This week Michael writes: After Jesus preached the beatitudes in Matthew 5, he continued the sermon on the mount by teaching the multitude about the application of these beautiful attitudes. Those who choose to follow in the Lord’s footsteps are examples of the love of God and the peace of God.
The beatitudes are upside-down from what the secular world considers successful attitudes. Jesus’ godly attitudes are the opposite from the earthly, sensual, and devilish attitudes promoted by “the god of this world” – the devil. The ungodly world thinks that godly beatitudes are to be avoided. Attitudes of poverty, mourning, meekness, mercy, purity, peacefulness, and persecution are failures in the humanistic material world’s eyes. However, these godlike attitudes are the keys to blessedness. In meekness and humility, when we come to understand, that in my flesh dwells no good thing, we can turn to God instead of the darkness of this world.
Jesus said, “You are the light of the world”. Therefore, let your light so shine among men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. The light of the truth jn the Word of God dispels the darkness of the world’s lies, deceit, deception and spiritual blindness. When we let our light shine on a hill and uplift the light of Christ on a lamp stand, God’s light will overcome the darkness. For God has shined His light in our hearts and our spiritual eyes were opened when we were born-again of His Spirit. Jesus Christ came to open the eyes of those born spiritually blind.
The secular world sees only through the eyes of the senses ... they cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God, for the adversary [the devil] has blinded the eyes of those who believe, not lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine unto them. For he that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that does truth, those who humble themselves before the Lord come to the light that their deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought of God. (John 3:20) In order for the Word of God to shine forth, God must break our earthen vessels of the flesh. Like Gideon, God’s plan to defeat Israel’s enemy was to break their clay pots so that the light could shine and confuse the darkness of the enemy.
When Nicodemus approached Jesus in John 3, he asked Jesus, how do you do the things that you do? How do you work miracles, signs and wonders? Nicodemus was a respected Pharisee and teacher of the Jews. John 3:22 says, This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus didn’t answer Nicodemus’ question. Instead he said, you must be born-again. Nicodemus said, how can a man be born again? How can he enter again into his mother’s womb? Jesus explained he who is born of water of his mother’s womb is born into the flesh and the nature of the flesh is the darkness of this fallen world. To be born-again is to be born anew, born from above [heaven] of God’s Holy Spirit.
Let's continue Michael's Message on "being spiritual light in the dark work" in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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