Blessed Are...

Commentary

Regardless of what a person may possess, without Jesus, a man is truly poor. But to be poor in spirit is to understand your wretched condition, to be humbled in the Lord, and understand your need for the Savior. However, it’s not a coincidence that the financially and materially poor more often cling to Jesus than those who have so much. Though a wealthy man can come to Jesus, those with major attachments to this world have a much harder time letting go of it.

Blessed indeed are those who understand that Christ is the only way, who realize their spiritual bankruptcy, and who know that they need the riches of Christ’s righteousness imputed upon them.

Jesus paid it all for you, and not only does He offer you and I His rich righteousness and salvation, He showers us with His blessings here and in eternity. We, once lost sinners, are now adopted children of the Most High, made into rightful co-heirs of His Kingdom with our Creator, Lord, King, Brother, Friend, and Savior, Jesus!

Commentary

Who are those who mourn? It’s often thought of as those who are mourning loss, which God will surely comfort us during those times. However, this type of mourning is regarding sin. It’s those who are suffering the remorse of sin through a repentant heart.

As a believer, you should notice that sinning becomes less and less enjoyable, and you may have been convicted by the Holy Spirit when you’ve stumbled too far, which can feel downright miserable. Understand, to mourn is to have a genuine sorrow for your sins, having a real sadness for the fact that you transgressed against the Lord.

Though I myself struggle with my sins, as you do too, God has given me a newfound repulsion to them, a deep sorrow when I do sin, and a desire to seek His forgiveness. Though I stumble, I do not like it one bit. If that doesn’t describe your Christian life, then it’s time you talk to God and ask Him to show you what is wrong.

Commentary

Humility was necessary when receiving God’s gift of faith and consequently salvation. Jesus said we must humble ourselves to that of a child to get into Heaven. Humility takes away pride and keeps us understanding who we are, sinners in need of a Savior.

It’s humility that drove Jesus, God in the flesh, to wash the feet of His disciples. And it’s humility which reminds us that we are not perfect, but always in need of God’s precious grace and mercy.

In your humbled condition, God can use you for great things, as you let go of your own understanding and walk according to His. Not only does God bless humility, but those around you will also be blessed by your humility.

When Jesus said the humble will inherit the earth, it’s not going to be earth the way it is now, but the eternal Kingdom that God brings. His restoration of the heavens and earth written about in Revelation 21.

Commentary

Are you hungry and thirsty for righteousness? As a follower of Christ, you should be. But this isn’t a righteousness that comes from yourself, as the Bible tells us that nobody is righteous, not even one.

There are certainly many who like to display self-righteousness, but it is not true righteousness and is certainly not from God. Through your faith in Christ, His righteousness is imputed upon you. Like an empty bank account now filled, Christ has filled your account full from His own righteousness.

As a Christ follower, you don’t need to “do do do” because Jesus has already “done”. Simply walk in His ways and make yourself available to Him, and He will do works of righteousness through you.

Commentary

Mercy is a powerful thing. God showed you and I amazing mercy in His giving of Jesus for the atonement of our sins. He could’ve said, “Forget it, everyone is going into the Lake of Fire.” But instead, He showed mercy so great, it’s hard to fully comprehend.

Because God has shown you such great mercy, it’s only right to show others mercy too. Maybe in traffic, maybe in a relationship, if someone sinned against you, showing mercy through forgiveness is one of the boldest and most Christ-like things you could ever do.

This world lacks mercy, and there is less and less of it as time goes on. But we can be like Jesus and show His mercy to those around us. Letting those in our lives see that there is a better way, the Only Way, and His name is Jesus.

Commentary

The word pure here comes with the idea of a cleansing, a newness, a washing away of sins, which is exactly what your faith in Jesus has brought to you.

Though you may walk carelessly at times and stumble into sin, your faithlessness does not negate God’s faithfulness. God will continue to purify your heart until the day He takes you home to Him.

It’s not “good“ people who go to Heaven, but those whom God has removed their heart of stone and replaced it with a heart of flesh for Him. Those are the ones whose hearts are truly pure. If your Savior is Jesus, then my friend, you will indeed see God!

Commentary

Peace is a wonderful thing. But many think it’s simply avoiding conflict or staying out of the way in order to keep the peace. But peace is not passive, and Jesus says blessed are those who MAKE PEACE, not just keep it.

Sometimes it takes conflict to make peace; other times peace can be extended through mercy and forgiveness. No matter the path, peacemaking is an active thing, something you have to work at.

However, the most important peacemaking comes in the sharing of Jesus with those around us. Because it’s Jesus who did the ultimate peacemaking with the Father by dying for our sins on the cross.

It doesn’t matter what differences or troubles you might have with someone; if both parties become believers in Jesus, then all of that can be washed away, and the peace of Jesus, which surpasses all understanding, will take over.

Commentary

Jesus basically says, those who seek to live a holy life for Him will find persecution at some point or another. It can be scary; people can be downright mean and hateful at times toward believers in Jesus, sometimes the worst offenders being those who profess to being Christians themselves.

When you start to strip away the false security they find in all the things of the world, by speaking and living in God’s Truth, they will become hostile and combative. This is their attempt to cling to any little piece they think can keep their false hope alive. Some will seek to rid you from their lives, cutting you off from all communication or, worse, harming you. In the worst cases, persecution can lead to torture or death. But understand, their hatred isn’t for you personally, but for Jesus. You’re the messenger whom they take it out on.

When you do face persecution, whether soft or extreme, lift up your head in joy, because it’s a badge of honor to be hated for your love of Jesus! As you decrease, the Holy Spirit increases, and what God can do in those difficult moments can mean all the difference between someone going to Heaven instead of Hell, all because you were faithful in doing what the Lord had placed on your heart.