“Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 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.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.” (Matthew 5:38-42)
The manner of relationship the LORD expects, and that I teach and encourage, has impossible stipulations unless you have allowed the LORD to do a supernatural work in you. Jesus insists that within you He will not find the smallest hint of resentment when you face injustice or persecution.
On your own, you cannot work up enough enthusiasm to withstand the pressure that Jesus will place upon His own follower. There is only one thing, which will undergird the pressure of turning the other cheek or forgiving an enemy. That one thing is a deep, personal, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ that has led to a cleansing and strengthening of the heart. His strengthening has driven His follower to a lasting purpose with resolve to say, “Here I am, send me! Where You lead me, I will follow!”
The Sermon on the Mount is not simply a lofty goal, it is what happens to the one Christ has altered at the altar by exchanging yourself with His self, His person, His character. Jesus, the Christ, is the only One that can fulfill the Sermon on the Mount in the life of His disciple. He does not simply add to your natural abilities; He replaces your abilities with His supernatural abilities! It is a supernatural work of our LORD! This drastic change in you will happen only because of your intentional, deep, personal, intimate relationship with Him. Beloved, there is no other way! It is the life yielded!
