5:6 "Blessed
are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be
satisfied."
This is the last of
the "Outer" characteristic. Here in the fourth
Beatitude, the soul is turned away from self toward God.
There is a longing after a righteousness that we
urgently need but know that we do not possess.
The human hart is revealed to
be "desperately wicked," (Jeremiah 17:9). The one who is
"in Christ" must endure the demands of the "old man,"
and know that, even though proclaimed righteous, we toil
over sin and evil. How very blessed by God are we who
"hunger and thirst" after His righteousness that will be
finally complete under His rule in the Promised Kingdom.
"I will greatly rejoice in the
Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath
clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath
covered me with the robe of righteousness."
Isaiah 61:10a
To restate the last
sentence of the first paragraph, The ones who will find
themselves in the Kingdom will have the characteristic
of a longing after a personal righteousness that
reflects the ultimate righteousness of God. That
ultimate righteousness will forever be
"just-out-of-reach," as we are the creature - and He is
God. The Kingdom believer forever possesses the desire
to be more like Him.
|
Outward Signs of the Christ Changed Life |
|
God exalts |
Man exalts |
|
Spiritual
poverty |
Affluent
materialism |
|
Godly sorrow |
Worldly
pleasures |
|
Meekness |
Arrogance |
|
Righteousness |
Greed, Lust
for corruption |
The Inner Blessings
The first four outer blessings demonstrated a
progression of spiritual character in the believer.
First, was the knowledge that I am nothing compared to
Almighty God. My frail spirit has nothing to offer His
Spirit - for I am spiritually impoverished. Second, was
the knowledge that the effects of sin and sins are
clearly seen by the believer and there is great grief
and mourning over it. The enormity of sin for which
Jesus paid the penalty, is laid bare and the suffering
and anguish that God felt, is the basis of the
believer's mourning. Thirdly,
those who place no "claim" upon this world - but look to
His kingdom with desire are indeed those who are blessed
in the sight of God. Those who see that there is nothing
in this world which draws their lusts and desires - only
the possession of the Kingdom of God. Meek, mild, lack
of boasting in the ownership of this world and the
things in it. Setting one's heart on what God alone
provides. and fourthly, the Kingdom believer is the one
who constantly has a thirst for attaining to the
righteousness of God. It is like the one who climbs up
the great mountain, always keeping the mountain top in
sight, and always keeping it as the goal.
All of this is the quality of
the Kingdom believer who keeps the perception of what is
defective in himself and a yearning for what is
desirable.
Here we begin looking
at the four Inner Blessings that demonstrate the
manifestation of a positive good in the believer, the
fruits of a new creation and the blessings of a
transformed character.
5:7 "Blessed are the
merciful, for they shall receive mercy."
"Mercy is a form
of love determined by the state or condition of its
objects. Their state is one of suffering and need, while
they may be unworthy or ill-deserving. Mercy is at once
the disposition of love respecting such, and the kindly
ministry of love for their relief."
"I will have mercy,
and not sacrifice," indicates that God is pleased with
the exercise of mercy rather than with the offering of
sacrifices, though sin has made the latter necessary (1
Samuel 15:22; Micah 6:6-8).
Apparently
God desires His children to show mercy even in the most
offensive situations. We all have found the Christmas
1914 story to be both heart warming and satisfying. Two
nations at war with each other who establish a Christmas
truce where both sides meet in the celebration of the
Birth of Christ. How much more God loves the heart that
can bestow mercy in the time of personal (or national)
trouble. Blessed is the one who can release the vile
offender and grant them mercy and forgiveness.
This
will be especially true while the remnant of Israel
traverses the Tribulation. When all of humanity will be
in persecution of the Jew, blessed will be the believing
Jew who can grant mercy to their adversary in
expectation of the coming of Jesus the Messiah and King.
5:8 "Blessed are the
ones whose heart is pruned, for they shall see God."
Older translations use the "pure in heart" terminology.
Matthew, a Jew, relating Jesus' words (a Jew), would
have in mind a more "kosher" approach to Jesus' meaning.
At Sinai God gave the
Jew the sign of the Covenant - circumcision of the male
members of the Hebrew people. This symbolic act was a
many-times-a-day reminder to the Jewish male that he was
a part of God's covenant and that God demanded obedience
to righteousness. Therefore the one who practiced (a way
of life) the righteousness of the Law were considered to
be of a circumcised heart. After all the Law merely
defined the very character of God. To act with the
righteousness of God was the requirement. Sacrifice was
available when a member of the Covenant was not able to
live righteously.
