AT 7{Matt. 7:1-5. The disciples were to beware of allowing in themselves a fault finding spirit. To imagine evil or to judge motives is forbidden. If any one does, he gives others occasion to blame him. He sees a mote in his brother's eye, but does not see the beam in his own eye. Likely, if the beam was out of his own eye, he would see that the mote was out of his brother's eye. Perhaps he imagined it.
Love hopes all things and believes all things. Hypocrisy is spoken of here in its full character, but we are all in danger from it.
But Christians are to judge evil, in order to have true fellowship. 1 Cor. 5:12-13, instructs us, as an assembly, to refuse evil when it would come in, and to put away wickedness if it has come in. To exercise scriptural discipline, needs godly care, and long-suffering grace, and dependence on the Lord to act for Him. To allow unrighteousness, fundamentally wrong doctrine, or schism to go on unreduced, hinders fellowship in the truth.
2 Tim. 2:19; 2 Thess. 3:6, 14, etc., teach us to judge evil individually.
Matt. 7:6. It is right to preach the gospel to every one, in love, meekness and faithfulness, but arguments and loud discussions are worse than fruitless, and to discuss the precious treasures of the riches of Christ with dogs that have no conscience, but bite and devour; or with swine- creatures of no discernment, they cannot chew the cud. If you do, you waste your time, grieve your heart, and the precious truth is degraded. The gospel alone suits the unconverted. There "is a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.”
Matt. 7:7-12. This is to teach confidence in the goodness of God, the Father; giving perseverance in desire, in endeavor and importunity, and this reality obtains the blessing. The Father's goodness is to be counted on as a parent for his child's good. Verse 12, puts them in the giver's place, and in treating others as we would be treated, the Word is fulfilled in us. (Rom. 8:4; James 2:8.)
Matt. 7:13-14. It needs energy to enter the kingdom-"strive." It is easy to enter the wide gate and to walk the broad road, but alas! it leads to destruction. The pleasures of sin are only temporal; the pleasures of Christ are for evermore- it is worth while overcoming difficulties to possess the treasure. What inward satisfaction is formed in the "strait gate," and the "narrow way.”
Matt. 7:15-20, puts them on their guard against false teachers, for their teaching produces bad fruit; and what they teach, leads away from Christ, rather than to Him, and produces coldness, indifference, and other evils. (Acts 20:28-30; Rom. 16:17-18; 1 John 4:1.) We are not called upon in this portion to judge if a man is saved or not. That remains with the Lord who knows them that are His. (2 Tim. 2:19.)
Matt. 7:21-23, is profession without possession of eternal life. Those who are real, seek to do the Father's will, for there may be close imitation and display of power, signs, miracles, yet be workers of iniquity. Judas Iscariot, who had a devil (John 6:70), was sent with the rest to work miracles.
Matt. 7:24-27. Practical obedience is true wisdom. The wise man builds on the Word of God; the foolish heareth but doeth not; then dreadful ruin comes upon them, every one will be tested. We need to dig deep to get down to the rock. (Luke 6:48.)
Matt. 7:28-29. The Lord's teaching was with authority; it was the Word of God. No wonder the multitudes were astonished. The scribes gave their opinions.