The Ethics of Jesus
The teachings of Jesus are meant for the Church, not society, and can only be understood and obeyed by those who have experienced the new birth and are living in the Spirit.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes that the teachings of Jesus are meant for the Church and not for a sinful society that opposes God. He explains that Christ's followers are called to be a minority in a hostile world, tasked with preaching repentance and teaching the ethics of Jesus to new disciples. Tozer asserts that understanding and obeying these ethics requires a transformative experience of the new birth through God's grace. He highlights that true righteousness is only realized in those who walk in the Spirit, as Christ's life is manifested in His redeemed followers. Ultimately, the source of righteousness is Jesus Christ Himself, who empowers believers to live according to His teachings.
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The teachings of Jesus belong to the Church, not to society, for in society is sin, and sin is hostility to God! Christ did not teach that He would impose His teachings upon the fallen world.
He called His disciples to Him and taught them, and everywhere throughout His teachings there is the overt or implied idea that His followers will constitute an unpopular minority group in an actively hostile world.
The divine procedure is to go into the world of fallen men, preach to them the necessity to repent and become disciples of Christ and, after making disciples, to teach them "the ethics of Jesus," which Christ called "all things which I have commanded you." The ethics of Jesus cannot be obeyed or even understood until the life of God has come to the heart of a man or woman in the miracle of the new birth. The righteousness of the law is fulfilled in those who walk in the Spirit.
Christ lives again in His redeemed followers the life He lived in Judea, for righteousness can never be divorced from its source, which is Jesus Christ Himself!
Sermon Outline
- The Teachings of Jesus
- Christ's Teaching Method
- The Divine Procedure
- Understanding and Obeying the Ethics
- Requires the New Birth
- Righteousness in the Spirit
Key Quotes
“Christ did not teach that He would impose His teachings upon the fallen world.” — A.W. Tozer
“The divine procedure is to go into the world of fallen men, preach to them the necessity to repent and become disciples of Christ and, after making disciples, to teach them 'the ethics of Jesus,' which Christ called 'all things which I have commanded you.'” — A.W. Tozer
“Christ lives again in His redeemed followers the life He lived in Judea, for righteousness can never be divorced from its source, which is Jesus Christ Himself!” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- As followers of Christ, we are called to be an unpopular minority group in a hostile world, but we must remain faithful to His teachings.
- To understand and obey the ethics of Jesus, we must first experience the miracle of the new birth and allow the life of God to come to our hearts.
- We must prioritize discipleship and obedience to Christ's teachings over trying to impose them on the fallen world.