UNTIL & UNLESS
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. Until And Unless
a) Until
Matthew 5:18
18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
i) In Matthew 5:18 the word until is used twice. Jesus says, "Until heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished".
ii) This would be a difficult statement to understand, if it were not for the fact that Jesus made the same statement on another occasion, using a different form of words. "But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail" (Luke 16:17).
iii) You can see that Jesus didn’t mean that the Law would remain in force until heaven and earth pass away. The second "until" tells us when the Law would pass. It would pass when all was accomplished that would fulfill it. What Jesus means is this: "For the time being, until I have done all that is required to fulfill the Law, it will remain in force in its entirety, and is as much a fixture as the very heavens and earth."
b) Unless
Matthew 5:20
20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
i) In Matthew 5:20 the word unless is used to underline another important fact. "Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20). The righteousness of one who practices the law (even when sincere and devout) is not sufficient to save him and merit him entry into God’s kingdom. Paul (who was a Pharisee) said, "not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith" (Philippians 3:9). This is the only way to "be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).
ii) We do need to obey God to the very best of our ability, but as an expression of our faith, showing it to be genuine, rather than as an attempt at merit.
The End ...
1. Until And Unlessa) Until
Matthew 5:18
18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
i) In Matthew 5:18 the word until is used twice. Jesus says, "Until heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished".
ii) This would be a difficult statement to understand, if it were not for the fact that Jesus made the same statement on another occasion, using a different form of words. "But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail" (Luke 16:17).
iii) You can see that Jesus didn’t mean that the Law would remain in force until heaven and earth pass away. The second "until" tells us when the Law would pass. It would pass when all was accomplished that would fulfill it. What Jesus means is this: "For the time being, until I have done all that is required to fulfill the Law, it will remain in force in its entirety, and is as much a fixture as the very heavens and earth."
b) UnlessMatthew 5:20
20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
i) In Matthew 5:20 the word unless is used to underline another important fact. "Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20). The righteousness of one who practices the law (even when sincere and devout) is not sufficient to save him and merit him entry into God’s kingdom. Paul (who was a Pharisee) said, "not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith" (Philippians 3:9). This is the only way to "be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).
ii) We do need to obey God to the very best of our ability, but as an expression of our faith, showing it to be genuine, rather than as an attempt at merit.
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