As Jesus unfolds for us the treasured truths of God’s kingdom, we are learning what we should pray for and what God would do in us; that God would develop in us: a humble spirit, a willingness to enter into the sufferings of others and the divine strength of God to lead us in fulfilling the purposes of God, in contrast to the worldly desires that lead us in the ways of humanity away from God.
The next three blessings of the Beatitudes take us deeper in our walk with God. Jesus says those that live a life of blessing are no longer subject to the fate of this world, but hunger and thirst for righteousness. We will have an intense desire to know God and to stand before Him not in our sin, but in right standing with the eternal God.
Out of this, we will yearn to love and serve Him, to do what is right in His kingdom as opposed to what is right in the eyes of the world. Those who cultivate and live with this yearning to know God and to be like our Father in heaven will experience the fullness of His presence. This alone can satisfy the hunger and thirst God created us to know.
Unrighteousness and sin will rob us of this satisfaction. Only in Christ will we come to know the holiness and wonder and beauty that is the glory of God.
Jesus then reveals one of the great secrets of the universe, one of the great principles of life: We will reap what we sow. If we sow love, we will reap love. If we sow anger, we will reap anger. If we sow mercy, we will experience mercy.
God has shown us His mercy; this inspires us to grant mercy to others. We do not have to condemn and judge others, but will give them what they do not deserve: mercy. Our old nature desires to be superior to others and give them what they deserve. Our new nature seeks to imitate Jesus in all we do.
God has shown us a new way to live. We deserve judgment and condemnation, but in Christ we are given reconciliation and love with God. Our Father is a merciful God. As we stand before Him in righteousness, we can extend the same mercy to others in our relationships.
This hunger and thirst and understanding of mercy will produce in us pure hearts. To be pure is not only to be cleansed from all unrighteousness, but to be one within, undivided in our desire to love and serve God. As a flame cannot be divided, so our hearts will be afire with the Holy Spirit.
Jesus will later, in His teaching, point out to us the reason we do not live out His teachings. We are inwardly divided, trying to serve two masters. We were created to serve only one master, our Father in heaven. Our flesh wars against the Spirit of God in us, causing us to sin.
When we are one within ourselves, we know God’s peace. We see God in His creation and in our daily relationships. We have been given the spiritual eyes Paul prays for in Ephesians. Our eyes are open to a fresh vision for living. We can see as God sees life. We are able to walk the path of holiness and righteousness, as opposed to the world’s lusts for self-satisfaction.
All of this is ours through the blood of Jesus and the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit. As we build our lives on Jesus and His Word, the Spirit of God will protect us from being devastated and destroyed by the storms that assail us. In the end, we will stand mighty in the Lord. That is a blessed life.
God desires to bring out this divine potential in all of us. As Jesus promised Simon he would become Peter, the rock, to become more than he ever could become on his own, Jesus gives us the same promise in the Sermon on the Mount.
He did it in Peter’s life. He will do it in your life. Hunger and thirst for Him. Learn to be merciful. You will have a pure heart full of faith, hope and love. People will see Jesus in you. You will be a world changer for Jesus. {eoa}
Blake Lorenz was raised in the church but never knew Jesus Christ. He says his god was himself and sports. After he was released from the Chicago Cubs organization, he says his life fell to pieces. In this crisis, he cried out to Jesus and gave Him his life. He came into his room and he literally met Jesus Christ. He surrounded Blake with His love and told him to go into the world to call people to follow Him. Blake has been married 40 years to Beverly Brackman and has three grown children and seven grandchildren. God has blessed him to be a pastor and evangelist for 38 years in Central Florida and around the world. He just released a new novel called Greater Love, which can be purchased on Amazon. All proceeds go to our mission and evangelism ministries across the world.
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