Jesus, during His sermon on the mount (Matt. 5-7), preached many great lessons. One of which is found in chapter 5:38-42. This is where the Lord encourages His followers to resist the urge to be vindictive, to turn the other cheek, and go the extra mile. What we will do with this article is to examine the benefits of doing what the Lord is admonishing us to do.

It is what the Lord wants

Even though there are many good reasons to go the extra mile with someone, it really wouldn’t matter if we knew what they were. The truth is, if the Lord tells us to do it and we do, the greatest benefit is knowing it is what our Savior wants. For those who say they love Jesus, it ought to mean they want to keep His commandments (Jn. 14:15). It’s okay to think of, why does He want us to do it? But just the fact He tells us too is more than sufficient.

It is what the Lord did with us

Think about the time before we became a Christian, we were without strength, having no hope, walking in sin (Rom. 5:6-11). It was as though we were crucifying Christ anew not caring for Him at all (Heb. 6:6). Yet, Jesus didn’t give up on us. By His longsuffering and undying love, we who have obeyed the Gospel are so very grateful that Jesus didn’t turn His back on us. As we can see, our Lord has not asked us to do anything that He hasn’t already done. Christ has provided the perfect example for us to follow (I Pet. 2:21).

It is to let our light shine

Whenever saints let their light shine, the goal is to have them glorify God (Matt. 5:16). This good work might not impress most people, but the hope is that by going the extra mile people can witness your godliness and change themselves. Jesus made the point that if you just love those who love you, what is so great about that, even the tax collectors do the same (Matt. 5:46). As children of God, we are to be different and not conform to the world (Rom. 12:1-2).

It is to help Christians get stronger

There is nothing in the Lord’s admonition that insinuates that it is an easy task. After all, there wasn’t a clause that stated that you go the second mile when it is appreciated. James reminds us that we ought to count it all joy when we face all kinds of temptations because they help us become stronger when we overcome them (Jas. 1:2-4). It would be correct to say that Jesus tells us to do these things because He wants us to make it to heaven. The commands of our Lord, always and I mean always, have out best interest in heart.

It helps us accept our abilities

For Jesus to tell his people to do something that they couldn’t do, would make the Lord unjust. Christians are to do only what they are capable of doing and we are capable of going the second mile. That’s was the point of Christ’s lesson about the man who buried his talent (Matt. 25:24-26). We are not to bury our talent. To not do what we are commanded is to second guess our Savior. If we would see what our God sees in us, perhaps we would do much more for the Lord.

It will show just how much we care for others

Christ stated there are two laws that every other command hinges on and that is to love the Lord God and to love our fellow man (Matt. 22:34-40). There is no question that your love for others are clearly demonstrated when you go the second mile. Having learned all the benefits of doing what we are told, remember the Lord said to and that is more than enough.

Daniel

How to view grace as a gift

For many religious people, it is a real struggle to hear that man must do something to obtain the free gift (Rom. 5:18). How can something be “free” and yet we must do something to obtain it? Let us allow God to explain it. In Luke 17:10, Jesus said that if one does everything that was commanded them; they should still say they are an unprofitable servant and that they have only done their duty.

Christ’s gift is so great that no amount of service for the Lord will equal what Jesus did for us. Consider this illustration: A teacher is holding a briefcase at the front of the classroom. The briefcase contains a million dollars. The teacher calls your name and says that if you walk to the front and ask nicely, you will be given the money. If you follow these instructions, do you believe that you earned the money? Those who believe they earned the money by simply walking up and asking politely will struggle to understand God’s grace.

Nobody is so important that they deserve a million dollars by simply walking to the front of a classroom. Now consider again the sacrifice that Christ made: no amount of service on earth will equal Christ’s sacrifice for those in sin. Remember, if we do not obey the gospel (II Thess. 1:8), God’s grace will not save us. Why not? The student who does not walk to the front of the classroom will not get the money, and Christians will not find salvation if they do not do His will.

The brethren at Ephesus were told that the gift (salvation) cannot be obtained by works because grace would then no longer exist. Works alone cannot save anyone. The nicest person in this world, the best husband, the best wife and the most loyal friend all have one thing in common – they have all sinned (Rom. 3:23) and all need a Savior to have those sins remitted (Matt. 26:28). This is why we are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8). Just like faith without works is dead (James 2:26), works without faith is useless (Eph. 2:9).

Do not allow confusion about God’s grace to cause you to miss out. Though it is for everyone, not everyone will obtain it (Matt. 7:21-23).

                                                                                       Chuck