Words for The Wise, Living a Life without Limits

Living a Life without Limits.

 

I’m going to ask you to think about this question and I would like you to pray about your answer and see what God will speak to you about? The question is what is limiting and/or restricting your life reaching its full God ordained and significant potential?

Seriously what is holding you back?, is it circumstances, disappointment, previous or existing rejection, the fear of rejection, fear of failure, or are you just scared etc., etc., this list could be almost endless but hey I can’t ask you what is holding your back only you can ask yourself that question?, I would like to clarify that God’s morals and ethics aren’t what is holding you because they aren’t negotiable

In some ways it’s the easiest thing to do, sitting either reminiscing about what has happened in the past or even day dreaming of what could happen in the future, but in both cases we’re letting life was all its fulfilment pass us by because we’re too busy reminiscing about the past or day dreaming about the future, yesterday isn’t today and today isn’t tomorrow!

Earlier today, I had an email but unlike every email I’ve had today, this was prophetic, yet it wasn’t from a prophet or any other church leader, it was a job advert, to look at the email initially it looked boring and I didn’t pay it much attention, however when I took another look at, and thought’s it’s only an advert from the Royal Navy but the title caught my attention, “ Live a Life without Limits”, this title caught my attention and lead to chain of thought and I asked myself this question if serving in the Royal Navy is  Living a Life without Limits, how much more then should the Christian Life be Living a Life without Limits ?

In some ways we’ve contained ourselves by our present circumstances and situations we hold onto things than aren’t relevant or helpful or indeed beneficial  for us to do any longer, whatever that may be, instead of life in glorious hd we’ve settled for a monochrome lifestyle, a life devolved of power, passion, praise and purpose because of what happened in our past we try to find fulfilment in our yesterday when we need to find that fulfilment in today and we hope and pray for our better tomorrow however that tomorrow is actually today.  We become seemingly paralysed by the fear of failure and indecision, too afraid to make a move in case we make a mistake! If this sounds familiar stop for moment, pray and ask the Lord to show you what you do? however I’m going to give you a clue in  involves movement on your part !

Life was never meant to be dull and dusty, predictable and pain free, however we like the safety net of predictably, comfort and familiarity!  It’s time to live our Lives without our self-imposed Limitations.

It says in Ephesians 3:20-21 ESV

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about what does it mean to be a Christian Believer or Disciple in 2014/2015, and for an example is it any different from being a Believer a hundred years ago?, The world and society have changed a great deal in the last 100 years, the World has seen two World Wars, we have seen the rise and fall of political, economic & social systems,  we've seen an increase of the advance of technology and we’re reaping in many ways both the benefits and disadvantages of that technology!

We face both challenges and opportunities, persecution and praises, but then did the Church of the 1st Century AD, the Christian Life was never meant to be boring, predictable and dull.  Our Lord Jesus says in John 10:10b “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly”

I give my life to Jesus in 1981, and have been a Jesus Follower or Disciple since then, my background is Welsh Pentecostal, and I was part of a great Christian Fellowship called The Apostolic Church (Apostolic not as in Oneness Gospel, They’re Trinitarian) for the early part of my Christian Walk, and in many ways Welsh Pentecostalism is closely related to the Welsh Chapel or Non-Conformist Culture, although in some ways has strong Evangelical roots.  I’m not criticising or condemning that Culture, I grew up in it and it’s my history. However for most of the last 20 years I've been part of Restoration/New Church/House Church stream or  movement and have recently after much prayer and waiting on the Lord ,  I have returned to my Pentecostal roots because I’ve seen something in the Pentecostal movement that has re-ignited my heart for the Church and it’s mission.

In many ways, History can be positive, negative or neutral. All of us have a History that includes a combination of various factors including good, bad and neither good or bad, we’ve all made mistakes and errors, but there have been times when we’ve done things well and are proud of what we’ve done and there times we regret, or are ashamed or embarrassed/disappointed about, we’ve all disappointed and hurt others and we’ve all been disappointed and hurt by others, sometimes unintentionally and if we’re honest intentionally too! It’s time to forgive ourselves and forgive others, for many of us unforgiveness is holding us back!

