Your Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven
Matthew 5:13-48
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Day 1
Your Will Be Done, on Earth as It Is in Heaven
Start this day of study by praying “Our holy Father in heaven, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” and ask how you can submit to His will today.
Our holy Father in heaven, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Lord, please show me how I can submit to Your will today. Holy Spirit, please be my teacher today as I study Your Word. Please use Your Word to transform my heart and mind.
In the previous lesson, we learned that Christ obtained a new life for us through His death and resurrection and is calling us now to receive that life from Him. In the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), Jesus describes some of what this new life entails. We also learned about how to pray “Your kingdom come.”
When we pray for God’s kingdom to come, it is very natural to also pray “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” His kingdom is among us now. Because our new life is in God, it has the highest standards and is our highest calling. Now that we belong to His kingdom of heaven, we need to ask for His will to be done in us here on earth. We need to ask Him to enable us to surrender completely to His will. We need to grow out of our former way of life and grow into the life that God calls us to. This is the second request that Jesus is teaching us to pray in His Sermon on the Mount.
Take a moment and write down what this means to you: Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Think of some practical examples from the Bible that come to your mind.
Since we once lived in the kingdom of darkness, we are in constant danger of straying and rebuilding our own kingdom while following our own will. Because we have entered God’s kingdom, we have to stop looking back to the kingdom of darkness and fully commit to living the life of His kingdom.
Think of some areas in your life where you are exercising your own will and building your own “kingdom.”
Our New Purpose
Matthew 5:13
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
Now that we are seeking the will of His kingdom, Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the earth. Salt is used as a preservative and can’t become bad in itself. It is chemically stable. It doesn’t degrade or become stale. When salt becomes bad, it means that it has become unsuitable for human consumption due to an infestation of microbes or contamination with a toxin. The expected pure, salty taste becomes disgusting because of all the other bad things mixed in it.
In the same way, God’s kingdom is stable and can’t become “bad” in itself. Now that we have received His life, Jesus urges us not to be contaminated with the wickedness of this world and the ways of darkness. God’s kingdom among us must be pure–the way Jesus handed it to us. Because of this, when Jesus teaches us how to pray, He tells us to ask the Father: “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Without God’s will in us, we can’t offer the good taste of God’s kingdom to the people of this world. If we live according to the will of this world, we cannot be used as God’s representatives.
What do you know about God’s kingdom as described in Hebrews 12:28?
Hebrews 12:28
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.
Think of the things of this world that you are letting into your life that may be affecting your “saltiness.”
What things are affecting the “saltiness” in your church community?
What does it mean to worship God acceptably with reverence and awe?
Matthew 5:14-16
14 You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Since you became a follower of Christ, when have you allowed His light to shine through you?
Think about seeing this light of Jesus in someone else.
When we submit to and follow God’s will, our lives draw instant attention because His will is so different from the will of this world. The whole idea of God’s kingdom is to bring people out of darkness and into His light. God’s kingdom in us should be like a town on a hill that cannot be hidden. He is working in us for all to see.
A lamp’s whole design and purpose is to hold and give away light. Similarly, our design and purpose is to hold the light of Jesus and shine that light to others. Let us shine so that people in darkness can see their state of depravity and their need for God. May our obedience to the will of Christ cause others to see the goodness of God and be drawn to Him. Let that light shining in us point them to the Father. Since there is no way to hide now, Jesus encourages us to be bold and allow ourselves to shine by exercising His will in front of the children of darkness.
What does John 1:4 say about Jesus?
John 1:4
In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
Read John 8:12. What do these words of Jesus mean to you personally?
John 8:12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Tell about an opportunity when you shared the light of Christ with someone else.
Jesus came to this world as light in order to give us the life of His kingdom. Now He calls us (His followers) “the light of the world” so that we can point others to the Light of Life, Jesus Christ. When we pray “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” we pray to be the one who reflects the very life and will of God’s kingdom to this world.
Explain how “His will be done” relates to “the light of the world.”
Pray “Our holy Father in heaven, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Ask Jesus to help you to submit to His will and mirror the life of Christ in you to the people around you.
Ask Jesus to help you to remember today that you carry His light.
Think about specific ways you can shine His light to someone today.
Day 2
Your Will be Done, on Earth as it is in Heaven
Start this day by praying “Our holy Father in heaven, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” If you know of anyone who is watching the light of Christ in you, pray that they will come to the Father.
