Jesus’ sermon on the mount was His introduction to "Kingdom Living". This sermon started with the Beatitudes. Becoming a disciple, a student and disciplined follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, starts with the revelation and realization of our Lord’s beautiful attitudes. Then walking in His footsteps takes us peacefully through the difficulties of trials and tribulations. Following the path He blazed for us produces a strong family resemblance to our big brother ... for Jesus Christ is the firstborn among many brethren. We learn to forsake our old selves as we follow in the dust of the Rabbi (teacher - Jesus Christ) into the newness of life.
In spiritual warfare, the adversary’s strategy is to remove Christians from the spiritual battlefield. It’s said that the vast majority of people can handle adversity. It’s easy to seek strength in the Lord when we’re under pressure and under fire from the spiritual onslaught. The old adage is that there are no atheists in foxholes. However, it’s much more difficult to follow the Lord when we’re contented and comfortable in the secular things of this world. In a humanistic and materialistic world of plenty with luxuries lavish and extravagant, it’s difficult to place our treasures in the things of heaven instead of in the things of this world.
The beatitudes are God’s prescription for wellbeing, contentment, and satisfaction; not in the things of this world, but in the things of the Spirit of God. According to Psalm 34:7, God desires to give us the desires of our heart. However there is a prerequisite to God giving us our desires. The prerequisite is that we intentionally, deliberately, and purposely delight ourselves in the Lord. Then when our delight is His delight ... when His good pleasure is our good pleasure. Philippians 2:13 says he will work in us and through us to will and to do of His good pleasure.
The world looks for happiness. However, true happiness is found in godly holiness. There is a world of difference between happiness and blessedness. Happiness is dependent on seeking the blessings of this world, whereas blessedness is in seeking the Blessor. Secular happiness depends on happenstance but In God’s economy, there are no happenstances. Life is not a series of coincidences. For men and women of God there are no co-incidences, there are only God-incidences. For it is God who worketh in you to will and to do of His good pleasure.
The devil entices people into thinking that there is happiness and pleasure in the things of this world, with the attitude of "I see it, I want it, I have to have it, and I get it immediately or else I am not happy".. Satan also appeals to the false comfort found in drugs, self-indulgent behavior, possessions, riches, trends, be cool, popularity and the praise of men. However, true contentment is not in worldly things. True contentment is in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. The adversary tricks Christians to separate into two factions: One is the priests, the clergy and the full time Christian ministers. The other is the laity ... the church members, the called out, the assembly of God’s people. The church body must be united in Christ.
The holy Scripture teaches that there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus. According to 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” If we look at leaders in the church, we’ll be disappointed when they fall short of God’s righteous standard. For all, including church leaders, have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Follow Jesus. There is only one standard, the Word of God, and Jesus Christ, the Word of God made manifest in the flesh. Therefore, Paul said, “we preach not ourselves but Jesus Christ and him crucified.” Jesus is the living Word and our standard for faith and practice.
The beatitudes are progressive starting with poverty in spirit. God works best with nothing. When a person understands that they are in need of God’s Spirit, then God can fill them with the gift of is Holy Spirit. Then through the eyes of Christ with spiritual perception and awareness, He shows us the reality of the other six beatitudes. Until we have God’s spirit we cannot mourn over those who are lost without God’s Spirit. The spirit of Christ is the spirit of meekness. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Meekness means that we are coachable to receive the things of the spirit of God. The meek hunger and thirst after righteousness. The Word of God is an acquired taste .... taste and see that the Lord is good. As Psalm 19 says, The judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. A pure heart is the heart of Christ we received when we were "born again" of God’s spirit. A pure heart understands and perceives God’s truth and loves with the true love of God.
Each of the beatitudes depends on the Spirit of God. None of these beautiful attitudes are natural qualities. For the Spirit of God is antithetical to the nature of the body and soul we inherited from Adam. Even though natural men and women without God’s Spirit may possess natural abilities, only those born of God’s Spirit possess spiritual abilities. The beatitudes are the motivation that allows God to work with us, in us and through us to will and to do of God’s good pleasure.
The beautiful attitudes of the beatitudes are the qualities and characteristics of our Lord Jesus Christ. As we live our lives according to God’s purpose, which He has planned for us in advance, we understand that we’re no longer the people that we used to be. As Isaiah 40:29-31, concludes, “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint”, that we may live by Christ’s blessed beatitudes to the praise of the glory of His grace, being happy and blessed!
Your brother in Christ, Michael
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