September 14, 2025 -- Matthew 5:3 -- God's will ruling in your life

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.                  Matthew 5:3 ESV
 
What is the blessing that is given to those who are poor in spirit? They are given the kingdom of heaven. When the Father gifts us to the Son as trophies celebrating Jesus’ accomplished work, we are part of the Kingdom of Jesus. Sin no longer has mastery over us. I have been reading Gabor Maté’s book: “In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts close encounters with addiction.” Maté wrote:
Addiction is a complex condition, a complex interaction between
human beings and their environment. We need to view it simultaneously
from many different angles—or, at least, while examining it from
one angle, we need to keep others in mind. Addiction has biological,
chemical, neurological, psychological, medical, emotional, social,
political, economic and spiritual underpinnings— and perhaps
others I haven’t thought about.” Maté, page 129.
When we were locked in the kingdom of darkness, our sins were instinctive, unchallenged. We may have pretended to be in charge, wildly, incoherently trying to control sinful impulses, while riding waves of urges, but we willingly deluded ourselves and justified the next hit of sin. Even while we are in the Kingdom of Heaven, under the reign of Jesus, it is all together too easy to justify sins and go back to old, familiar patterns of rebellion against God. But to be in the Kingdom of Heaven, to be a citizen, is to experience now, the blessing Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all our sins. We have the holy boldness to be honest about our failures and rebelliousness. What happens now is the Holy Spirit unblocks the brain which was once conditioned to follow through almost unconsciously and instantaneously in old patterns of sin. The Holy Spirit intervenes so that between the urge of temptation and what used to be an immediate obedience to it in acting it out, there is now a holy space, a pause. The Spirit-given opportunity to consider the fact we are a new creation in Christ and sin no longer rules us. We are under the authority of our King, and it is His will we are called to obey.
 
Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Father in heaven, by Your Spirit’s presence in me, let Your will be done in my life and let Your commands rule in the deep places of my soul and mind, those places where desires to act are formed. Spirit purge impious urges and sift out unholy patterns so that in the newly formed holy space where formerly immediate sinful actions ruled, these are now paused, thrown down, so that I now have the ability to reach for and act on the newly implanted desire to be obedient to Jesus—the holy high priest by whose blood I am freed from the wrath of God—my King. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/nGlPk7Vzy2M?si=AcFqTAOnui3rvBJg The Lord’s Prayer
 

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