Blessed When We Love God

Jesus proclaimed, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Today, the kingdom has come and is here. And today, like then, Jesus calls us to follow him. Then and now, people ask, “How do we enter the kingdom of heaven? How do we live the kingdom life as kingdom people?”

So Jesus taught the Sermon on the Mount, a beautifully crafted sermon united, integrated and focused on the central theme of the kingdom of heaven and living the kingdom life. He begins this sermon with the beatitudes or blessings. These blessings give a summary of the character qualities and the standards of conduct for kingdom citizens. I like to call these the habits of the heart. All our behavior, actions and words flow out of what is in our hearts. These are the heart habits we must have and practice to enter the kingdom and to live the kingdom life. In the rest of the sermon Jesus expands on these qualities and describes how the kingdom life, that flows out of a kingdom heart looks like.

1.  Blessed are … God blesses

There are eight blessings. The first half of each blessing describes the quality or behavior, action, that is the condition or cause for the blessing. These are the responsibilities, the heart habits. The second half describes the blessing, the privileges of kingdom people. The first four blessings deal with our relationship with God. God blesses us when we love God. The second four deal with our relationship with our fellow human beings. God blesses us when we love others. Today we look at the first four. Next Sunday we will look at the next four.

Blessed are .… These blessings come from God. God blesses us.

Blessing is not wealth and health, not material or physical prosperity. Blessing is not happiness in the worldly sense of happiness. Blessing is much more than happiness. We are blessed because we have experienced the salvation of God’s kingdom. In Jesus Christ we have been made right with God. The blood of Christ washed us clean, made us holy. God looks upon us, smiles, approves us, and blesses us. He gives us the kingdom of heaven. We are comforted. We inherit the earth. We are satisfied. We receive mercy. We see God. We are children of God. In the midst of persecution and suffering we rejoice and are glad because we know the great reward that is waiting for us in heaven. 

Blessing is the inexpressible and glorious joy we have because we are experiencing the new life, the kingdom life already now. We enjoy the first fruits already now, and one day we will enjoy the full harvest, the kingdom in its full glory. 

2.  The Poor in Spirit

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

In the Bible the poor are not only those who are financially poor, but also those who are oppressed, marginalized, and in bondage. This could be economic, social, cultural, political or spiritual bondage. They are helpless. God is their only hope and help.

The poor in spirit are those who realize and acknowledge that God is their only hope. The poor in spirit are those who have come to the end of their rope, to the end of themselves. Only God can save them. To be poor in spirit is to acknowledge our spiritual poverty before God. To acknowledge that we are sinners, that we are under the wrath of God, that we deserve God’s judgment. We can do nothing to save ourselves. We have nothing with which to buy our place in the kingdom of heaven. We have nothing to offer, except to fall down before God, to pray and cry out like the tax collector: “God, have mercy on me a sinner.”

To be poor in spirit is to believe in Jesus Christ as our only Lord and Savior. God gives his kingdom to the poor in spirit. For us this is a completely free gift of amazing grace because Jesus paid the price to make this gift possible. We receive this gift in faith with the humility of little children. 

But this habit of the heart goes against the ways and values of the world. The world prides itself in selfishness and self-sufficiency. The world’s blessings read something like this, “Blessed is the man who looks out for himself.” “Blessed is the man who is always right.” “Blessed is the man who is strong.” “Blessed is the man who rules.” “Blessed is the man who always win.” “Blessed is the man who is rich.” “Blessed is the man who is popular.”

How is your heart? Are you poor in the spirit? Can you say, “Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling; Naked, come to Thee for dress, Helpless, look to Thee for grace; Foul, I to the fountain fly; Wash me, Savior, or I die.” (Augustus M. Toplady, 1740-1778) Is this your heart’s cry? Without this faith, heart attitude, we cannot enter the kingdom.

3.  Those Who Mourn

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

To mourn is the sorrow of repentance. Are we weeping, grieving, over the sin in our lives? Are we mourning over its devastating effects in our lives? Are we confronting the sin in our own lives? We must stop rationalizing, justifying, and making excuses for sin. We must call sin “sin” in our lives. Then we will grieve, mourn and wail (Jam. 4:9). Paul wrote,  “your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done” (2 Co 7:9-11).