Matthew 6:14-15

 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Colossians 3:12-17

12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

1 John 1:5-10

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practise the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Many of us need to break free of our History, or the version of our History we believe or the version of our History that others have told us,  our history has little bearing or relevance to our present or a future,  our present and future isn't a  or no longer a case  of history repeating itself and its time to realise that for ourselves both on an individual or collective basis, our history isn’t our present or indeed our future, for too long we’ve lived in the present and looked to our  future and they for various reasons have become a continuation of our history,  today it’s time to stop and break that cycle.

We can no longer live in our history, wishing tomorrow, tomorrow I love you tomorrow, which is our present and future, then continue to live today as if was yesterday or indeed expect tomorrow to be like our yesterday, we can't travel back in time to change our yesterday, we can only live for today and pray, plan and prepare for tomorrow!

Can you imagine that  you live in a rickety old house that is falling down all around you, and there cobwebs and dust everywhere, there are no modern conveniences like running water or electricity, but you like it because it’s familiar and in way it feels safe and comfortable, suddenly there is knock on your front door and Jesus is standing there, and he asks you why are you living in your old house that doesn’t suit you when he has a better house for you, and just behind Jesus, you see a fantastic house,  your heart says wow, but your head says no, and you say thank you, Lord but I like my house and you close the door on Jesus,  you go and sit on your broken chair, and think I like my house it’s familiar then there is another knock on your door, and Jesus is standing there again, and again he shows the new house, and you think to yourself, I will visit this new house, and you walk inside and it just blows you away,  it’s your dream house, but you keep looking back at your old house,  and say you to yourself,  this new house is fantastic but my old house is familiar and go thank you Lord for showing me this new house but I still rather live in my old house, and close the door of the new house behind you, thinking this new house is too good for me and I don’t deserve it, you go back to your old house and you sit there and the rain comes and wind blows, and you think to yourself I can patch up this old house it wouldn’t be as nice as the new house, but it would be better than before, then there is another knock on your door and your answer it and it’s Jesus again, and you tell him your plans for your old house and he smiles and says to you, why continue to live in this old house when I’ve given this new house which is better for you and you do deserve it because I’ve forgiven you and because you’re in me and I’m in you. Then  you  suddenly find yourself   walking towards the new house, you start to get excited and start running towards it, and you say to yourself, it’s mine.  You sit in your new house on a comfortable sofa and Jesus is there with you, and you get up and to say thank you, you make Jesus a cup of tea, and through the kitchen window you see your old house and think to yourself why did I live there so long! When I could have lived here instead.

The old house is your history, and when Jesus shows us our new house which is our present and future, but because of we’re familiar with our history and because of our history we feel we don’t deserve our possible present and future, so we decide to patch up our history, but Jesus has better plans for us than to patch up our past he has a far better present and future that we think we deserve because of our history!

It says in Isaiah 43:18-19

“Remember not the former things,

    nor consider the things of old.

19 Behold, I am doing a new thing;

    now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

It also says in Jeremiah 29:11-14a

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare[b] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord

Yours because of His Grace and Mercy

Words for the Wise, The Lord's Prayer, The Importance of Prayer, Matthew 6 New American Standard Bible

Matthew 6 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Giving to the Poor and Prayer

6 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

2 “So when you [a]give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3 But when you [b]give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your [c]giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners [d]so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

9 “Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father who is in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

10 ‘Your kingdom come.

Your will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

11 ‘Give us this day [e]our daily bread.

12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from [f]evil. [g][For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]

14 For if you forgive [h]others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive [i]others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

Fasting; The True Treasure; Wealth (Mammon)

16 “Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they [j]neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face 18 so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is [k]clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is [l]bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and [m]wealth.

The Cure for Anxiety

25 “For this reason I say to you, [n]do not be worried about your [o]life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the [p]air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And who of you by being worried can add a single [q]hour to his [r]life? 28 And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But [s]seek first [t]His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be [u]added to you.