Deuteronomy 10:12-16
"And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require
from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all
His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul. And to keep
the Lord's commandments and His statutes which I am
commanding you today for your good? Behold, to the Lord
your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the
earth and all that is in it. Yet on your fathers did the
Lord set His affection to love them, and He chose their
descendants after them, even you above all peoples, as
it is this day. Circumcise then your heart, and
stiffen your neck no more."
In Deuteronomy we see
the fuller meaning of the circumcised heart.
Deuteronomy 30:6
"Moreover, the Lord your God will circumcise your
heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the
Lord your God with all your heart and with all your
soul, in order that you may live."
Righteous living would
obviously be the result of loving the Lord our God with
all of our heart and with all of our soul. Without "the
righteousness of God, by God's grace and through
personal faith" true life (life as far as God was
concerned, and eternal in nature) is not possible. With
it comes true life.
God further makes some
of His promised blessings conditional.
If they do ...
then ...
If they don't
... then ...
Leviticus 26:40-42
"If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of
their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they
committed against Me, and also in their acting with
hostility against Me — I also was acting with hostility
against them, to bring them into the land of their
enemies — or if their uncircumcised heart becomes
humbled so that they then make amends for their
iniquity, Then I will remember My covenant with Jacob,
and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and My
covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the
land."
The key elements to
this verse would be #1. - their (and forefathers)
iniquity; #2. - their hostility toward God. Even in the
midst of great idolatry God promises them that He will
remember the terms of the Covenant IF they confess their
iniquity and humble their uncircumcised heart - and then
love God with all their heart and soul.
David understood the
desire of God's heart toward him. In the midst of
David's greatest sins he turns to his heavenly Father
and says,
Psalm 51:10-12
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right
spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Thy presence,
and do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me
the joy of Thy salvation, and sustain me with a willing
spirit."
Paul then focuses upon
Jesus Christ as the indicator of the righteousness
granted to the believer. He is the fullness of Deity
(God), and it is In-Him and through Him that we are
circumcised of the heart and bear evidence of our
righteousness through loving Him with all our heart and
all our soul.
Colossians 2:8-9, 11-14
"See to it that no one takes you captive through
philosophy and empty deception, according to the
tradition of men, according to the elementary principles
of the world, rather than according to Messiah.
For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily
form. And in Him you were also circumcised with a
circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the
body of the flesh by the circumcision of Messiah. Having
been buried with Him in baptism (of the Spirit), in
which you were also raised up with Him through faith in
the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And
when you were dead in your transgressions and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together
with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions.
Having cancelled out the certificate of debt consisting
of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and
He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the
cross."
Only those who have
the righteousness of God may enter into the true
Promised Kingdom. Following the Wrath of God (the
Tribulation, the time of Jacob's Trouble), the Promised
Earthly Kingdom age begins. Unbelievers will be born and
be in that kingdom, however they will not turn to Him
with belief they will never be known to God as "alive"
or "living." At the end of the 1,000 years of the
Promised Earthly Kingdom unbelief will be culled from
that age, processed through the judgment of God, and
released into the depths of the Lake of Fire for eternal
punishment for forsaking and denying Almighty God. Then
the Eternal Kingdom of God will be established for those
who have loved God with all their hearts and souls will
be entering into that kingdom.
5:9 "Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."
Peace is extraordinarily
important to God. The large number of verses that speak
of it show it's importance. In the ultimate sense
"peace" is "reconciliation." Reconciliation between
Himself and the human population of the world is His
primary mission throughout the ages. However His
intentions of peace and reconciliation have been met
with abject refusal, denial, and outright rejection.
He speaks of the unbeliever,
"the way of peace they have not known."
Romans 3:17
(Isaiah 59 from which this quote is taken speaks of the
unbeliever's "Separation from God").
“There is none righteous,
not even one;
11 There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;
12 All have turned aside, together they have become
useless;
There is none who does good,
There is not even one.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,”
“The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood,
16 Destruction and misery are in their paths,
17 And the path of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
There are two categories of
people in this next verse: Those with God's wisdom and
those without it.
James 3:16-18
For where envy and
self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil work will
be there.
