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Jumpstarter 7 of 10

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Christian Citizenship  /  Kingdom Parables of Jesus  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 7
Bercot claims Jesus’ rejection language (“Depart from me… you who practice lawlessness”) targets how people live rather than their theology, and he notes the irony that Reformers taught “we are not under any law”—what do you think Jesus means by “lawlessness” in that Sermon on the Mount context, and how might someone sincerely call Jesus “Lord” while still living as “lawless”?
Another way to ask: In the Sermon on the Mount, what do you think Jesus means by “lawlessness,” and how could someone call Jesus “Lord” but still live in a lawless way?

Direct Answer In Bercot’s reading, “lawlessness” means living without obedience to Jesus’ commands—treating his teachings as optional—so a person can sincerely use religious words (“Lord, Lord”) and even claim ministry success while still refusing Jesus’ way of life.

Support from Transcript:

  • He quotes Jesus: “Not everyone who says… ‘Lord, Lord’… but he who does the will of my Father,” and “Depart from me… you who practice lawlessness.”
  • Bercot stresses Jesus defines “building on the rock” explicitly: hearing Jesus’ sayings “and does them.”
  • He rejects theological re-interpretations: Jesus “doesn’t even mention… theology… what you believe,” but focuses on “how we live.”
  • He notes the irony: Reformers taught Christians are “not under any law,” and he asks, “And what do you call that? Lawlessness.”
  • He gives a practical scenario: thinking heaven is “all sewn up because we said a prayer… and then lived no differently than the world.”
Discussion Follow-ups How can a church preach grace in a way that still makes Jesus’ commands feel like “laws we live by,” as Bercot puts it?

Jumpstarter 7 of 10
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