December 10, 2025 -- Matthew 5:2-10 -- Consider how blessed we are in Christ
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2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons[a] of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:2-10 ESV
Read those as a requirement to get into heaven, and the deafening accusations of our own sinfulness and waywardness will immediately prove how disqualified we are. We can’t do what Jesus taught. Are these beatitudes, these expressions of “blessed are” entrance requirements or are they the blessings that attend believers who follow Jesus Christ? It is the latter. Because we are in Christ,
We are aware of our poverty of spirit and our ever-greater desire for Jesus--the more we see our failure and know we need in the light of Christ, the more we are aware we are heirs of the Kingdom of heaven by the accomplished work of our elder brother, Jesus.
We mourn over our sin, because, as believers, we realize we are always sinning--our spirit guided by the Spirit desires Jesus, but our flesh pulls against this--the more we recognize this and therefore hate our sin and grieve over it the more we realize how much our sin contributed to Jesus' suffering; and consequently, all the more we rejoice in hope and greater still is our comfort because Jesus, for the joy set before Him, did not scorn the cross or its suffering, but did instead endure it unto the glory of God and for the glory of bringing many sons and daughters to their rightful Father.
The Christian is meek, that is humble--aware that his only boast is Jesus Christ and therefore, through Him he inherits the earth. Believers do not need to gather armies with guns and battleships, for by the Holy Spirit, believers engage hearts and minds for the kingdom. Who can stand when Jesus appears and the glory of His presence breaks on the awareness of the one listening to your testimony? We humbly share the glories of Jesus and His appointed ones are brought into the ranks of the Captain of our Salvation.
Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness--see where it is on the list, all those previous blessings are lavished on God’s children, then as believers in Christ, we are keenly aware of our poverty of spirit. We don’t bring anything to the table. God hasn’t chosen us because we’re strong, or brave, or good, or capable, or rich, or talented. No way. We were steeped in sin and rebellious against Him. So, we mourn over our lingering sin and are ever more humbled as we see how persistently God receives us, loves us, showers us with mercy in Christ and equips us with His Spirit for every good work. As His blessed children we hunger and thirst for more righteousness. There is no One like our God. Righteousness is holiness in action. Practically that means, as our Father has given commands, righteousness is desiring to be holy as God is holy and to express this in walking the way of His commandments every day. As the psalmist says, "to all perfect I see a limit, but Your commands are boundless" (Psalm 119:96 paraphrased). There is boundless joy, soul-satisfaction, the honour of living out the privilege of being a child of God in righteousness--this is what satisfies our hunger and thirst. The more we live for God, the more we desire to do so.
Believers are merciful because we have first received mercy, lovingkindness, patience, and love from God. So showered in His mercy, drenched in His love, awash in His patient guidance, we are merciful to others, and this opens up even greater channels of His mercy towards us as others, captivated by God’s mercy expressed in our lives, makes us Holy Spirit-powered soul-winners for Jesus.
Those who are pure in heart are made such by the Holy Spirit. Our sins are washed away and our nighttime of sin and slavery to the dominion of darkness has been broken. The Father has rescued us in Jesus Christ, bringing us into His kingdom of light and guarding us there by the power of His Spirit. We shall see God not because of our efforts, but because of the work of Jesus. Therefore, we see God's work in us now and we anticipate seeing Him face to face. This is part of the glory of our salvation.
Christians are peacemakers because God has in Christ has reconciled Himself to us and made peace with us through the cross. The peace we have is so powerful, so persistent, we bear peace to those around us. It is the Spirit Who guards us in the peace of Christ. It is the Spirit, Who after we have sinned, repented, confessed it, and turned in obedience to Jesus restores that peace which passes understanding. In fact, it is the Spirit Who restrains us from our sin so that peace is even possible and peace is preserved which draws us from the chaos and discombobulations which sin inevitably brings.
Having been so anchored in Christ, believers are able to endure persecution, ridicule, mocking, the loss of property, or freedom, or even life because Jesus is the treasure above all others. Jesus is the one treasure no earthly power can ever snatch from the believer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has passed away (the inheritance of darkness, the entangling chains of wicked deeds and thoughts and original sin, the slavish obedience to the devil who is the father of anyone not in Christ) and the new has taken hold and begins to unfold in glory. A man startled by the love of Jesus, captivated by Him through the inner working of the Holy Spirit, will prize Him above all--believers don't seek persecution or expressions of evil against them, but they hardly feel it because they have been so enraptured by their devoted love for and dedicated following of Jesus.
Glorious Father, what a storehouse of blessing is lavished upon us as believers in Christ. Truly You are magnificent! As we, empowered by Your Holy Spirit treasure Christ more dearly and walk with Him more intimately, may our lives show the blessedness You have given and are giving us, so that many others will be drawn to Jesus Who saved us, directs us, and is so perpetually captivating to our hearts, minds and imagination. Amen.
https://youtu.be/YdjFNHLHRB4?si=ZRFvbgJkNP16vItb Heaven Came Down
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