But the wisdom that is from
above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle,
willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without
partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of
righteousness is sown in peace by those who make
peace.
The desire of our hearts, in
light of the journey of sanctification, requires the
pursuit of peace. Not that peace can be achieved or
kept, but pursued as a matter of your heart. Paul, in
Romans, teaches us that the pursuit of peace and the
building up of each other in Christ has an equality of
purpose.
Hebrews 12:14
Pursue peace with all men, and the
sanctification without which no one will see the Lord
Romans 14:19
So then we pursue the things which make for peace
and the building up of one another.
It is especially
important for the believer to pursue and exhibit the
"Fruit of the Spirit." This "Fruit" is the "produce" of
the Holy Spirit - and His gifts - within the Body of
Christ that should lead to Unity in that body.
Galatians 5:19-22
19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are:
immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery,
enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger,
disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying,
drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which
I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that
those who practice such things will not inherit the
kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such
things there is no law.
The Gospel of Peace,
or the Gospel of Reconciliation, is the definition of
God's "good news" in Christ Jesus. Here in this verse we
can see the importance of bringing (and reporting) that
message of His peace and that it results in God's
approval, "How beautiful are the feet of them...."
Romans 10:15 [KJV]
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord
shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in
whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe
in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they
hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach,
except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are
the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace,
and bring glad tidings of good things!
Jesus is the author of
reconciliation between God and man. He is also the
vehicle in which that reconciliation is achieved and
delivered.
Romans 5:1
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Isaiah foretold of
Jesus' ministry of reconciliation. He is the Prince of
Peace.
Isaiah 9:7
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given
to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
Reconciliation (peace)
between God and man (the individual), through Christ
Jesus, has the unfathomable results in the proclamation
of that individual to have, as a result, the
Righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:18-21 (Reconciliation = Peace)
Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us
to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of
reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ
reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their
trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the
word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors
for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through
us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to
God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our
behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God
in Him.
Our responsibility
includes being at peace with all men (and women). This
verse goes on to warn us of the importance of peace
versus vengeance for wrongs committed against us. Our
responsibilities demand the very opposite - "feed him,
give him a drink, do not be overcome by evil (usurping
God's role of judge). Instead overcome that desire with
good (reconciliation).
Romans 12:18-21
If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace
with all men. 19 Never take your own revenge, beloved,
but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written,
“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20
“But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is
thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap
burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by
evil, but overcome evil with good.
Paul wraps up this
discussion on peace and reconciliation. "For He Himself
(Christ Jesus) is our peace.
Ephesians 2:14-18
For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups
into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing
wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is
the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that
in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus
establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in
one body to God through the cross, by it having put to
death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to
you who were far away, and peace to those who were near;
18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit
to the Father.
|
Inward Signs of the Christ Changed Life |
|
Mercy (grace toward others) |
Self-driven merit (usury)
|
|
Purity |
Corruption (disobedience) |
|
Peace making |
Hate mongering |
|
Persecution (due to
Godliness) |
Persecutors (do to
Godliness) |
5:10-12 "Blessed are those
who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute
you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of
Me. Rejoice, and rejoice for much is
your reward in the heavens, for so they persecuted the prophets before
you.
Persecution in the
Kingdom
of
God?
Many millions will be born during the Kingdom years.
Unfortunately, many of those millions will have stiff necks, like their
grand fathers before them, and refuse to hear the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. Many will get caught up in Satan's revolt against our Lord
and many believers will be the object of often violent persecution.
5:13-16 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the
salt be tainted, how will it be made salty again? It is strong no
longer, except to be thrown out and trodden down by men.”
Blessed is the one during those hours, as well
as now, who knows the value of evangelism. Those who know the
trial of fire that others are ready to put
you through to prevent the spread of the Gospel. Blessed are those
who know that the evil one is so afraid of the truth that he will
persecute and kill those who seek to evangelize the lost, the members of
his kingdom. But yet, there is a warning here too, that those who
loose the fire of evangelism or the works of a Godly life are like salt
that has lost its taste. It says here that those who loose that
flavor are of so little value to the Lord that they should be thrown out
and trampled under foot by men.
It is the believing members of God’s
kingdom, in any age, who are the Salt and the
Light of the world. That is God’s evaluation of
believers, they are the taste, the
preservative, and the “Light” of the world.
