Developing Our Character
Gary Minnick
Midland SDA Church
May 21, 2022
The Beatitudes - INTRODUCTION
1. As we begin to take a closer look at "The Sermon on The Mount," we notice first that section known as "The Beatitudes" - Mt 5:3-12
The word "beatitude" means "supreme blessedness or happiness “We find Jesus discussing the blessedness of those who possess certain qualities It is as though Jesus was answering two questions people might have been asking:
Who will be the citizens of "the kingdom of heaven"? What benefits do they receive? Scripture reading 2 Cor. 13:15 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? NIV
2. My treatment of this passage will be somewhat different than normal Most examine each beatitude in detail before going on to the next
3. In this message let’s consider "The Beatitudes" from the viewpoint of the question: "Who will be the citizens of the kingdom?" [In other words, what is the character required of the citizens of the kingdom?]
THEIR CHARACTER INVOLVES INTER-RELATED QUALITIES THEY WILL POSSESS ALL OF THESE GRACES... Only those who have all of the qualities described will truly be citizens of the kingdom
For it should be evident that some may be...
"Poor in spirit," but do not "hunger and thirst after righteousness"
"Mournful," but are not "pure in heart"
"Meek," but are not "peacemakers"
"Persecuted," but not "for righteousness' sake"
THESE GRACES ARE INTER-RELATED...
It takes all of these qualities, working in conjunction with one another
In this the passage is similar to 2Pe 1:5-11 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control 4perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither 5barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is short sighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things, you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
[How the qualities are inter-related becomes apparent as we consider that...THEIR CHARACTER INCLUDES these QUALITIES
THEY ARE "POOR IN SPIRIT"...."To be poor in spirit is to have a humble opinion of ourselves; to be sensible that we are sinners, and have no righteousness of our own; to be willing to be saved only by the rich grace and mercy of God"
Are we convicted of one's own spiritual poverty?
Exemplified by the tax collector in Lk 18:13 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ Do we recognize what God is saying? Are we sinless? We may think we aren’t, but not according to God’s word.
Rom. 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but there is good news. God does not leave us hopeless.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the [a]gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. And it’s free, no payments due. Can’t buy your salvation.
Such people God will accept into His good favor - Isa 57:15; For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
ISA,
66:1-2 Thus says
the Lord: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool.
Where is the house that you will build Me?
And where is the place of My rest? For all those things
My hand has made,
And all those things exist, “says the Lord. But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and
of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.
The opposite of "poor in spirit" would be "proud of heart," and those who are such are more like: The Pharisee in Lk 18:9-14
9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you; this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be [] humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
The Laodiceans in Rev. 3:17-19 What condition do we not want to be?
17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.[a] Therefore be [b]zealous and repent.
THEY "MOURN"...But do so in
a specific sense: over one's own spiritual poverty, one' sinfulness Like David
did after his adultery with Bathsheba - Ps 51:3-4 For I acknowledge my
transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.4 Against
You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil
in Your sight—That You may be found just when You speak.
We must exam our selves daily and if any way that we have sinned, then we must ask for forgiveness and help to stay on the right path. Scripture reading. 11 Cor. 13:15 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? NIV
Note the relationship between these first two characteristics Unless one is first "poor in spirit" They will not "mourn" over their spiritual poverty
THEY ARE "MEEK"...This means gentle, easy to be entreated They would rather suffer injury than inflict it
Not out of weakness, but out of humility, realizing one's own poverty of spirit, one's own sinfulness
A good example of meekness is Moses He was certainly not a weak or timid man - Exo 32:19-20; 19 So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So, Moses’ anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20 Then he took the calf which they had made, burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder; and he scattered it on the water and made the children of Israel drink it.
30-34 30 Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. So now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” 31 Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! 32 Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.”
33 And the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. 34 Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin.”
But when personally attacked, he was very humble - Num 12:1-3 Then Miriam and Aaron [a]spoke against Moses because of the [b]Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 2 So they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it. 3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.)
THEY "HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS"... They look for the righteousness which will meet: their spiritual poverty Their mourning over the same
To "hunger and thirst" suggests not a half-hearted search, but one exemplified by a humble spirit.
David in Ps 42:1-2; As the deer [b]pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God.
Paul in Phil. 3:7-15a7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ,
the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain[a] to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already attained,[b] or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have [c]apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.
THEY ARE "MERCIFUL"...
Loving towards those in misery (e.g., the "Good Samaritan")
Luke 10:25-37 New King James Version The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25 And behold, a certain [a]lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”
27 So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”
28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” 29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among [b]thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, [c]when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ 36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”
37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Possessing a forgiving spirit toward those who sin against them. As Jesus had toward those crucifying Him - Lk 23:3434 [a]Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
Later in this chapter, is teaching on prayer - Mt 6:14-15
Matt.18: 21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
THEY ARE "PURE IN HEART"... Defined as "singleness of heart, the honesty which has no hidden motive, no selfish interest, and is true and open in all things."
Refers to one who is sincere, honest, without
hypocrisy That such a quality is necessary to see God, see Ps 24:3-4 Who may ascend into
the hill of the Lord? Or
who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully.
Making effort to be at peace with all men - Ro 12:18-21 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Helping others to be at peace with God by proclaiming the gospel of peace - Rom 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, 1we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace din which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
"We are at peace with God and thus we ourselves are filled with sweet peace, we live in peace, if possible, with all men and work to keep and to make peace where peace is threatened or lost. This is the work of true Christians who follow in the footsteps of the Prince of Peace."
THEY ARE "PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS' SAKE"..."Who have allowed themselves to be persecuted, or have endured persecution" "The idea is that they did not flee from it but willingly submitted to it when it came to them."
All for Jesus' sake That such persecution would often afflict those who are citizens of the kingdom, see Phil. 1:29-30; ( For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,30 having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.)
Such are the characteristics of those who will be citizens of the kingdom of heaven:
They are poor in spirit (realizing their sinfulness)
Thus, they mourn (for their sins)
Thus, they are meek (gentle toward God and others)
Thus, they hunger and thirst for righteousness (which they desperately need)
Thus, they are merciful (for they know they need mercy)
Thus, they are pure in heart (seeking to please God with singleness of heart)
Thus, they are peacemakers (making peace with others, having found peace with God)
Thus, they are persecuted for the kingdom of heaven (misunderstood by the proud and arrogant who are still in their sins)
The Beatitudes, eight graces, all inter-related and working together to produce the right kind of character0
Such is the character of the citizens of the kingdom of heaven...
Is the kingdom of heaven worth whatever effort might be involved in developing this kind of character?
"What benefits do the citizens of the kingdom receive?" = eternal life with God.
But if you are poor in spirit, mourning for your sins, hungering for the righteousness that God provides only in Christ, what are you waiting for? As Ananias told Saul of Tarsus:
"And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16)