥The Commands in the Gospels in Focus:

The commands found in the Gospels, such as those in the Sermon on the Mount, are often misunderstood in their application to Christians today. These commands were given by Jesus as a minister to the circumcision, meaning He was addressing the Jewish people under the Law of Moses. The purpose of these teachings was to reveal the impossibility of achieving righteousness through the law and to show the Jews their need for Christ, the true heir of the promises made to the fathers (Romans 8). The Sermon on the Mount, in particular, serves as a powerful illustration of the law's demands, highlighting the need for a righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees, which can only be found in Christ.

Now, let us linger on one of the keystones of this sermon: the ninth commandment, "Thou shalt not covet." This commandment doesn’t just sit at the edges of human behavior—it dives straight into the heart, where desires brew and spill over into actions. It deals with what you spontaneously desire before you even have a chance to think about it! Jesus takes this commandment and magnifies it in the Sermon on the Mount, showing its depth. He declares that even harboring anger towards your brother is akin to murder, and looking at someone with lust is already adultery in the heart (Matthew 5:21-28). What is He doing here? He’s not raising the bar for law-keeping; He’s pulling back the curtain to reveal the heart’s incurably wicked condition (Jeremiah 17:9). Covetousness, the root of so many sins, is exposed as a heart condition that no outward adherence to the law can cure.

Paul confessed in (Romans 7) that it was the commandment against coveting that finally revealed his sinfulness to him. He realized that his religious efforts, even his zeal for the law, were forms of covetousness, rooted in a desire for glory and praise for works righteousness. Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount exposes this same reality. It’s not about refraining from stealing or adultery; it’s about the desires that fuel these acts. This reveals that there is a principle of sin in us that is deeper than anything we have control over, and shows us our desperate need for God's salvation in Christ. In the Sermon on the Mount, the law, magnified by Jesus, becomes a mirror showing us our desperate need for a Savior who can transform our hearts.

đźš«Summary of Related Misconceptions:

â–ş Claim: The Sermon on the Mount is a guide for Christian living.

However, scripture teaches the opposite. The Sermon on the Mount is not a Christian teaching on how to live the Christian life. It is a law teaching meant to expose sin and the need for Christ (Romans 7:7-13). It is not the rule of life for the church, which is based on the Spirit, not the law.

⚖️What Scripture Actually Says:

The Sermon on the Mount is a profound exposition of the law, intended to reveal the depth of human sinfulness and the need for a Savior. Jesus used the law to show the Jews that their righteousness was insufficient and that they needed to believe in Him. The law serves as a schoolmaster to lead us to Christ, showing us our need for justification beyond what the law can provide (Galatians 3:24). The commands in the Gospels are not directives for Christian living but rather a means to bring us to the end of ourselves and to Christ.

đź’ˇCorrect Understanding from Scripture:

  1. The Law Reveals Sin: The law, including the commands in the Gospels, highlights our sinful nature and our need for Christ (Romans 7:7-13). It is not a guide for Christian living.
  2. Christ is Our Righteousness: We are justified by faith in Christ, not by law-keeping (Romans 3:21-22). Our righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees because it is Christ's righteousness imputed to us. This is the righteousness demanded by the sermon on the mount.
  3. The Spirit is Our Guide: The rule of life for Christians is based on the Spirit, not the law (Romans 8:2). We are to walk by the Spirit, which leads to life and peace.

🧠Implications/Damage of Misunderstanding:

  1. Misapplying the Sermon on the Mount as a rule of life leads to legalism and self-righteousness, undermining the grace of God in Christ.
  2. Confusing the church with Israel results in theological errors that impact our understanding of salvation, sanctification, and the Christian life.

🩸True Grace/Application Brings You to Christ:

Understanding these principles leads us to rely wholly on Christ for our righteousness and sanctification. It frees us from the burden of the law and allows us to live by the Spirit, experiencing the fullness of life in Christ (Romans 8:1-4). This understanding brings us to the throne of grace, where we find mercy and help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

🛑Final Takeaways:

  1. The commands in the Gospels, like the Sermon on the Mount, are not Christian directives but reveal our need for Christ (Romans 7:7-13).
  2. The Christian life is lived by the Spirit, not by adherence to the law (Romans 8:2).

🌳Additional Biblical Insights:

The distinction between the church and Israel is crucial for understanding the application of the law and the role of the Spirit. During His earthly ministry, Jesus' focus was on confirming the promises made to Israel's fathers (Romans 15:8). He came as the minister to the circumcision, operating within the framework of the Mosaic covenant to demonstrate the need for a greater righteousness—the righteousness of God, which comes by faith.

However, with His resurrection and ascension, everything shifted. Christ, now seated at the right hand of God, has inaugurated a new administration. Hebrews declares that He is our great high priest, serving not in the earthly tabernacle but in the true heavenly one (Hebrews 8:1-2). He presented His blood as the ultimate atonement in the heavenly holy of holies, securing eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12). This act of atonement laid the foundation for His present ministry, which is entirely distinct from His earthly one.

In this new ministry, Christ is not dispensing the law but His very life. He is the head of the church, His body, and He ministers to us as the life-giving Spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45). This is the "new way of life" for believers—a life governed by the Spirit, not the law. The Spirit leads us into all truth, writes Christ’s reality into our hearts, and transforms us from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). This heavenly ministry is the cornerstone of the church's identity as a new creation, distinct from Israel. The church’s inheritance is heavenly, just as Israel’s promises are earthly. In Christ, the firstfruits of the new creation, we see the pattern and guarantee of what we are becoming: heirs of glory, seated with Him in the heavenlies (Ephesians 2:6).

This understanding of Christ’s ascended ministry frees us to live not as those under the shadow of the law but as those who walk in the light of His resurrection, empowered by His Spirit. The church is not Israel, and our rule of life reflects this profound distinction.