Our holy Father in heaven, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Father, please bring about Your will in my life today. Please use me to shine Your light to the people I will encounter… Draw them to You, Lord!
Ask Jesus to help you submit to His will so His life will shine through you for others to see.
Help me to submit to Your will today so that others will see Your life in me.
The Purpose of the Law
Matthew 5:17-20
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
What do you know about the Old Testament law? Look up some passages in the Bible that speak about God’s law.
We have proven throughout history that we can’t perfectly keep God’s law given to us in the scriptures. We are guilty of breaking all of God’s law. James, the brother of Jesus, says it plainly:
James 2:10
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
Jesus tells us that our inability to keep the law doesn’t mean that He will abolish it. He came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it.
It is easy to fall into the mindset that keeping the law will give us entrance into the kingdom of heaven and will make us right before God. We have already failed at keeping the law. Why would we suddenly think that if we keep the law, the law will become our way to righteousness? There is no doubt that we are going to fail again. If keeping the law was the way to set us right before God, Christianity would be no different from the other religions.
The early church in Galatia, after they received life from Christ and His righteousness, slowly started to fall back into the belief that keeping the law would justify them before God. Paul very sternly rebuked them and explained to them how God announced the gospel to Abraham as a promise: through Abraham’s seed (Jesus Christ), all will be blessed by receiving justification before God. Paul states again that only through faith in Jesus Christ will we live. He goes on to explain that the law was given to people long after the promise of Jesus was given (430 years later!).
The law was given to guide people in God’s will, but it was never given as a means of justification before God.
Please read Galatians 3 to help you better understand the purpose of the law and the purpose of faith in Jesus Christ.
Jesus states:
Matthew 5:20
For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
The Bible teaches us that in order to enter the kingdom of God, we need to be righteous. Jesus makes it clear that the only way we can obtain that righteousness is through His sacrifice for us on the cross. We cannot change this truth and rely on our own righteousness by keeping the law. Even the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, who were the best people in keeping the law, failed and were not able to keep it perfectly. Really, there is not one human being that has succeeded in perfectly keeping the law.
It is impossible for us to obtain righteousness by keeping the law because we’ve already broken it. It is impossible for us to obtain righteousness by our good deeds because we have already sinned and done too many bad deeds. Furthermore, since the law was not given for our justification, it does not make sense to think that keeping the law will justify us.
There is no other way to obtain righteousness other than through Jesus’ blood. If we believe in Jesus Christ, we will be saved. The only way our righteousness can truly surpass that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law is through faith in Jesus Christ.
Have you obtained your righteousness through Jesus’ blood, or are you still working on obtaining it through your works, good deeds, and keeping the law?
Romans 3:24-26
24 All are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Galatians 5:4-5
4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.
Paul says in Romans 7:7 “I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law.” The law was established to show people the good in contrast to evil. The law is showing us where we have disobeyed God.
The law was never meant for the removal of sin. From the beginning, there was a need for a sacrifice. This sacrifice was in the form of an animal in the Old Testament until Jesus sacrificed Himself once and for all. The law requires the sacrifice of blood for our forgiveness. If we don’t understand that, we will create our own religion and get lost in all kinds of things that will lead us away from salvation in Christ and entrance into His kingdom.
Hebrews 9:22
In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Jesus fulfilled the law by becoming the sacrifice for us all. We are forgiven through the shedding of His blood and not because we keep the law. Now that we know that the law is not what saves us, we can better understand why Jesus did not come to put an end to His law. His law is good. His law and His will do not change. That is why He wants us to keep His commandments and teach others to do so.
Read Romans 7. What does it mean to be dead to the law and alive (bound) to Christ?
At the end of Romans 7, Paul states:
Romans 7: 23-24
23 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?
What is Paul’s answer to the wretched state he is in? (Read the end of Romans 7.)
Paul states later: “I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law…”
Do you think Paul agrees with the word of Jesus in Matthew 5:19?
Matthew 5:19
Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Day 3
Your Will be Done, on Earth as it is in Heaven
Start this day of study by praying “Our holy Father in heaven, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” and ask how you can submit to His will today.
Our holy Father in heaven, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Help me to know how to submit to Your will today.
Ask Jesus to show you if you have been looking in the wrong places to earn your righteousness.
Jesus, are there ways that I have been trying to earn my own righteousness? Are there ways that I am trusting in my own good deeds instead of trusting in You and Your work in my life?
Ask God to help you understand the purpose of keeping His commands and give you a willing heart to love Jesus and obey His commands.
