ISRAEL'S
SERMON ON THE MOUNT
Miles
J. Stanford
THE SERMON -- Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, addressed to Israel, is the next great leak
in the Dispensational wall.
Why should the heavenly grace-Church be subjected to Jesus’ pre-Cross
law-message of the kingdom to Israel? There is nothing in the Sermon on the
Mount that is not superseded by Paul’s Church Epistles. Nothing!
Dr. Chafer places the Sermon in its proper scriptural perspective:
“The Sermon on the Mount is characterized—among other things—by the
absence of those elements which are distinctly Christian, i.e., redemption
by the Blood of Christ, faith, regeneration, deliverance from judgment, the
Person and work of the Holy Spirit. The absence of these vital elements
cannot but arrest the attention of those who are awake to, and jealous for,
the faith once delivered to the saints.”
THE
NINE BEATITUDES -- This kingdom message opens with the record of the ninefold blessing which
is promised and provided for the faithful child of the kingdom (Matt.
5:1–12). These blessings are won through personal merit.
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“Blessed are the poor [humble] in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven” (v. 3). To the Christian it is said, “Put on, therefore, as the
elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness of
mind” (Col. 3:12). In the teachings of grace, “put on” does not mean to
pretend, or assume; it is the manifestation of the regenerate life through
the power of the Spirit (Eph. 4:24; 6:11).
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“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted” (v. 4).
Mourning does not belong to the Bride of Christ. To her a different message
is given: “Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, Rejoice” (Phil.
4:4).
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“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” (v. 5). Under
grace, meekness is wrought in the Christian by the Spirit (Gal. 5:23), and
is never rewarded. While the meek in the kingdom will inherit the earth, the
believer has an “inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, that fadeth not
away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Pet. 1:4).
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“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for
they shall be filled” (v. 6). The Christian may crave a closer walk with the
Father; but he is already “made the righteousness of God in Him [Christ]” (2 Cor. 5:21).
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“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (vs. 7). In
the kingdom mercy from God will be made to depend wholly on the exercise of
mercy toward others. This is pure law. Under grace, the Christian is
besought to be merciful, as one who has already obtained mercy (Eph. 2:4, 5;
Titus 3:5).
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“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (v. 8).
Opposed to this, and under grace it is written: “God, who commanded the
light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light
of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor.
4:6).
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“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of
God” (v. 9). In the kingdom there will be special distinction given to those
who promote peace. “They shall be called the children of God.”
Under grace,
no one is constituted a child of God by any works whatever, “for ye are all
children of God by faith in Jesus Christ” (Gal. 3:26).
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“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for
theirs is the [millennial] kingdom of heaven” (v. 10). The issue here again
is righteousness. The Christian under grace, on the contrary, suffers with
Christ and for His sake, and is rewarded in heaven.
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“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you… for so
persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (v. 11, 12). Under
grace
the believer is called upon to suffer for Christ’s sake (Phil. 1:29).
NINEFOLD FRUIT -- A careful comparison should be made of the ninefold blessing which is
promised under the kingdom, with the ninefold blessing which is prepared
under grace (“the fruit of the Spirit”). It will be seen that all that is
demanded under the law of the kingdom as a condition of blessing is, under
grace, divinely provided.
The two aspects of life which are represented by these two groups of
characterizing words are most significant. The total of all the blessings in
the kingdom is not comparable with the superabundant “fruit of the
Spirit”—“love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faithfulness, meekness, temperance” (Gal. 5:22, 23).
The very tense of the verb used is important. Under grace, the fruit of
the Spirit is, which indicates the present possession of the blessing
through pure grace; whereas under the kingdom, the blessing shall be to such
as merit it by their works” (L. S. Chafer's Systematic Theology
IV: 216–219).
WARNING -- “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but
inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits”
(Matt. 7:15–20). The warning here is against false prophets who are to be
discerned by the quality of their lives.
But the warning to the children of God under grace is against false
teachers who are to be discerned by their doctrine concerning Christ (2 Pet.
2:1; 2 John 1:7–11)” (L. S. Chafer's Systematic Theology IV: 223).