Are we mourning, weeping, over the sin around us, in the church and in the world? Have we become tolerant of sin because we are afraid to offend, hurt, or insult others? Have we become silent or selective about sin, speaking out against sin, reprimanding others about sin, only when it suits us or is convenient for us? Are we taking sin seriously? Are we mourning, weeping in repentance for the sin in our own lives and in the world?

Jesus Christ came “to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve … , to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” (Is 61:2-3) In Jesus Christ we have complete forgiveness for our sins and we are free from guilt. When we mourn, repent with true sorrow, God is “faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jo 1:9) That is our comfort. 

Jesus sent the Holy Spirit as our Comforter. Through the Holy Spirit we are born again, have new lives, and are able to live the kingdom life. He is our comfort here and now. And one day, when the kingdom is fulfilled, there will be no more sin in the new creation, no more mourning, and God himself will wipe away every tear from our eyes (Rev. 7:17).

Are you mourning? When we are not sorry for our sins, mourning over our sins, we cannot be forgiven. “Without poverty of spirit no one enters the kingdom of God. Without a sorrowing heart that grieves over sin, no one receives the comfort of forgiveness and salvation.” (Hughes)

4. The Meek

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”

Poverty in spirit and mourning create in us a gentle and humble heart. To be meek is to have a true view of ourselves. We are sinners who deserve death. Yet, God loves us. God forgives us. God saves us. God blesses us. Amazing grace. Therefore, we trust in God. We surrender ourselves over to God’s sovereign power and rule control over our lives. Out of reverence for Christ and in humility we submit to God and others and allow them to speak truth into our lives. 

The world likes the “John Waynes” and Avengers — the self-sufficient, the overbearing, the aggressive, the ambitious, the strong. But meekness is not weakness. To die to self, to give up everything to follow Christ, to renounce all our own rights and to live for the sake of Jesus Christ, that takes courage, strength and self-control. That strength comes from the Holy Spirit. Gentleness, humility, and self-control are the fruit of the Spirit, and as we walk in step with the Holy Spirit, these become possible, real, and powerful in our lives. Jesus is gentle and humble in heart. We learn from him and become meek when we abide in Christ and allow his gentle spirit to fill and change us. 

We have experienced God’s love and grace. We trust in God. When people do evil against us, we do not retaliate but extend love, mercy, and forgiveness. When insulted we hold our peace. When treated with violence, we endure it patiently. When persecuted, we rejoice and jump for joy. (Lk 6:23)

And even though we do not belong to the world, we will inherit the earth, already now. We know who is Lord. We look and see the world through the eyes of Jesus Christ. He is the Creator and Lord of it all. We look out for and care for his earth. And one day in the new creation we will rule with him. 

5.  Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness 

And that brings us to the next habit of the heart. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

We are what we eat. What are we feeding our hearts? If we fill our hearts with hate, outrage, anger, violence, excitement, sensuality, greed, materialism, that is what we will become and how we will live. No, kingdom citizens hunger and thirst for righteousness. We desire, we crave to do God’s will. That’s why we pray, “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Mt 6:10).

In Jesus Christ we have been reconciled with God, made holy. Now we have a passionate desire to live in the right relationship with God. We want to do what is right, to practice righteous living, to live according to God’s will. We desire to obey our Lord. We desire to become like Christ.

As kingdom citizens we want to see the love, justice, peace and righteousness of the kingdom in all areas of life. Therefore we desire, work, strive for social, economic, and political righteousness in this world. 

And when we obey and live holy lives according to God’s will we experience satisfaction. When we do the right things for God, we experience holiness, righteousness. We are satisfied and filled with incredible joy and amazing peace. Just imagine this—if everyone lives according to God’s will—Heaven on earth! Perfect peace, love, joy, no pain, no sin, no mourning. That is the kingdom of God, that is the new creation where we will be fully satisfied because we will be in his glorious presence for ever. 

Poor in spirit—believe, turn our hearts to God in faith. Mourn—repent, our hearts should weep over sin. Be meek—in humility submit our hearts to the Lord and trust in god. Hunger and thirst for righteousness—desire with our whole heart to do God’s will, obey the Lord. These are the habits of the heart that we must have and develop continually, to enter the kingdom and to live the kingdom life. With these habits of the heart we love God, live for God, and God blesses us.

They are possible because the power of the Holy Spirit enables us. Not we, but Christ living in us. How is your heart? Are you hungering and thirsting for God and his kingdom? Then come to Jesus the Bread of Life, and the Living Water. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (Jo 6:35)