Bro can u explain me Mathew 5:19 verse what Jesus is telling? My QUESTION IS 1. one can disobey the Commands And he can teach the same. But can he go to heaven? EVEN HE DISOBEY THE Commands? 2. How one can enter into heaven went he disobey the commands? 3. What is the least of these commands? What Jesus is telling? 4. In heaven is there any division like Greater and smaller? Your’s In Christ, D. Pradabadathan.
First, let us consider two verses together.
Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For 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. (Matthew 5:19-20 NKJV)
The words “shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven” are essentially a figure of speech, meaning that the Godhead (i.e., the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) denounces persons who break or teach others to break the commandments of God. From verse 20, it is apparent that Jesus had reference to a practice of the scribes and Pharisees of relegating some of God’s commands under Judaism to lesser importance than other commands of God. Actually, they also elevated their own religious traditions above some of God’s commands.
We can know that Jesus was not teaching that disobedient persons could become members of “the kingdom of heaven” or the church when it was established since in verse 20 He stated that those who do as the scribes and Pharisees do “will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” From the immediate context of Matthew 5:19-20 as well as from the overall biblical context one can discern that wilfully disobedient souls are not acceptable to God and will neither be saved from their past sins nor permitted to enter heaven. Jesus Christ is the Author of eternal salvation only to those who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9). Disobedient souls will be punished in eternity (2 Thessalonians 1:8; 1 Peter 4:17).
The “least of these commands” referred to the low esteem in which especially the scribes and Pharisees regarded some of God’s commands. Just because the religious leaders of Jesus’ day had that view of some Scripture does not mean that some laws of God are less important than other parts of God’s Word. Jesus used the perception that those religious leaders used so that He could identify to His hearers specifically the subject He was discussing with them. In a similar way, the apostle Paul resorted to the human view to discuss a subject when he referred to “the foolishness of the message preached” (1 Corinthians 1:18-21). The Gospel is not foolishness, though many people seem to think it is (Romans 1:16).
Regarding obedience and disobedience, we need to understand something. Though one cannot be acceptable to God while wilfully committing sin (Hebrews 10:26-31), no human is sinlessly perfect (Romans 3:10, 23). When we obey the Gospel by hearing God’s Word and believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24); when we repent of our sins (Luke 13:3); when we acknowledge before others our confidence that Jesus Christ is the Messiah (Romans 10:9-10); and when we are immersed in water for the remission of our sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16), we are saved from our past sins (Romans 3:25). Even then, we are not sinlessly perfect, but dependent upon God’s mercy (Titus 3:5) and grace (Ephesians 2:8), which is not offered to us unless we try to be perfect or obey. Though we become Christians, sin still creeps into our lives (1 John 1:8), but through penitence and prayer (Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:9), the blood of Jesus Christ continues to cleanse us from the guilt of our sins (1 John 1:7). In a sense, then, persons who are unwillingly disobedient and who have been showered with divine mercy and grace, by means of the blood of Jesus Christ as He sacrificed Himself, have their guilt of sin removed, whereby they may enter heaven.
Finally, we turn to the question of whether there are “greater and smaller” in heaven. In other words, “Are there degrees of reward in heaven?” Many, but not all, Christians believe that there are differing esteems and rewards in heaven. Two Internet resources by members of the churches of Christ that address this question and answer in the affirmative may be found at Apologetics Press (https://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=11&article=212) and Christian Courier (https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/514-are-there-degrees-of-blessedness-and-punishment-in-eternity). Perhaps something on which we can dwell, irrespective of who we may be or what abilities and opportunities may be afford us, is making sure that we do our part so that we will be in heaven (Revelation 2:10; 21:8).
