Explain The Eight Beatitudes

Matthew 5:1-16 is the part of the Bible where Jesus laid out eight beatitudes. He shared these beatitudes in the Sermon in the Mount. These beatitudes are the values that those who are born again should exemplify. One example that Jesus proclaimed is that those who mourn are blessed. Those who are born again should feel the weight of their sins and mourn them. Being born again should cause us to see that we will find comfort while mourning our sins in Jesus, rather than living in oblivion. We cannot deny our sinful spirit because if we do we do not have a hope for salvation. Another beatitude says that those who are peacemakers, which would be the born again, must live out their faith. The born again have a message of peace and hope that can
be shared with others giving them the hope of salvation. In living out the born-again lifestyle, the eighth beatitude is just as important as all of the others.
Jesus said that those who are persecuted because of righteousness will be blessed as well. Jesus taught that those who are born again must take a stand for righteousness. If those who are born again take a stand for Jesus even through trials and persecution will receive the riches of our God’s blessings. Lastly, the fourth beatitude says those who are meek will be blessed. Those who display a born again heart will display humility as well as gratitude. Jesus is saying that those who have been regenerated, conversion to sanctification are born again and if they display their born again hearts through sanctification will receive God’s blessings. Sanctification is considered as the result of conversion. Sanctification displays that those who are born again are living according to God’s Word/will. It shows that those who are born again truly have a born again, renewed, and converted heart. If we are born again we will hate sin and desire God’s holiness and His
purification. Following the beatitudes, there is a passage in the Bible that sort of ties it all together. The focus of the passage is “salt and light.” The salt preserves, flavors and disinfects while the light shows the truth. The light is an aide in giving direction to those who are lost but are seeking to be found. I think that something we can all ask ourselves (those who are born again or seeking to be) is “How can I show that I am genuinely living for Christ?” How should others see Jesus Christ working in me and you? This passage illustrates that those who are found and set Jesus as their foundation and put it into work will receive God’s blessings. Matthew 5:17-48 tells us so much about how we should follow God’s law according to His will. It should be genuine and not something that shows God on the outside but does not match the inside. It should not make us look more righteous but how we live and use our means should reflect God living in us and match what we feel on the inside to how we live in the outside. God calls us to be wise and leave judgment in the past. Something that we learned in class is something that I had heard many times in church, but I had never really heard it with my mind open to what the passage really says. God’s Word clearly tells us to ask God to help us see the beam in our eye before looking at the silver in someone else’s. If we are living with a born-again heart, we will be genuine and see the weight of our sins and leave hypocrisy in the dust. We looked at how this relates to legalism through an assignment that shows what Jesus has said to believers. He said that we should ask God to guard our hearts against murderous actions and thoughts. Jesus calls us to seek others in a loving way and settle manners in a Christ-like way. He taught that we must not look at others lustfully and also calls us to turn the other cheek. Jesus says that if other want to take from us we should let them. In the end, we will have the greatest possession of all, Jesus. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus also taught that our audience for our lives should be Jesus. We must not live for anyone else. If we give it should be done in secret and not to promote ourselves. Materialism is a huge factor in our day to day live. If we are not born again we will keep on trying to see comfort in our belongings but if we are born again we will find our comfort in Christ. When living a born-again lifestyle
Christ wants me to make him the priority of my life as well as his truths. Because he has taught that if I do I will be gifted with the eternal treasure. Christ also wants me to live out my born-again lifestyle with focus. If I am born again I will not worry about the future and I will realize that I cannot live without Christ guiding my every step according to his will. I have seen that if I stray from God I will again be filled with a false hope that material good will determine my value and that I will have an immeasurable desire for more when God should be my fulfillment. This unit opened my eyes to how easy sin can overcome me by way of judgment.
As I wrote earlier I have seen that God is the only one who will help me see that I too am just as broken and in need of a savior just as much as everyone else. For me, it is easy to pick out flaws and “slivers in others eyes.” When in all reality I should pray that God will help me to see my flaws. I know that I need to ask God to guard my heart against false teaching and also prepare myself with the word of God so that I can defend my faith against those teachings. This leads me to the next topic. Those who are born again live repentantly. We need to ask, seek, and knock. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and yet He seeks those in the world where people do not seek him. We need to call on God for help. We as humans not created to do things on our own. For me, this is very helpful for me to relearn. The future for me and other high schoolers can be a scary thought. The passage of Matthew 7:7-12 teaches us that we must ask, seek, and knock. With the trust that God has a will for us and will prosper us. But, we must also be aware the God will not just give us everything we ask for. We must realize that God also does everything in His own
time. The key to being born again is our foundation. Our foundation must be built firmly on Christ. If our foundation is weak (in the world/sin) our faith will not stand strong in the battle of sin. I have learned that order to build a born again foundation I need to expose myself constantly to God’s truths if I want to continue growing in the light.But, I also know that once I have heard these truths I need to act on them and make them present in my life so that others might also have a hope for salvation. I need to continue to make my faith deep so that I am able to stand in the storm with Christ as my shield.