What I Don’t Do

Many Christians are concerned about what they do in life. That is reasonable. But I’m learning how important it is to “not do” things. Some people like to talk about sins—of commission and omission. In other words, the mistakes we make from what we do or don’t do. Our actions proceed from our hearts. What did Jesus say about this?

Jesus declared the kingdom of God from a mountain one day. He said that God was interested in the things we don’t do, that we really should do. He quoted Old Testament commands that regulated behavior. Then he explained God’s true heart on how we should live.  What law should we follow today? The “law” of spiritual life that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Romans 8:2:
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Let’s compare the Old Testament commands Jesus quoted (that tried to regulate sin) with what he said we should do from our hearts as we walk by the spirit of life.

Matthew 5 verses	Old Testament Command	What Jesus said NOT to do	What Jesus said to do
21-26	Thou shalt not kill	Make offerings when angry at or unreconciled with a brother	Be reconciled and then offer thanks to God
27-30	Thou shalt not commit adultery	Try to regulate personal habits to overcome evil	Get to the heart of the matter and follow God’s plan for living
31-32	Give a bill of divorce	Hard-heartedly divorce a spouse	Forgive each other and develop a one-flesh relationship
33-37	Thou shalt perform vows to God and others	Make oaths, vows, or promises without seeking God’s direction	Walk by the spirit and make commitments based on God’s direction
38-42	Take an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth	Seek revenge against those who wrong us	Forgive them and offer to help and support them
43-48	Love your neighbor and hate your enemy	Hate those who hate us	Love, bless, do good to, and pray for them

Personal Relationships

Matthew 5:21-26:
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

We should not make some religious offering to God in heaven when we don’t have our earthly relationships according to His will.

I’ve been in that place. I want to serve God and bring Him a “gift.” But if I’m not squared away in loving my brother, it will be just a show. The priority is to live the way God wants us to with others. Walking in God’s love is a great gift to those around us. Sometimes disagreements come up in life. I’ve done my best to “live peacefully with all men,” and to be reconciled when problems arise. But if someone doesn’t want to forgive me, I can’t force them to. I can “overcome evil with good” by continuing to pray for that person and do my best to show them the Father’s love. When that is reconciled, any other “gifts” for God will be genuine.

Worldly Distractions

Matthew 5:27-30:
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

We should not only try to “police” our actions, but get to the true heart issues that cause our actions. Jesus reminded them of the troubles that adultery can bring and of God’s prohibition against it in the law. But he took things further—to the heart of the matter. Even if someone doesn’t act out their thoughts, lusting over a person is contrary to God’s plan of marriage and Christian love.

God designed Adam and Eve to have their needs met in a loving, “one flesh” relationship. Anything less than that is not God’s will, especially having fantasies about someone rather than building a relationship based on God’s love. We don’t literally need to “cut off” body parts, but we can have our thoughts full of God’s Word and walk by the spirit. That will overcome wrong desires.

Divorce

Matthew 5:31,32:
It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

We should not give up on our marriages without doing all that we can to make them work. Jesus said that God allowed Moses to set up a “bill of divorcement” because of the hardness of people’s hearts.

Matthew 19:8:
He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

God did not offer Adam and Eve a “way out” of their one-flesh relationship. He helped them, even after they were tricked by the Devil, to stay together and raise children. Today, the Devil still tries to break up Christian marriages and families. Satan offers “alternative” solutions to meet the need of men and women for companionship, love, and physical comfort. We should submit to God’s will and resist the Devil in these attacks.

Making Promises without God’s Guidance

Matthew 5:33-37:
Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:
Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

We should not swear oaths or make promises about the future unless we are sure of God’s will in a matter. That doesn’t mean we don’t plan and think through how to best use our time while on earth. But it is only when we follow God’s direction that our oaths and promises can be genuine. That’s how the Apostle Paul lived. Look at what he told the Corinthian church.

II Corinthians 1:16-20 [New Testament in Modern English]:
We meant to come here to Macedonia after first visiting you, and then to visit you again on leaving here. You could thus have helped us on our way towards Judea. Because we had to change this plan, does it mean that we are fickle? Do you think I plan with my tongue in my cheek, saying “yes” and meaning “no”? We solemnly assure you that as certainly as God is faithful so we have never given you a message meaning “yes” and “no”. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, whom Silvanus, Timothy and I have preached to you, is himself no doubtful quantity, he is the divine “yes”. Every promise of God finds its affirmative in him, and through him can be said the final amen, to the glory of God.

We should devise where to go, with God’s help.

Proverbs 16:9:
A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

Proverbs 3:5,6:
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Retaliation and Revenge

Matthew 5:38-42:
Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.
And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

We should not try to get back at those who offend us. We are going to be hurt in this life. The natural response is to want “pay back” against those who offend us. But Jesus set a whole new standard. We are to do our best to bless everyone, even those who wrong us. We don’t get overcome by evil, but overcome it with God’s love and goodness.

Romans 12:14,21:
Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Hating Your Enemies

Matthew 5:43-48:
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

We should not hate our enemies. We can love, bless, pray for, and do good to those who are motivated by the Devil. Think of how Jesus met the lost and those who had been bruised by the Devil. He loved them, prayed for them, and healed them. We can do the same. Even though we are not “perfect,” we can show forth the Father’s perfect love.