DWYSYWD - Integrity
Today, we landed on Matthew 5:33-37.
Have you ever lied? Have you ever not done something you said you were going to do? Have you ever sworn to God only not to fulfill the promise you were making. I'm guessing you can't even count the times. Yet this is the standard to which Jesus is calling us. If the Law didn't expose your own sinful nature, Jesus makes it abundantly clear. The whole purpose of the Sermon on the Mount is to raise the standard and expose the problem.
We can't take our sins back. We can't even stop sinning! But we can and should come to recognize the egregious nature of sin and the offence to God. It helps to refer back to Matthew 5:3-6 - the personal level beatitudes. Reflecting on this should help you not only understand the conviction you feel but rest in God's response.
Blessed are the poor in spirit (those are the ones who recognize their need for a savior)
Blessed are those who mourn (those are the ones who have a gut-wrenching response to their own sin)
Blessed are the meek (those are the ones who humble themselves before God)
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (those are the ones who see the need for God's intercession)
