To the early Church Fathers, the commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount played an essential role in their salvation, the synergistic process of being transformed into the image of God. As disciples of Christ, the ancient Church sought to become like Him by obedient faith through God's grace. They believed that disciples could have real union with the Triune God, and so become "partakers of the divine nature." In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ taught His disciples, "Be perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect." So the Sermon on the Mount occupied an important place in the Gospel of early Christianity.
The early Christians also believed that the way to eternal life was difficult and the gate was narrow. They understood that those who were not living as the Lord taught were not Christians at all, even if they professed to be Christians and were part of the Church. For not those who made profession, but those who did the works would be saved. In sum, they believed in not merely hearing, but also doing the sayings of our Lord Jesus Christ as recorded in the Sermon on the Mount.
The beliefs and practices of nominal Christians customarily part ways with the early Christians when interpreting the Lord's sayings in the Sermon on the Mount and participation in the life of the Holy Trinity. Moreover, there are men of education and expertise, esteemed widely as safe and sound expositors of Scripture, who make it their business to hinder the disciples of Christ who would go up the mountain where Christ's words are to be heard and understood. For this reason, the early Church Fathers are of vital importance.
Speaking to Christians in the twenty-first century, the early Fathers warn us not to be content with just believing the right things, which is foundational and very important, but also having the right practices. Unless orthodoxy manifests itself in orthopraxy, then we're really no better than the demons who also believe and tremble. May the reader be edified and blessed as we ascend the mountain together with the early Christians to hear the words of eternal life from our Lord Jesus Christ. . . .
