Matthew 5:3

John 10:11-21

• James 2:19 • Luke 17:3 • Luke 5:32 • Acts 2:38 • Luke 3:8 • Revelation 2:5 • 2 Corinthians 12:21 • 2 Corinthians 7:9 • Psalm 139:23–24 Repentance is not a mere intellectual shift. While salvation is by faith alone, genuine faith is never alone: it is always accompanied by a lifelong turning from sin. True believers do not make peace with remaining corruption; they wage war against it daily. Where there is no hatred of sin, no grief over offending God, and no pursuit of holiness, there is no evidence of true conversion.

The Sermon on the Mount, as St. Augustine said, contains "a perfect standard of the Christian life." While this sermon will have much to say about our conduct, we should note that the character of the Christian comes first. Jesus begins with the beatitudes or the beautiful attitudes, since all of life flows from our character or our hearts.

In this text Jesus is on trial. Yet, in the end, we will see that the Jews are in trial, and the verdict pronounced by Jesus is that they are guilty. Due to a deliberate rejection of the truth God will blind them, so that they cannot turn to him and be healed. This is a sober reminded to tremble before God's Word, because we will be held accountable for what is revealed to us.

John 9: 1-12

Christians are called to adorn the doctrine of God, our Savior, by living lives marked by godly character. Self-control emerges as the recurring theme, highlighted four times in the passage and underscored as a greater triumph than earthly conquest, reflecting God's high regard for inner discipline. Therefore, believers ought to examine their lives in areas such as speech, consumption, entertainment, desires, and relationships, recognizing that self-control is essential to glorifying the gospel and making it beautiful to the world.

John 17:3, 1 John 2: 3-4