Father, please help me to understand the purpose of keeping Your commands. Give me a heart that follows after You and obeys Your commands. Holy Spirit, please be my Teacher today. Teach me from Your Word and transform me by the renewing of my mind.
Love for God
Jesus wants us to pray “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We learned that His will for us is to be salt and light to the world, and we accomplish this by keeping His commands and doing His will. His will for us to be justified before God comes through His gift of righteousness to us. Because of His righteousness, we are free and enabled to love Him and obey His law.
God’s will that is established in heaven is perfect; it does not change. God’s will that is established in heaven has always been and always will be. One day, in heaven, we will be fully subject to God’s will, and by the absence of the law of sin that is in our flesh, we will be fully established in Christ’s will.
As He continues His preaching in Matthew 5:21-48, Jesus presents us with examples of how His will, His law, is done in heaven. The law that was given through Moses was just the shadow of the completed law in heaven. We often think Jesus “raises the bar” of the Mosaic law. Actually, He is just removing the curtain and letting us see a little bit more of what has already been done in heaven. When we enter His kingdom, Jesus calls us to exercise on earth the will of heaven. He is calling us to pray: “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Please read the following words of Jesus and let them speak for themselves. Allow yourself to see what His will is for you. When Jesus says “you have heard,” He is referring to the law given in the Old Testament. When He says “but I tell you,” He is referring to the perfected law of heaven and His will.
Matthew 5:21-48
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
In Jeremiah and twice in the book of Hebrews we find this promise:
Jeremiah 31:33
“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
When Jesus came down to earth, He brought the will of heaven with His kingdom. This is the law He puts in our minds and writes on our hearts when we become His. Why is it written on our hearts and minds? He wants us to renew our minds to know and understand His will. And He wants us to follow it by loving Him. We don’t obey His law to earn favor or as if our salvation depends on it. We obey His law because we love Him and know His will for us. He commands us to be holy, separated unto Him, and to be like Him.
Matthew 5:48
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Are you aware of God’s law that is put in your mind and written on your heart?
How have you been following God’s will by loving and obeying Him?
Jesus wants us to submit seriously to His will because it is now the will of His kingdom in us. He wants us to practice it here on earth even though we are still living in the fallen flesh. In Matthew 5:19, Jesus refers to people who do not practice and teach His commands as the “least in the kingdom of heaven.” Those who do practice and teach His commands are called “great in the Kingdom of heaven.” He is showing us how very important it is for us to know and obey His will and be rightly related to Him in His kingdom.
God knows that we will fail in following His will while we are still living in our flesh. He knows that we will not always understand it or follow it correctly. As His dear children, we have so much to learn so that we can grow. But despite this, God has good reasons to ask us to do His will. We need to trust Him.
When my oldest son was ten, I asked him to help me weed the garden. He was working hard on a plot next to mine. When he finished, he called me over. He was very proud and wanted me to come and see his work. To my dismay, all the weed stems were picked at the ground level instead of pulled up by the roots! My son didn’t do this because he was ignorant or disobedient; he genuinely thought he did a great job.
At that moment of my disappointment, I felt God whispering in my heart: “This is what I see when I look at your obedience, but I’m pleased with you because you did it in love for me.” I looked at my son and his happy eyes and I told him how much I appreciated his help and his readiness to obey and please me.
After my son was gone, I secretly went to his plot and dug out all the roots. It was much harder to do now than it would have been before my son plucked them out.
This caused me to think of how often I have been proud of obeying and doing the will of my heavenly Father, but I was short of His standards because I didn’t know any better. Growing in our obedience to Christ is a learning process. Even with our best intentions and our deep love for Christ, we will still mess up. But this is no reason to be discouraged or give up. Jesus wants us to go after His will wholeheartedly. He wants us to learn what it is to be in love with Him and our Father. Growing in love with Jesus will enable us to obey Him. Only by obeying His will can we fully know who God really is.
John 14:21
Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.
John 14:23
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”
Love for Others
Matthew 5:23-24
23 Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
God wants us to love Him by obeying Him. He also wants us to love and treat our brothers and sisters of the same kingdom in accordance with God’s will in heaven. Jesus gives us instructions on what to do when we fail to do so.
In Matthew 5:23, Jesus mentions the altar. Where is the altar for us today? It is in the person of Jesus Himself.