34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will [v]care for itself. [w]Each day has enough trouble of its own.

The Bible Panorama

Matthew 6

V 1–18: SECRECY Secrecy in giving (verses 1 to 4), praying (verses 5 to 8), and fasting (verses 16 to 18) is taught by Jesus. It is in this context that the pattern of the Lord’s Prayer (verses 9 to 15) is given. This contrasts with the hypocrisy of men, which is encountered in this chapter.

V 19–23: SIMPLICITY Our attitude to wealth should be such that we are not seeking to live to gain money. Our heart is where our treasure is, and that should be in spiritual things. We also need simplicity to look honestly at the darkness inside us and have it dealt with by the Light of the world.

 V 24: SINGULARITY The Christian must be single-minded in serving God and not ‘mammon’. Mammon stands for being dominated by money and materialistic considerations.

 V 25–34: SERENITY Nature tells us that God cares even for birds and flowers. Those with a special relationship with God should not worry, therefore, about provision of needs, now or in the future, but seek to please God first by seeking as a priority His kingdom and His righteousness. (This is not to encourage laziness but to underline the need for faith and trust.)

NIV Application Commentary

The proper priority (6:33). Jesus’ reasoning culminates in the famous directive, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.” This climactic admonition draws the listeners back to the key verse of the sermon, where Jesus declared, “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” (5:20). The use of the imperative “seek” does not mean to look for something not present, for Jesus has already announced the arrival of the kingdom. In this context it means that his disciples are to make the kingdom of heaven the center of their continual, daily priorities. They have already entered the kingdom of heaven and are to live with that reality, drawing on God’s ordering of their daily lives. In doing so they will “seek … his righteousness.”

The conjunction of righteousness and the kingdom maintains a special theme in the SM (5:6, 10, 20; 6:1). It does not mean to pursue salvation, because the disciples’ entrance to the kingdom secured them that kind of “imputed” righteousness (5:20). It means that they are to pursue their experiential growth of “imparted” righteousness, which is to pursue the increasing perfection of the Father (5:48) through their practice of “acts of righteousness” (6:1). The theological articulation of these themes becomes a major focus of the early church, especially Paul. But their foundation is laid in Jesus’ teaching here. When his disciples pursue God’s kingdom and his righteousness in their daily priorities and activities, they will have all of their needs met by their ever-caring, ever-watching heavenly Father—“and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Eliminating worry (6:34). Having given the climactic imperative to guide every area of the disciples’ lives, Jesus returns to the specific issue—worry about God’s daily care for their needs. If God’s ordering of the disciples’ lives includes his provision for all of their daily needs, “therefore” one certainly should not worry about tomorrow. Learned reliance on God’s care for present needs will cause his disciples to develop trust in him for their future needs. The two expressions in this verse, “for tomorrow will worry about itself” and “each day has enough trouble of its own,” reiterate the same basic truth. All the worry in the world today can do nothing about the cares and problems of tomorrow. As disciples learn to let God care for them today, 

When the firing stopped, The Christmas Truce: The Story of Karl and Arthur.

It’s Christmas Eve  1915 and in small village in Alsace,  Germany,  Karl looks at the photo’s placed above the open hearth,  and sees a photo of 4 young friends smiling as they go off to War,  Karl looks at the photo and sees himself, and his 3 boyhood friends,  Bernhard,  Dieter and Konrad and he remembers they are no longer there,  they lay dead and discarded in an open grave on a forgotten battlefield,  he looks at the next photo and sees his wife Lilli and their two young children,  Johann and Agatha he looks at the last photo of him and his English friend Arthur and remembers their friendship formed on a makeshift football field in the middle of a mud filled battlefield as the soldiers of grey and khaki put aside their differences and shared cigarettes and chocolates and forged a peace in a time of war.

Silent Night in German,  "Stille Nacht"

Lilli passes him his guitar and he starts to sing Silent Night , Holy Night and then he tells his wife and children  the story of how a year ago,  that the soldiers of khaki and grey laid aside their arms of war,  and made peace instead of war and has the fighting stopped along the trenches then the Generals and Politicians came to their senses and  had realised their follies and decided to end their terrible war and finally the sounds of peace could be heard once more across many lands and the soldiers of khaki and grey came home to their families.

