How
about slogans such as: "You deserve the best"; "If it feels
good, do it"; or "Do what comes naturally."? This world will tell you many lies; this is
why Jesus made such a big deal of truth.
One of the classic underlying premises of the world's lies today, is
that if something is natural, it must be good.
Think clearly for a moment. Does
natural give something a value of good or bad?
If everything natural is good, then why do we wear clothes? Am I not naturally a liar, and yet we
generally discourage lying. Sin is
described in scripture as our nature.
Peter tells us in 2 Peter 1, that God grants us a diving nature.
How
do thinking and Christianity relate?
Logic must lead us to truth; truth comes from God. If the Christian life were easy, everybody would
be doing it. Jesus describes a broad
path that leads to destruction and a narrow path that leads to heaven. Which are you taking?
The
5 most important numbers/concepts in math are: 0, 1, pi, e, and infinity. Zero
is the identity for addition; One is the identity for multiplication; Pi is a
beautiful eye-opener to the geometric world; Euler's number is the self-fulfilling
prophecy of derivation and integration; Infinity may not actually be a
transcendental number, but it transcends our understanding above all others.
The impressive thing about 1, however, is that it distinguishes truth from
fiction. There is 1 Lord, 1 baptism, 1 faith, 1 hope, ... Wednesday's passage
emphasizes the number 1 primarily discussing the unity of the body of
believers, but don't miss the importance also of reason. If there is one Lord,
then it is easily distinguishable between truth and lie. Either you are seeking
the one Lord, or you are not.
Week 3 – Blessed Attitudes
(Beatitudes) Part 2
How serious are you in your
relationship with God? Are you convicted
of sin? Are you struggling to be an
overcomer or a succumber (sucker)?
How do you view other people in
relation to yourself?
Are you aware of the spiritual
battle going on in your life? Do you
realize that worldly things are competing for your attention – distracting you
from becoming Christ-like?
Matthew 5:1-12 (NASB)
1 When Jesus saw the crowds, He
went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2
He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying, 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
This passage teaches us some key
characteristics that we should have in our daily lives. If we truly seek God's blessing on our lives, Jesus
tells us what character traits we should work on. "These Beatitudes, like Psalm 1,
do not show a man how to be saved, but rather describe the characteristics of
one who has been saved,"
(Liberty Bible Commentary, 1982, Vol 2, p 18).
Character
– attributes and features that make up and distinguish an individual.
Hypocrisy
– doing wrong when fewer people can see and thinking it's less wrong.Reputation – overall quality or character as seen by other people in general.
Reputations are built in a lifetime of strong character and destroyed in a moment weak hypocrisy.
Who are you?
Nine
Characteristics Found in Believers (5-9)
Merciful
"the merciful" – Jesus instructs us in Matthew
18:22, to forgive our brother as many times as he falls and repents. Christ is a demonstration of God's mercy and grace; it stands to
reason then, if we are to be like Christ (Christians), then we must also be
merciful. In Colossians 3:12-17, Paul
instructs us on how to live and practice mercy.
A person who lives with an attitude of mercy is constantly
ready to forgive others as Christ has forgiven us. "the pure in heart" – A pure heart is one that embodies all of the previous characteristics. One who is pure in heart understands the nature of the Law, is broken over his sinfulness, hungry to be more Godly, and forgiving of those around him. Psalm 24 states that to stand in God's presence requires clean hands and a pure heart. In 1 Timothy 1:3-7, Paul describes the purpose of his instruction is love from a pure heart. Believers live by sincere and pure motives not by selfish ambitions or agendas.
Peacemaker
"the peacemakers" – We are instructed to live in
peace with one another several times in the New Testament (Romans 12:18, 2
Corinthians 13:11, 1 Thessalonians 5:13).
The most important aspect of being a peacemaker is that you are
striving for the unity of the Spirit in the bond
of peace (Ephesians 4:1-6).
Persecuted
"those who have been persecuted
for the sake of righteousness" – As we are persecuted for
Christ's
sake, we are in good company. The
prophets were imprisoned and killed for speaking the truth before Jesus' time. Jesus was crucified, and there is a long list
of martyrs since His time. Jesus indicts
the Pharisees and Scribes for killing the prophets in Matthew 23:29-37. We
will be physically persecuted for Godly living. Jesus promises us 2 things: 1) "In this world, you will have trouble" and 2) "I am with you always. " (see John 16:33 and Matthew 28:20)
Insulted
"you when people insult you
and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me"
- In John 15:18-27, Jesus tells us that since the world hated Him, it
will hate us. Expect persecution from
the world. Don't believe the lying tongue that
tells you that the world will have favor on you. We will be psychologically, emotionally, and
socially insulted for Godly living.
Our reputations will be under attack and our lives will be
heavily scrutinized.
If the
Christian life were easy, everybody would be doing it. If you are always doing what comes naturally,
then you are living an unexamined life, controlled solely by nature
itself. The unexamined life
is not worth living.
Week 2 Daily Readings
Monday
Read Colossians 3:12-17. As we mature in Christ, we begin to display
some of the more difficult attributes of His nature. Mercy is one of the most difficult for many
of us. The entire passage is
comprehensive, but the key is found in verses 14 through 16. Are you putting on love and unity, and are
you allowing the peace of Christ to rule in your heart? Are you allowing the word of Christ to richly
dwell within you? You can only develop
an attitude of mercy, when you understand how much Christ has forgiven
you. How do you practice mercy on a
daily basis?
Tuesday
Read Psalm 24:1-6. This scripture states that a man who has
clean hands and a pure heart, etc. will receive “righteousness from the God of
his salvation.” Purity of heart is a
characteristic that all believers should possess. This entire study is geared toward
understanding who God is and emulating Him.
You get a pure heart by hungering and thirsting after God and His
righteousness. You must study God’s
nature, love Him deeply, and cherish His words.
How do you practice this?
Wednesday
Read Ephesians 4:1-6. This passage points out that the key
to living the Christian life is to live in unity with the believers. Unity does not mean agreeing on every decision,
it means seeing being willing to set aside my own desires and, in humility,
seeing another’s perspective. In order
to do so, you must be a peacemaker. There
is only one God; there is only one Author; one plan, one purpose. God’s design is the only authority for our
lives and for the universe as a whole. How
often do you find yourself in a dispute over things because you want something
your way? What attitude should you
have? What opportunities will you have
this week to work on this aspect of your character?
Thursday
Read Matthew 23:29-37. If nothing else, this passage clearly
indicates that being religious is not enough to be in good standing with
God. In fact, it could be that the very
opposite is true. The prophets were in
tune with God’s desires, but they were murdered by the religious leaders of
their day. If you are living a life that
is Christ-centered, you can be sure of persecution. What kinds of “persecution” do you suffer for
Christ?
Friday
Read John 15:18-27. Many false prophets today preach that the
world is going to bless you. Christ’s
words directly contradict this. Do you
live as though you are better than Christ by believing that the world is going
to bless you? Many people in our society
believe and act as if they are “entitled” to have certain things. Internet is not a basic necessity of
life. Do you believe that the government
should provide free internet to all people of the US? Do you believe that a cell phone, a car, a
job, food, clothing, etc. are promised to you?
There are really 2 promises that Christ made to His followers. 1) In this world you will have trouble and 2)
I am always with you. Evaluate your
life. Do you live as if you are the king
or queen of your life, or are you submissive to God’s plan? Are you willing to suffer insult or injury
for the name of Christ?
