The majority of God's people (in any age) will always tone down or ignore God's warnings against sin, if they believe them at all!

It is therefore no great wonder today that the majority of Bible believers (in this most corrupt age of history) ignore, soften or cast aside the direct warnings of Jesus Christ Himself to His people in Matthew 5-7.

If it wasn't such a grave matter, the various attempts to soften or cast aside Christ's warnings to believers would be downright humorous. However, when one considers the holiness and authority of the Lord and how high He esteems His own Word (Ps.138:2) the contorted "stretches" and "twists" of teachers to duck His warnings become no laughing matter.

Before taking a look at some of the diverse means that have been employed to attempt to remove eternally secure Christians out from under Christ's severe warnings in the Sermon On The Mount, it may be beneficial to list some reasons why so many Christians will not accept these warnings at face value as addressed to themselves:

1. They do not compare Scripture words with Scripture words when studying, therefore they wrongly interpret Christ's warnings as describing a total loss of salvation in endless eternity. Rightly understanding that no believer can lose final salvation, the warnings are given to the lost man. (Or else they wrongly interpret Christ's whole Sermon as warnings to people over 2000 years later; as rules for those already living in the Millennial Kingdom!)

2. It has been the general tendency throughout history for teachers and "prophets" to tell God's people what they wish to hear. (Jer.28:10-14, 2Tim.4:3) This is especially true when it concerns future discipline for sin upon the people of God. The reason is obvious and it still holds true today. Unless one desires (or is willing) to end up in the "mire" like Jeremiah, one must preach what is "acceptable". For this reason very few "ministries" will dare oppose the flow unless a great deal of the work is already accomplished.

In other words, in every age it is revealed to Christians who are willing to make the sacrifice, an area which modern believers need correction, repentance and reformation. Only a diehard few will suffer the loss in preaching and rebuking the majority. Yet, practically every time, when once it is no longer financially devastating (but in fact becomes quite profitable due to the general "shock" value and interest) to correct Christians in a certain area, many mighty "warrior-scholars" suddenly pounce upon the scene to help defeat and finish off the "corrupt doctrine". It is always a blessing to have more laborers in the vineyard, yet we all should search our hearts at the rise of every serious, pressing issue and make sure we are not simply holding back our swords until a "little" profit may be made in the fighting. (See the many, ready soldiers of Saul after Jonathan had risked all to send the enemies running! 1Sam.14:14,20)

3. Often Christ's warnings in the Sermon On The Mount are wrongly interpreted as applying to the lost because other "good, holy, wise men of God" taught the same thing in their ministries. (As if these men are going to defend them at the Judgment Seat and take the "heat" for them!) This excuse may seem to have a show of humility (in a voluntary worshipping of "angel-tongued teachers") yet each man is responsible for the light he has been given in his day. In the Old Testament, generations of "good, godly leaders", nevertheless failed to remove the corrupt "high places". The Lord was pleased with what they did reform; yet He would have been more pleased had they gone all the way: 1Kings 15:14, 2Kings 15:4, Rev.3:1,2) At the coming Judgment Seat of Christ tradition will not be found to be as good a cover for greedy, lazy, cowardly sin as it seems to be to temporal, carnal eyes today.

Only the Lord can search out the heart of each teacher and discover the true reason why an "unpopular" truth is not embraced and defended. The Lord knows whether or not the teachers are honestly uninformed, or simply afraid they will lose names on a mailing-list and be branded as heretical by other "popular" ministries. If their ministry has grown and there is much money involved, that Divinely dreadful command to "sell all" would fare just as well with them as would putting before them a truth to defend that would make them lose the majority of their "support"!

Various Warnings From The Sermon On The Mount

Matthew 5:
9 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
22 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.

Matthew 5:29 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.

[For further study see comments on the Sermon On The Mount by G.H. Pember, Robert Govett or Watchman Nee, who all rightly apply these warnings to Christians without uprooting their eternal security.]

The Bible's Interpretation Of These Warnings

Matthew 5:
1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

The fact that others who had not yet believed upon Christ may have heard some of the Sermon is of little or no consequence. The Sermon is addressed to Christ's disciples and all the material therein therefore concerns believers in the Lord.

Those addressed were called by Jesus "salt of the earth", "light of the world" and "children of the Father". These titles alone suggest that the Sermon is for believers. Never did Christ say, "Those of you who are the light of the world..." as if He was addressing all of the world at that time. He spoke specifically to those who believed on Him and warned them to continue in godliness. He did not say to, "Continue in good works so you may prove you really have good works to begin with". Neither did He say, "Continue to let your light shine so you may prove to yourself that you really are the light". No, Christ said:

Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Christ did not say that the disciples were to be good so they can prove they really were "salt". He said they really were "the salt" and that if they did not continue in good works it would be as salt that "lost his savour". It is not "salt that lost his Savior!" Neither is it "salt that never was good salt in the first place". All such nonsense comes from people that rightly believe in "eternal security" yet think they must "cut up" it's net so it will hold these warning passages! What good is the doctrine if it is ripped in pieces? They say that true believers must live a whole life of "fruit bearing" in order to prove they really are "light"; that if you are truly "eternally secure" you will sacrifice, pay the price and suffer. One might as well attempt to get saved by enduring in the end in the first place than live one's whole life trying to do enough works to qualify for "election".

