Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones changed careers from medicine to ministry. After becoming a minister, he devoted much of his time to in-depth writing. He wrote two volumes commenting on the Sermon on the Mount. One compelling point he makes is this: The Sermon on the Mount and the message of the kingdom have definite application to Christians today. That truth is important because some people say the Beatitudes and other high moral standards do not apply today. They say this because they seem impossible to attain. Yet we find in Matthew CH 5, Jesus emphatic statement: “Don’t misunderstand why I have come, I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose . . . . Until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.” Of course, we can never earn salvation even if we could keep these principles perfectly; yet they represent a depth of spirituality Christ calls us to aspire toward. Certainly we need God’s Spirit to help us grow. But obeying them honors God, is a witness to others, and benefits us.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr. is the founder and chairman of UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.). Under his direction, UMI has grown to be a leading publisher of Christian education resources for churches in the African American community. Read More
