Our pursuits of righteousness, Godliness, and the establishment of the house of God should be driven by Heaven’s perspective. We often watch in dismay as society drifts off of Godly foundations and into an abyss of lawlessness and sinfulness. That’s to be expected. What’s not to be expected is the church drifting in a similar manner.
Christ died that we should have life more abundantly and influence the earth more deeply in order to leave a true and real Godly legacy. It is truly remarkable that Jesus lived at a time when the Jews, God’s own people, were under the oppressive Roman rule. Yet He did not attempt to overthrow Roman rule even though He had all authority, on earth AND in Heaven. He was trying to demonstrate something to us.
We desire to see justice in the earth and righteousness according to our own standards. Yet scripture calls us to suffer injustices in order to please God. I have recently been teaching on the beatitudes in Matthew 5 and I have found a deeper revelation on what it means to be blessed. Here is the list of those who Jesus regarded as “blessed”
Who is Blessed?
Those who are poor in spirit ….those who acknowledge their desperate need for God.
Those who mourn…are heart broken and in anguish over the sins and conditions of the world we live in.
Those who are meek…humble, lowly, and weak in the sight of an all powerful, all knowing, omnipotent God.
Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness…it is what we should desire to be and to see – righteousness exalting a nation since sin is a reproach (prov. 14:34).
Those who are merciful…’mercy triumphs over judgment’ (James 2:13) and we’re commanded to live justly yet love mercy (Micah 6:8)
Those who are pure in heart…it is the only way to be close to God and thereby to hear His voice and know His desires, in real time.
Those who are peacemakers…Jesus is after all the Prince of peace. There is no war in Heaven and all wars we engage in should have an intended Godly peaceful end.
Those who are persecuted for righteousness sake…our persecution glorifies God whereas worldly persecution only produces pain and suffering.
The Promises…True Blessings!
The attached promises are even more revealing. We see that God desires for us to do things that may not make sense in man’s eyes in order to achieve things that are pleasing to Him.
The poor in spirit are blessed because theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. What more can we desire?
Those who mourn will be comforted. They will see a future and a hope even in the middle of a lost and dying world.
The meek have the blessing most of the prosperity gospel tries to achieve…they will inherit the earth. We don’t have to wait for Heaven. We can rule and reign in the earth.
Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness SHALL be filled. We can only produce what’s in us. Scripture says that our mouths speak from the abundance of our hearts (Luke 6:45). When we are filled with righteousness, we can reproduce righteousness in our speech and conduct.
The merciful will be shown mercy. We expect mercy when we fail but sometimes offer no mercy to others. There are many examples in scripture – the parable of the ungrateful servant (Mat. 18: 21-35) and in the Lord’s prayer (Mat. 6:12).
The pure in heart, I believe, have the greatest blessing. Seeing God is like no other blessing. It ought to be the fulfillment of every believer’s deepest desire. Moses was desperate for this one thing. The pure in heart get what Moses desired.
The peacemakers get something we take for granted many times…they are called the sons of God. We could park here for ages and seriously consider why this is the case. Sons of God are those that promote the peace of God. The peace that surpasses ALL understanding.
And those who are persecuted for righteousness sake will likewise inherit the Kingdom of heaven.
Let’s shape the church to reflect that which Jesus died for and get the people of God to seek the biblical path to being blessed. Let us live a blessed life on earth, as it is in heaven and not just based on earthly standards. We are blessed if we seek to heal our society, suffer ridicule, face persecution, avoid the foolishness, seek righteousness, and promote peace.
Let us strive to be the BLESSED church Christ died for.
Nelson Masinde 