When we abide in Him and are mindful of Him in prayer, worship, taking communion, learning from Him, or reading His Word, whether we are alone or together with His church, we will be reminded if we have sinned. Because we have the Holy Spirit in us and we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and because the altar, Jesus Christ, is the center of the temple, He will reveal sin in us as we come to Him, our altar.
Jesus says that when you are reminded, do not delay a moment. Go and be reconciled; repent. You can’t have a “good time” around Jesus and pretend you are doing His will while being in dissension with your brother or sister. You have to choose one or the other.
Jesus warns us of the consequences of unsettled sins with others. We will suffer the “prison and payment” of it all through our lives here on earth. We all have experienced this because we are still in the flesh, and the law of the flesh is fighting in us against the will of God. We all have had or still have broken relationships, we worship ourselves, and we practice things that are not pleasing to God that harm others. We all experience suffering and great pain from it.
But Jesus advises us to:
Matthew 5:25-26
25 Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
Satan loves when we fail and live in dissension with others. It says in the Bible that he is the accuser of the believers. Day and night, he accuses us in front of God.
Revelation 12:10
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.”
God’s will for us is not only to love our brothers and sisters in Christ but also to love our enemies. Our heavenly Father does not love only good people and hate evil people. He does not care only for His righteous children but also for the unrighteous. He showers His gifts of life here on earth on everyone. He is rich in goodness and freely gives it.
Matthew 5:43-48
43 You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
How can you renew your mind regarding His will in your life today?
As you are looking now at the altar (Jesus) and looking into your heart, do you see any sin against anyone that you can ask forgiveness for now? Pray that God will give you wisdom and take that step of settling the matter with your opponent.
If you know someone that has something against you, go now and be reconciled with them.
Who are your enemies? Are you willing to submit to God’s will by loving them? How can you practically show your love for them?
Day 4
Your Will be Done, on Earth as it is in Heaven
Start this day of study by praying “Our holy Father in heaven, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” and ask how you can submit to His will today.
Our holy Father in heaven, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Help me to submit to Your will today, Father. I can only do it with Your help. Thank You for being so gracious to help me!
Ask Jesus to be guided by His will today as you go about your day and relate to others around you.
Be my guide today, Lord Jesus. Help me to walk in Your ways and show Your love to the people I will be with today…
Loving Our Sin
A young woman asked me for advice. She was wondering if God approved of her marrying the man she was dating at that time. First I asked her if she had been praying and seeking God for the answer. She said she was only doing it a little because she was super busy. I suggested she take a weekend when she was not working and set it apart to seek God in prayer and fasting. She dismissed this idea immediately because she was “socially busy” on weekends.
I realized that her problem was not related to having the necessary time to find God’s answer but was something more serious. I explained to her that taking time to seek God in such an important decision of her life was very crucial, and then I asked her what her problem actually was.
She hesitated for a bit and then explained how her boyfriend had a “complicated” past. He had been addicted to drugs and involved in pornography, and he had used prostitutes. He then became a Christian. They started to date, and now he was asking her to marry him.
I told her that only she could decide if she could live with a husband with such a past. However, if she did marry him, and if he was truly forgiven by Christ, then as his wife, she was called to accept that forgiveness and also fully extend grace on her part. Was she willing to do that?
She stammered a little bit and then proceeded to tell me that what really bothered her was that he was still going to prostitutes but promised to stop once they got married. Should she trust him?
She was not happy with me as I told her that she already knew God’s answer: clearly NO.
Sometimes we think we cannot live without our sin. We love it so much that we think we can’t part from it. Sin can become a vital part of navigating through life. A friend told me once that the Holy Spirit had convicted her of her sin, but she just couldn’t and wouldn’t let go of it. When we can’t let go of sin, we start to believe that we are enslaved to it or we say that we are “addicted” to it. But in Christ, there is no sin that can keep us enslaved, so we have to admit that the true reason we don’t let go of sin is that we love sin very much. We might hate how we feel after we sin because of the consequences of sin, but the sin itself is attractive and feels good to us at the moment of sinning.
Listen to these words of Jesus:
Matthew 5:29-30
29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
What measures can you take today to put away sin that you are aware of presently in your life? Do not forget that you have a helper, the Holy Spirit, to help you deal with your situation.
Read Psalm 1:1-3. What can the Christ follower do to “walk” in step with the Spirit? Give a relevant example.