It would seem in this erroneous system that everyone that is saved gets rewarded. There is no room for seeking rewards after you are saved. Such turns the whole Christian fight for rewards into a ridiculous Roman Catholic "fight" to be saved, prove you are saved or stay saved in eternity. To Hell with such stupidity! God forgive us for our willful blindness.

The whole Sermon On The Mount is warning believers that the age of reward is coming. This age of reward is the coming Kingdom of God which the Revelation shows to be 1000 years. (Rev.20) Believers are to hold fast to good works or they will lose "rank" in the Kingdom.(Mtt.5:19) If one is not careful one may actually miss the Kingdom altogether.(Mtt.5:20) One does not lose salvation for all eternity; however, one may, in a sense, "sit on the bench" the whole millennial age of reward and glory. The Father will discipline His disobedient children during the age of reward according to their works. Some children will therefore be in danger of a stay in "Hell".

"Gasp! Arghhh! Uhhh?!? Help! Take me off of this Bulletin before I hear of a real motivation to quit flirting with the world. I am making too much money and having too much fun to get a real dose of the fear of God. Husband! Turn down the T.V. for a moment and march over to that phone and cancel our subscription to this Kingdom Alert. And do it quickly before the next HBO movie comes on. I had no idea you were reading this type of stuff! I thought you were acting strange lately. Did he say Hell?..."

That's right. And the sooner you get it straight the sooner you will more than double your fruit-bearing. You will suddenly discover an abundance of "grace" and "power" to mop up all those sins you are constantly and carnally blaming on the "old man". Christ told you to beware of Hell-fire and you let some slick-mouthed, polished preacher sweet-talk you out of believing it. (Eph.5:5,6, 2Tim.3:6)

"But it says Hell and Hell is punishment for all eternity. A true believer can never lose salvation in eternity, therefore Christ would never warn a believer about Hell"

Now here is where five minutes in a King James Bible will profit more than all that "A better translation here would be the blah connected to the hades blah minus gehenna blah plus the $$$ along with having lunch and impressing Dr. Blah-Blah by my courage to correct this perfect, holy Bible that all the ignorant common people read..." junk! Christ warned of Hell-fire. Nowhere did He say the believer's stay in that dungeon was for all eternity. In a King James Bible (and I truly hope you are not going to let the Catholic bibles straighten it our for you) it teaches that Hell does not last for endless eternity:

Revelation 20:
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

The lost end up after the Millennial Kingdom in the final Lake of Fire. The lost and even the Devil himself come up out of Hell to be cast into the Lake of Fire. After the Millennial Kingdom, all those in Hell that are saved enter the New Earth and have their tears wiped away:

Revelation 20:
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Therefore there is nothing in the whole Sermon On The Mount which even hints at a loss of final salvation in eternity. The fact that a true believer may be punished at the Judgment Seat of Christ and miss the Millennial Kingdom of God is on practically every page of the New Testament and is continually shown by allegory in the Old. (1Cor.10:1-11)

"But that is some kind of Protestant Purgatory!"

Ah! That objection surely has enough "fundamental" bite in it to end the matter! However, it is so easily answered that I will not bother with it again here. If one is looking for a reason to disbelieve God in His warnings to Christians, not even Hananiah himself could invent a better display of sarcastic, feminine emotion to "calm the nerves" of the people. (Jer.28) Yet, talk them out of the fear of God if you must. You are in danger of gnashing your teeth in agony during the Millennium. You may miss the time of "glory" along with those Christians who fell into sin (and would not repent before it was too late) because you told them Christ was not warning them in His Sermon. (Mtt.18:6)

It is certain that the whole Sermon has nothing to do with salvation in final eternity. Those addressed already have eternity by faith in Jesus:

Luke 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

If there were any "false professors" there, Christ was not speaking to them. He is concerned only with the Judgment Seat of Christ and rewards lost or found there.

The Bible warns of those who would give Christ's Sermon to the lost and remove Christians from any real accountability to it:

1 Timothy 6:
3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,...

If The Warnings Of The Sermon Are Not To Christians Then Neither Are The Promises

On what basis does one take the sweet promises as addressed to Christians and then turn around and give the verses directly before and after them to the lost, or to people of some other age? If such a method of interpretation was justified with the Sermon On The Mount there would be no end to the interpretive chaos it would cause all throughout the Bible. Nothing could be proven at any time to apply to anyone. Believers would not only be able to escape all accountability to the Sermon, they would be able to escape all accountability throughout the entire Bible:

2 John 1:8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.

"Now we see here that John in this verse stopped his letter to address the lost people among them who may be walking by and happen to look over their shoulder and read what he wrote. (John was always ready to save souls!) We know that true Christians can never lose their rewards."

Revelation 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

"Now here again Jesus turned from addressing the saints to address those false professors in the churches, for we know that no true Christian can ever lose a crown. Such would be unthinkable! Don't you worry a bit..."

And on and on it could go with every warning. The only reason most teachers rightly take 2 John 1:8 and Rev.3:11 as addressed to believers is because the warnings sound delicate enough on the surface that no feelings will get hurt. Nevertheless, read what they do with Rev.3:5,16, etc. right in the same context.

(article provided by: Refuge KJV Baptist Church with permission)