Month: June 2020

Problem: Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS’” (Mt. 7:21-23). Lordship theologian Martin Lloyd-Jones writes, “‘It is no use saying, “Lord, Lord,” unless you do the things that I command you’, says Christ. It comes to this, that unless my life is a righteous life, I must be very careful before I claim that I am covered by the grace of God in Jesus Christ.”[1] Does this passage teach that professing believers will be sent to hell because they really didn’t have obedient faith?

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Problem: Jesus said, “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces” (Mt. 7:6). What did he mean by this?

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Problem: Jesus mentions fasting in this passage (Mt. 6:16-18). Does this mean that believers should fast today?

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Problem: Jesus said, “If you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions” (Mt. 6:15). Catholic apologist Tim Staples writes, “In Matthew 6:15, Jesus tells us that ‘if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’ It does not matter how ‘born again’ one may be or how many experiences one has had, if he does not forgive others, he will not be forgiven, according to the text.”[1] Is forgiveness conditional or unconditional?

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Problem: The Bible says emphatically, “God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone” (James 1:13). Why, then, does Jesus ask us here to pray, “and lead us not into temptation”?

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Problem: Jesus said, “When you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (Mt. 6:6). Does this mean that Jesus was against corporate prayer meetings, or praying in front of others at a Bible study?

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Problem: In this text, Jesus urged His disciples to pray in private, saying, “When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place.” However, elsewhere the Bible commends praying in public. For example, Daniel prayed with his window open so he could be seen (Dan. 6:10). Solomon offered his great dedicatory prayer for the temple in public (1 Kings 8:22). And Paul urged public prayers “for men everywhere” (1 Tim. 2:8).

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Problem: Here Jesus said, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 6:1). However, earlier Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 5:16). Should we show others our good works or not?

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Problem: Jesus said here of the OT, “You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ” How could a God of love (Ex. 20:2, 6; 1 John 4:16) command them to hate their enemies?

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Problem: Here Jesus clearly said, “Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away” (cf. Luke 6:30). But, if we took this literally we would have nothing to provide for our own families. Also, Paul says that those who do not provide for their own families are worse than infidels (1 Tim. 5:8).

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