If saving faith is just "trust in the cross" how to make sense of Jesus' sermon on the mount?

[GenemZ]

I love the scriptures you posted about being a new creation and all one with Christ. This in a nutshell is what believer's must rap their mind around, a realization that we are no longer just Bob, or Joe, or Julie but one with God and Christ, a new being! The power of the Living God with us, sons and daughters of the most high! Then doing the Father's will becomes our will, glory to God!

...................

Knowing God's will is what we must seek for. For His ways are not our ways. Nor His thoughts our thoughts. That means, transformation of our minds by not fighting sound doctrine, and fighting off false doctrine designed to please our natural way of thinking.

Too many want to get with a church program so they can bond socially with other like minded believers. They fail to become transformed into the Mind of Christ when they do.

Keep in mind in regards to what I am about to say, please.

Paul was a powerful "sola Scriptura" teacher. Teaching in depth sound doctrinal teachings. Paul, like Jesus, taught daily when he could, not only on Sundays.

That is why Paul could say confidently to those under him the following with authority and full qualification.

"And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory,
are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory,
which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Cor 3:18.​

Its the Word accurately taught and received that transforms. Paul, being the great teacher he was, was capable of providing and fulfilling for his listeners the mandate given by Jesus for all who are His. This mandate was given by Jesus while he was yet walking as a man. As the author and finisher of our faith who was setting the model example as to how a man of God should live. Live in the filling of the Spirit.

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ Mat 4:4​

Every word. Not just studying certain passages in a desire to perfect ones pet doctrines that divide denominations. That means finding a pastor (pastors over one's lifetime) who are capable of teaching from every book of the Bible. Teaching with depth and wisdom, to edify those who are positive in learning the Word of God in detail.

Hard to find that kind of teacher in the commercialized realm of what we find many churches conforming to today. But, some do exist. For, if there is a God in Heaven? They must and will exist for those who hunger after righteousness.

Keep in mind. Out of all the adult Jews that left Egypt in the Exodus? Only Caleb and Joshua and their families got to enter the Promised land. The other adults were not serious about God's Word and all were killed off by God in the forty year trek through the wilderness. It was the young people who grew up under Moses, and did not rebel against the authority and teaching of Moses, that touched their soles of their sandals on the ground promised by God. God seeks quality. Not quantity.

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ Mat 4:4
​

grace and peace........

 

[1213]

...If saving faith is just "trust in the cross" how to make sense of Jesus' sermon on the mount?

Honestly I don't know if I can live up to what Jesus says in this sermon ...

I am not sure what you mean with “saving faith” and “trust in the cross”. But, I have understood saving means in Bible that sins are forgiven and so person is saved from the judgment that is death. There is nothing required to have sins forgiven. However, after sins are forgiven, person should not turn back to sin, because then the forgiveness is not useful anymore, if there is a new sin. That is why I think Jesus said, repent and sin no more. And I think that is also the point of his teachings, to show how to be righteous. Person must be righteous to get eternal life. And it doesn’t mean works are required, it means, it is required that person is righteous. And if person is righteous, he does righteous actions.

These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Mat. 25:46

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever is born of God doesn't commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he can't sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn't do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn't love his brother.
1 John 3:7-10

 

[GenemZ]

Jesus died for every sin of the unbeliever. Not just ours.

And He Himself is the propitiation (atoning sacrifice) for our sins;
and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world." 1 Jn 2:2​

That means? Every unbeliever can get saved up to his last breath. Some have done so.

So? Why would Jesus die for only our sins leading up to the point of salvation, for those who believe? Yet, die for all the sins of an unbeliever up to his last breath, giving him a chance for salvation on his deathbed?

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is
not in us." 1 Jn 1:9-10​

We need forgiveness from our sins after we are saved. There will be times when we fail. That is because when we sin it will grieve the Holy Spirit and cut Him off from being one with us in our experience. The Spirit must stop guiding our lives when we sin until we acknowledge it to God. Failing to do so keeps a believer walking in his flesh, though religious he may be.

The forgiveness we ask for when we might sin is not to keep us from hell. Its a forgiveness for having hurt the Holy Spirit who wants to fill us, and lead us into eventually glorifying the Son, whom He loves,and wants us to come to know that same love.

The Spirit must guide and bring us to maturity fore us to stop having only a superficial, emotionally driven love. Into sharing God's love with what the Spirit can be one with us in sharing. Into a depth of supernatural love He wants us all to know and have for God. Its not emotion. It transcends emotion. It surpasses understanding like the peace Paul prayed we would come to know. Though we may become emotional when its made known in our spirit. But, it does not have to be emotional. It can be a deep satisfying understanding of being able to know what is unknowable without grace working in our lives.

"Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard
your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phiipns 4:5-7
​

For that goal is why we need to feel free to acknowledge our sins to God who will always forgive and purify us from all wrongdoing. Once we get our resurrection body 1 John 1:9 will not longer be needed.

 

[Francis Drake]

Matthew 5
Matthew 6
Matthew 7

7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall.”

If saving faith is just "trust in the cross" how to make sense of Jesus' sermon on the mount?

Honestly I don't know if I can live up to what Jesus says in this sermon ...

Short answer, you can't! And you were never meant to.
Jesus is spelling out for them what righteousness via the law demands, and that demand is obviously a recipe for total failure.

If people think they can enter the kingdom of Heaven by obeying laws, Jesus shows that the bar is so high that everyone will fail, then maybe they will cry out for mercy.

I've picked out 3 different sections that illustrate why its an impossible task that Jesus is presenting, all of which should ring alarm bells for anyone who is attempting self perfection.-

Matt5v20For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
The people Jesus was speaking to regarded the Pharisees as the most holy of all, yet their attempts at righteousness still missed by a mile!

Matt5v29If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
Here's the clincher. If you still possess both eyes and both hands, you've either given up on self perfection and asked for mercy instead, or you are a deluded liar convinced of your self perfection.
Make no mistake, a truly honest law keeper would have some eyes or limbs missing before the first week is out!.

Matt5v48Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
This should send everyone running for cover. You law keepers, do you seriously believe you can be as perfect as your heavenly father?
And don't forget, there's no grace here, just self perfection. That's all we are looking at, what you can do to access heaven.

Jesus is making it as clear as day, if you set off to exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees, the bar is utterly beyond your reach.
The objective is that you cry for mercy.

 

[Dkh587]

Faith is not hearing, faith is doing.

 

[GenemZ]

Faith is not hearing, faith is doing.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do." Eph 2:10​

Works is doing something . Doing because we think faith.... Faith comes by hearing.


Before one can do works? We must first learn the Word of God to know what our faith is to be based upon.

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message,
and the message is heard through the word about Christ." Rom 10:17

​

grace and peace.......

 

[GenemZ]

If, Faith without works is dead? ....

Works without faith, is believing false doctrine!