What should you do when someone who hates you needs your help? It’s been such a joy as we’ve been working our way through that part of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus six times said, “You have heard it was said but I say to you.”

I can’t review every single day because that would take up all of our time but we’re in the sixth of those six statements and once again it’s crystal clear that Jesus was not as some claim raising the standard to a higher moral standard under the New Covenant than what was found under the Old Covenant.

For how long has God been expecting people to love their enemies? We’re continuing to work our way through Matthew chapter five, and specifically Jesus’s “You have heard, but I say to you” statements, and we’re in the sixth of those six, where Jesus said, “You’ve heard it said love your neighbor, hate your enemy.” That’s Matthew 5:43.

In our last lesson, I made it very clear, proved it that Jesus didn’t say, “God said.” He said, “You have heard it was said,” and only part of what he quotes did God ever say, that is, “Love your neighbor.” God never said, “Hate your enemies.” Then Jesus of course says, “But I say to you …” So here’s his counterpoint to the false teaching that his followers had previously heard from the scribes and Pharisees, and that becomes obvious as we keep reading here.

Loving your enemies, is that a New or an Old Testament concept? The question we’re asking today is about a very familiar commandment, love your enemies. Everybody knows Jesus said that. Everybody knows Jesus said that in the Sermon on the Mount. But some folks were saying that that’s something that the world never heard before and that a new ethic, a new standard of morality. Jesus is raising the bar now that he’s come to the earth and he’s got a set of followers. He’s expecting more out of them than God expected out of anyone before them.

Is it wrong for Christians to swear on the Bible? We’re asking a question about swearing on the Bible because we’re reading a portion of the Scripture that is applicable to that very question, Jesus’s prohibition, not against making oaths, but His prohibition against making oaths that are coupled with swearing on something, like the Bible, although He didn’t use that example in the examples that He gave.

What is a surefire way to know if somebody is a liar? We are working our way through Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, the early part at least, looking at those six times that the Lord said, “You have heard it was said, but I say to you,” and He’s not, of course, going to contradict Himself or contradict the law of Moses, which He gave, even though some people seem to think that. No, He’s going to fulfill the law.

Is it wrong to make a vow or an oath? We’re working our way through the early part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, and currently in chapter five, we’re asking a question. When Jesus six times said, “You have heard, but I say to you,” was He, as some folks say, raising the standard under the New Covenant and now expecting something out of His New Covenant followers that God never expected of anybody under the Law of Moses or prior to the Law of Moses?

Is it the fault of women for men lusting? We’re going to step out into a little scary territory here, because this is a topic that is culturally sensitive. I should say that there’s debate within many circles on this very topic, because there’s this kind of movement among some women who are saying, “well, we should be able to wear whatever we want, and if men can go without their shirts on in public, why can’t we women do that? And, it’s not our fault that men can’t control themselves, it’s their problem, and so let them deal with it, we’re going to dress the way we want to dress.”

What is the remedy for lust? Today’s question is not one that’s been sent into us by any viewer. But it sure is one that could be sent in to us by a lot of viewers, because it’s very true statistically that this something that is a stumbling block and a struggle for a lot of men in particular, but also women, but men tend to be visually oriented> that’s their sexual nature, that’s how God made them, more so than women, although women, obviously there’s a visual component for them as well, but men, I think it’s exponentially more so.

What is the difference between lusting and the temptation to lust? Where do you draw the line?

We’re finding ourselves kind of just moseying through Matthew, Chapter Five, the first part of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, and we’re in that section of Matthew Chapter Five, where Jesus talks about adultery and lusting.

Was there a time when God was okay with lust? Today’s question is kind of a silly one. It’s easy to figure out if you just think about it for a second, but yet there are those who actually believe, apparently, that one time, long ago God was okay with lust.