"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. Matthew 5:3-15
It’s amazing what one can see in the beatitudes when you see these words from the perspective of what we inherit from adopting an Agape love of life. Not only are the beatitudes a deeper look into the different aspects of love but they include a demeanor by which to demonstrate God’s love for mankind that is established a Godly conduct towards your fellow man.
It is also easy to study the beatitudes and forget to keep these attitudes in context. What follows are two statements that don’t seem to apply but may be the essence of the beatitudes. For without these attitudes you would not be the salt or the light of the world. At th same time you are blessed in another way.
He replied, blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it Luke 11:28
Embracing the beatitudes makes you into a dispenser of the essence of light and salt and in implementing the beatitudes you display God’s glory to the world. By your behavior you become the light and salt of the world that openly sheds light on and seasons the world with truth.
Let’s remember that the world is corrupted with its evil desires for the things of this world, but your character and the way you conduct yourself sheds light on the truth the world suppresses by the manner the world treats one another.
When you consistently demonstrate the love of God you add an ingredient unknown in a world where God’s love for one another is not normally found. This makes you the salt of the earth which makes the Godly life attractive to those who don’t have Jesus.
In other words the practicing the beatitudes form the graffiti of your life which is sometimes known as the writings on the wall. Some may say all graffiti on buildings is an eyesore where others may say it is a work of art. The name it is called by is in the eye of the beholder but on the other hand your graffiti is seen by everyone who passes by. You will never know who sees your graffiti or how they are affected by it. Just as everyone has a different opinion about graffiti the outcome of how you live determines the spiritual questions and the manner people approach you with.
You are the light of the world that gives hope of glory to the world but at the same time you cannot allow the world to put your light out. In other words you must let your beliefs shine and not cloak your light to be accepted by the world. Your light must be out in the open where all will see by its light.
Let’s remember that as a Christian you are God’s servant and not the person that only says Lord, Lord on Sunday in the midst of Christians. If you allow Satan to gain foothold in your life it will be as if you placed a bowl over your flame so no one will see the light of Jesus Christ.
In the same way if you allow Satan to gain foothold the salt you have will turn to coal that lacks the desirability and ability to season the lives of others. Your salt is important because it is your witness to the world. What kind of witness do you have if you call yourself a Christian but live like the devil amongst the lost? Your salt or your passion for the Lord is the seasoning the world finds desirable as being in the Lord gives you peace and joy of the inner man.
The world doesn’t have these qualities but your peace and joy in the Lord presents a confident expression of hope to a people who are sure of where they will spend eternity. The world needs the assurance God gives to his chosen ones to understand we have the expectation and the guarantee of where we will spend our eternal life.
Regardless of what anyone says salt adds flavor to the taste buds in almost everything we eat. Within the grocery store it’s not unusual to see an entire row of items covered with salt in plain sight of carbonated drinks. You see the world flushes salt into their body without ever considering how it affects them. However the salt Christians is taken into the heart and mind of the world so they ask what is different about you?
The beatitudes are the salt and light of life designed for your life in a world that is lacking moral fortitude. The beatitudes cannot be bought or sold in stores but possess a demeanor that people find desirable, want and respect. What we find is the way to love one another that attracts the eye of the world and gives the world a desire to have the same attitude towards life.
Jesus explained it this way blessed are those who hear God’s word and obey it. Was Jesus telling us was the benefits from obeying God outweighed the consequences of rebelling against the Lord? We must consider that obeying God has rewards in this life too. Action speaks louder than words; the graffiti about your life is shown by the way you live. Behaving in a godly manner gives glory to God and is a persuasive way of proclaiming the gospel to a world perishing in their sin.
September 30, 2013
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