SEMESTER 5
279 – Fasting and Avoiding Religious Exhibition in Piety
BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE
COURSE: SOTERIOLOGY V LESSON # 79
SERMON ON THE MOUNT
(FASTING AND AVOIDING RELIGIOUS EXHIBITION IN PIETY)
Read: Mat. 6:1-18
INTRODUCTION:
1. In the preceding lessons, I have dealt with alms and prayer.
2. The Lord’s teaching is for us to be secretive in these things.
3. This is not to say, hide it as though shameful, but not to be demonstrative.
4. In this lesson, I will deal with avoiding exhibition in fasting.
5. The lesson is on fasting, but I will enlarge into the area of exhibitionism.
I. DEFINING THE TERM AND LIMITS OF THE SUBJECT
1. The word fasting means going without food, either voluntarily or involuntarily. (Mat. 4:2, 15:32, Luke 18:12, II Cor. 6:5)
i. I am limited as to my teaching liberty by the Bible.
2. We are not told to fast, when to fast, or how often to fast.
3. We do have definite Bible evidence that it was a common practice in Bible days.
II. FASTING IS NOT A BIBLE-COMMANDED RESPONSIBILITY
1. It is not revealed that Christ fasted as a periodic practice. (Mat. 4:2)
2. He never commanded His disciples to fast, but taught it by implication. (Mat. 17:21)
3. His Apostles did not fast in His presence. (Mat. 9:14-15)
4. This raises a logical question as to His presence today and fasting.
III. IT WAS AT LEAST IN SOME SENSE A CHRISTIAN PRACTICE
1. It was a regular part of the Jewish economy and apparently even the Gentile proselytes. (Acts 10:30)
2. This practice continued into the New Testament Church. (Acts 13:2-3, 14:23, I Cor. 7:5)
3. But was not a constant and necessary part of the New Testament Church practice. (Mat. 9:14-15)
IV. THE JEWISH ABUSE OF THE PRACTICE IN OUR TEXT
1. They did it to be seen of men. (Mat. 6:16)
2. They did things to deliberately make their fasting obvious. (Mat. 6:16)
3. They boasted of the frequency of their practice. (Luke 18:12)
4. They thought of it as an establishment of their righteousness.(Rom. 10:3)
III: Anything we do to display righteousness to man or God is an abomination to God.
V. THE PROPER PRACTICE OF FASTING
1. I cannot even say do it this way, or do it this often, that would violate
the proper principle.
III: A published freewill offering.
2. When ye do it, deliberately appear not to fast by looks and practice.
3. This seems to preclude the declaring of a fast. It is a personal matter.
4. If you fast, preferably keep it to times when others do not know.
5. The issue is not to be a religious gas-bag, telling and showing how spiritual you are.