Salt as an antiseptic and a
preservative, a substance that prevents and retards decay. So too is the
picture of the believer. We may not be aware of the impact we have upon
others when we show forth Christ. As salt is most effective when
rubbed into the meat and not just sprinkled on, so too the Christian is
here encouraged by Christ Jesus to take an active part in the
application of Salt. Our very presence often places a burden of
righteousness upon those we have contact with and upon their systems of
morality.
Salt as a catalyst of flavor:
We often find ourselves, if Christ be our leader, providing zest,
comfort and interest, in the lives of others. Often it is the
Christian who visits, and changes the lives of the shut-in, the
homeless, the sick, the imprisoned.
Salt as a natural element that life needs for sustenance.
Science tells us that we have a large percentage of salt in us, as does
most of life on this earth. It is the natural element of the
blood. Animals the world over seek out "salt licks" for without
salt, water is not retained by the body. And where water is not
retained life comes to an end.
How far more wicked and unrestrained the world would be
without the restraining example, life, works, and prayers of the saints.
But the salt that has lost its
taste, by spoiling or by the intrusion of another bad influence, no
longer has any use. It cannot be used for preserving as
it's taste is strange and there is no one who
would seek it. It cannot be used as a catalyst for again there is
none who would seek this strange flavor, it has become offensive.
And it is cannot be used as a source of life support for the body, if
the body is unwilling to take it in because of its stench.
There is then no restoration of
taste for that which has become contaminated or washed out. Nor is
there any hope that the Lord will keep on knocking upon the door of the
one who has lost his desire for saltiness, and has become hardened
against the Holy Spirit.
The Jewish religious system may have
been what Jesus had in mind in these verses. The Pharisees and
Scribes, people who advocated a formal, legalistic religion in place of
the true religion proclaimed by the ancient prophets in the name of the
Lord. Thus, by and large, the salt had lost its flavor in the
religious life of
Israel.
Many "sons of the kingdom" would be cast out and trampled upon for being
salt that had lost its flavor.
Once this salt has lost its flavor
it cannot be made salty again. Those who resolutely set themselves
against the exhortations of the Holy Spirit and become hardened in their
opposition are not renewed unto repentance (Matthew
12:32
and Hebrews 6:4-6). As Jesus teaches these lessons the entire
nation of
Israel,
having lost its taste in the mouth of the Lord, is about to be abandoned
and trampled under foot. And the message continues into the Church
Age, the Tribulation, and the Kingdom.
5:14-16
"You are the light of the world. A
city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp, and put
it under the bushel, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who
are in the house. Thus let your light shine before men in such a way
that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in the
heavens."
Light shines openly and it cannot be both
effective and hid at the same time. Light is the power that
sustains life, at least on this planet. Light is the power that
makes life possible, it supplies heat, and chemical reaction through
photosynthesis. Without light most life would cease to exist.
Light is often contrasted with
darkness. When we speak of light it symbolizes all that is good.
When we speak of darkness it symbolizes all that is not good. We
use light to speak of the true knowledge of God, goodness,
righteousness, truthfulness, joy and gladness, true happiness, love, and
laughter. We use darkness to speak of the worst of things,
dullness, depravity, and despair.
Those who are light possessors by
necessity become light transmitters. When truth is given to us it
must in turn radiate to others. It should not be hid under the
bushel.
The Christian is not a light in
themselves, but rather, Christ is the light
in us that shines forth. So the Body of Christ is Christ's light
and power on the face of the earth. The body is light. That
body of light can only function effectively if the whole body is light
and there are no spots of darkness in it. But where there are
parts of the body that are not lighting up their corner of the world,
there is obviously no power there as well. For where there is no
power there is no light. The true purpose of light ... to be seen
not hid. Light is only a blessing when it is truly light. It
must be allowed to shine into the darkness, and not hid.
Both salt and light have their
righteous effects upon the world. Though the world
be wicked the effects of believers upon the
world system keep it from being totally wicked. The righteousness
which is wrought in governments and legal systems by believers serves to
bring flavor and light to the world as a whole. How wicked the
world would become without the righteous input of Christians.
Those who have the fire of
evangelism are the light of the world. Those are the ones whom the
world looks to for their salvation. Those are the ones
who's calling cannot be hid, not because they
are dynamic people, but because the dynamic of the Spirit of God so
shines through them that other's can't help but see the Lord in them.
It is the ones who seek after others that the world wants to persecute.