We need to let go of sin! We need to do it no matter how much it “costs” us or how much we love it. We need to “cut off” things that cause us to sin, possibly to the point of great hurt–even if it seems too severe. Jesus uses the example of gouging your eye and cutting off your limbs to emphasize the worth of taking the greatest measures to give up on sin. It can’t be more serious. Jesus understands it well. He was willing to lower Himself by coming to this earth. He was willing not just to gouge out His eye for us but to sacrifice all of Himself for our sins.
Too often we tell Jesus with our lips that we are sorry but don’t mean it truly with our hearts. We might even feel sorry while we approach God and truly want Him to forgive us, but then we take back that same sin and pet it and nourish it!
Jesus came to save us from our sin. Sin is a barrier to our relationship with God. Sin is THE problem; it is the reason why we are separated from God. If Jesus came to take away our sin with such serious and drastic measures, how are we to respond to it?
When Jesus talks about repentance, He talks about leaving our sins behind. We repent when we enter the Kingdom of God. We also repent daily by turning away from former ways of life and walking in our new life. On the cross, Jesus cleansed us from our sins. He is calling us to live a holy life. He is calling us to live and walk in the Spirit. And that is what He truly means.
Read again Romans 6-8.
What is repentance?
If you have never repented before, what is your response now regarding your sin?
If you have obtained God’s forgiveness, do you use God’s grace as an excuse to continue to live in sin?
Because we are still in the flesh, we are in a constant war between the desires of our flesh and the desire to obey and please God. This is why we are called to walk in the Spirit. Only through the Holy Spirit and His power in us can we do God’s will and not give in to desires of our flesh. Without Him, we are not able to do this.
Galatians 5:16-25
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
My husband and I used to take our little daughter to “drive” in an empty parking lot. She would sit in our lap holding on to the steering wheel, but her feet were not long enough to reach the pedals. Of course we were operating the pedals and helping her to steer occasionally and telling her all that she needed to do and where to turn, but she was “driving” very well!
So it is also with God’s Spirit. We need to be willing to sit with Him in the seat and do what He instructs us to do, but He is doing most of the work for us.
In the same way that my daughter could not drive (or even think to drive) without our help, we need the Holy Spirit to do on our behalf what we cannot do. Jesus says in John 15:5b “Apart from me, you can do nothing.” If we keep walking in our flesh and our own desires on our own, we will continue to sin.
Jesus gave this important truth to His disciples before He left the earth to go to heaven.
John 15:1-16
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
What does it mean to walk in the Spirit?
What do you need to do if you repeatedly sin?
Jesus wants us to enjoy a life of freedom from sin and bear the fruit of His kingdom. He wants us to put away the deeds of our flesh (Romans 8:1-17). He is inviting us into the fullness of His life.
We need to renew our minds and know that we are free children of God. No one can force us back to the life of darkness because we have been bought with the precious blood of Christ and belong to Him now and forever! And because of Jesus’ righteousness that He imparted to us, no accusation of Satan or law can stand against us.
To come to Jesus in faith is to give Him our sins and obey and do His will in the power of the Holy Spirit. True faith in Christ is exercised daily. Jesus is waiting for us every day to come to Him and remain in Him. We can deepen our love for Christ and daily surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit because He lives in us and is able to work on our behalf. He can do much more than we can ever imagine.
Now that you’ve finished this lesson, what does it mean for you to pray: “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”?
Pray what you have learned. Offer to Christ the parts of your life that are not surrendered to Him and His will. Pray for His help to exchange your own will for the will of heaven.
***
In this lesson, we learned how to pray “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” as we reflected on the Sermon on the Mount. There is much more to learn about this line of the Lord’s Prayer through continued study of Jesus’ sermon. By looking at the complete teachings of Jesus in the gospels, we could learn even more–we would never exhaust the layers of meaning of this prayer.
My hope and prayer for you is that you would continue to learn how to pray “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” by obeying Christ and living in fellowship with Him and our Father in heaven. Only in our true fellowship with God can we learn How to pray.
BIBLE STUDY
INTRODUCTION
Your Kingdom Come
Sermon on the Mount
Bible Text, Matthew 5-7
Lesson 1
Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed Be Your Name
Lesson 2
Your Kingdom Come
Lesson 3
Your Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven
Lesson 4
Give Us Today Our Daily Bread
Lesson 5
And Forgive Us Our Debts, As We Also Have Forgiven Our Debtors
Lesson 6
And Lead Us Not Into Temptation, But Deliver Us From The Evil One
Lesson 7
I Am Invited.
What Is My Response?
ALL LESSONS
Your Kingdom Come
Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
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