BY PASTOR MIKE SCHMALZ, APPLETON, WI.
MATT. 5:1-8

Many have traveled down the wrong path looking for happiness. Fooled by sin, their pursuit has led them to misery and problems. The beatitudes give us God’s path to true happiness and blessing. They reveal the type person that the Lord feels is blessed.

Blessed Means:
A deep abiding happiness, internal joy, real gladness and divine reward.

The key to God’s happiness is that this world can not affect it. This inner peace and joy is not produced by circumstances but comes through our relationship with Christ.

“Human happiness is dependent on chances and changes in life, something which life can give and life can take away? The Christian blessedness is completely untouchable and unassailable.” William Barclay

First – “BIessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Happy are they that acknowledge their spiritual poverty before God, for the doorway to heaven is open to them!

Second – “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”

Happy are they that cry out with sorrow unto the Lord, for he will comfort them!

Third – “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”

Happy are the gentle and humble, for they shall inherit the earth

Fourth – “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

Happy are they that strangly desire right things and a right relationship with the Lord, for they shall be satisfied.

Fifth – “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy:

Two keys in understanding the beatitudes:

1. The first four beatitudes line up with the last four.

When we are “poor in spirit” we realize that we are nothing but a beggar and we are quick to show mercy.

When we “mourn” over our sin, it always leads to purity of heart.

When we are “meek” we will become peacemakers.

When we “hunger and thirst for righteousness” we will be willing to be persecuted for righteousness sake.

2. The first four are inner attitudes and the last four are the things the attitudes manifest.

IMPORTANT TRUTH: Christianity is God working within us first to develop a nature that will lead to right things on the outside. (Matt. 23:24-28)

Righteousness on the inside will produce the fruit of right action on the outside. I Cor. 6:19-20,11 Cor. 7:1

Mercy – Is compassion that leads to action for people in need. Mercy is both feeling the need and doing what you can to help in the time of need.

Examples of mercy:

1. The merciful king and the unmerciful servant. Matt. 18-23-35
2. The good Samaritan. Luke 10-30-37
3. The faithful steward. Luke 13:42-47

Five ways we will see mercy in the Christian’s life:

1. Forgiving those that have hurt us.

Matt. 18:23-35 Luke 10:30-37 Luke 13:42-47

“Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34

* Story of Joseph and his brothers. Gen. 50

2. Compassion for people in need.

“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” Gal. 6:10

* Story of Abraham and Lot. Gen. 14

3. In our prayer life.

“Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not
faith. II Thes. 3:1-2

* Story of Stephen Acts 7:60

4. In our giving.

“Now concerning the collection for the saint* as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him,
that there be no gatherings when I come. I Cor. 16:1-2

Story of the early Christians

5. In our service to God with cheerfulness. Acts 2:44-47

“HE that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness”. Rom. 12:8

* Story of David and Saul. I Sam. 24

What an awesome truth – that when we show mercy, we are practicing one of the attributes of God. Mercy puts us into the place of God in somebody’s life.

Sixth – “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”

Insight into the “pure in heart”:

1. Heart refers to our ”inner most being”. The “master control” area of life.

Pr.4:23, Heb. 4:12, Ps. 19:14

* Every Christian must make up his mind that he wants his heart pure from the things of this world.

“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself.” Dan. 1:8

2. Purity refers to holy, clean, undefiled, cleansed from filth and iniquity.

“Be ye holy, for I am holy.”

3. Two steps to having a pure heart:

First – Be filled with God’s Holy Spirit (without God’s Spirit in your life there is no hope for purity.)

I Peter 1:10

“Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: I Peter 1 :22

Second – Allow God’s Spirit to lead you into a life of purity.

“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, /et us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. II Cor. 7:1

“Keep thyself pure” I Tim. 5:22

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hand* ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. James 4:7-8

4. God’s church will help to keep us pure in this perverted world!

“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. James 1:27

“That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Eph. 5:27

5. God’s promise to the pure in heart – they shall see God!

* This is two fold:

First – When you live a pure, holy life, you will see God in your everyday existence. You comprehend him, you realize he is always with you, you see him in the circumstances of life.

“By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. Heb. 11:27

Second – When we are in heaven (because of the purity of our life) we will see God.

“When he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” I John 3:2-3

IMPORTANT TRUTH:
Jesus is the image of the invisible God (Col. 1: 15). In heaven there is one throne and one sits on it (Rev. 4:1-2). In heaven we will see God through Jesus Christ, for in Christ dwells the fullness of the
Godhead bodily. (Col. 2:9)

THE ABOVE MATERIAL WAS PUBLISHED BY PASTOR MIKE SCHMALZ. THIS MATERIAL IS COPYRIGHTED AND MAY BE USED FOR STUDY & RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY.