Stumbling Blocks (Matt. 5:29-30): Jesus imparts to us wisdom to deal with the weaknesses of our flesh by cutting off the stumbling blocks from our lives. Whether they are avenues of temptation or opportunity, our Good Shepherd knows us and thus He counsels us to eliminate the pathways of sin. While this is no panacea for every kind of sin, cutting off the supply line has a definite place in our sanctification. Until the Holy Spirit has taught us self-control and sensibility,[1] we are to blow the bridges and bomb the roads to moral compromise. Why take such severe measures? Because eternity is at stake. Only those who are repentant are saved (Luke 13:3; 2 Cor. 7:10; 2 Pet. 3:9).

Integrity (Matt. 5:37): Our God is the God of truth.[2] Truth is the way of the LORD (Psalm 25:10). As His redeemed people ever growing in His likeness, we are to reflect His character of truth. Truth is to govern all our relationships, both the vertical and the horizontal. We are to set a pattern of truthfulness with the Lord and with one another.[3] We are to plough a long straight furrow of truthfulness and produce an abundant harvest of likeness to Jesus, not thornbushes in the likeness of “the evil one,” the father of lies (John 8:44). The call to integrity applies to both what we say and how we keep our word. We are to speak with every intent to fulfill our word. Even as God always makes good on His word (Num. 23:19; James 1:17), so we strive to do the same. Through our integrity, we are to reflect the excellency of our God in His truth.

[1] For self-control, cf. Gal. 5:22-23; 2 Tim. 1:7; 2 Pet. 1:5-6. For sensibility, cf. Tit. 2:2, 5, 6, 12.

[2] The triune God is the God of truth. Cf. Exodus 34:6; Psalm 31:5; 117:2; Isaiah 65:16; John 1:14; 14:6, 17; 15:26; 16:13; Eph. 4:21; 1 John 5:6.

[3] Cf. Prov. 3:3-4. This is especially true in our relationship to the Lord (Psalm 32:2; 51:6). Honesty breeds joy, freedom, and intimacy, while dishonesty produces grief, entrapment, and isolation.