 He then picks up his guitar once more and teaches his wife and children,  the carol his English Friend,  Arthur  had taught him,  While Shepherds watched their Flocks,and as he sings he hears the sound of thunder, and has he sighs,  a hand touches his shoulder, he says “ Lilli”  and hears a sound of laughter.

 He hears the orders of the officers and sergeants as they tell him and the others to get ready and advance because it’s time to attack the English Enemy, they tell them the artillery have dislodged the tommies and they are  now defeated,  as he rises up, and walks across the forgotten football field,  and wonders to himself  when he will join his fallen friends, and thinks he sees his English Friend, Arthur, he is sure that this friend has died or is injured in the tommies’ trenches, he hears the sound of rifle fire, and feels an immense terrible pain and sees his jacket of grey suddenly changes colour to red, and he falls and lays  like a discarded and broken toy of the god of war,  and has he dies,  his last word is “Lilli”

Arthur looks across the crater filled and shattered former football field, and sees the advancing men of grey and he turns to his boyhood friends, Albert, George and Harry and he sees that they lay dead and dying on the wet and muddy ground,  and has the hun artillery finished their seemingly unending barrage they fell where they stood,  he steps up to the firing step and makes his stand , he steadies himself and takes aim and has he fires and sees the soldiers of grey as they fall one by one,  and inspired by his courage His brothers in arms,  fellow men of khaki fire into the thinning ranks of grey, and when the firing stopped Arthur looks out to the blood soaked former football field and wonders if his German Friend, Karl is among the fallen, he knows he has had revenged his boyhood friend’s too soon deaths, and that the enemy advance has been halted for at least for another day.

The Victoria Cross,   "The Cross of Bronze with a Crimson Ribbon, from  this story. "

It’s Christmas Eve, 1964, and in quiet village in Devon, England, Arthur sits in front of an open fire, and he readies himself and his wife Lilly asks him if he is ready,  he sees some old photos that hold so many memories ,  of four young boyhood friends, who are smiling as they go off to war, Arthur, Albert, George and Harry,  he looks at the next photo and sees his wife Lilly and their children John and Agatha and he looks at the next photo of a soldier of grey and a soldier of khaki, shaking hands and smiling as they share  chocolates and cigarettes after a special game of football,  Lilly passes  him an unopened box and asked him if he is wearing his medals , he opens the box and stares at those medals,  so many memories and so much pain, his hand shakes as he sees a cross of bronze with a crimson ribbon, Lilly steads his hand with her hand,  and she tells them their grandson is ready to take him to tell the story of the Christmas Truce to their friends at Church  and has he leaves that night,  he hears Silent Night,  Holy Night playing on the radio,  as they drive to Church, he asks his grandson to stop as they pass by the war memorial,  and he gets out of the car,  he stands for a moment and silently salutes his fallen friends,  as he sees their names,  Albert , George and Harry he remembers their smiling faces as they went off to war and last but not least he remembers his fallen German friend Karl.

Arthur feeling his advanced years, is helped by grandson Carl, and has he enters the Church he has lead for so many years, they congregation start to sing While Shepherds watched their Flocks by Night,  when the singing stops,  he stands and tells his friends,  The story of the Christmas Truce, and he continues to tell the story of Arthur and Lilly and their family, he looks at the cross of bronze with the crimson ribbon pinned on his chest by his wonderful wife Lilly, and tells the story of his Beloved Saviour who came as a baby and paid the price and who died a terrible, agonizing death to set  man  free and forgiven from the power of Sin.

While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks

The Pipes of Peace, Paul McCartney

Military Voices 1914 The Carol of Christmas

Words for the Wise, The Beatitudes Matthew 5 New International Version

Matthew 5 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes

He said:

3 ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit,

    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn,

    for they will be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek,

    for they will inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

    for they will be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful,

    for they will be shown mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart,

    for they will see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers,

    for they will be called children of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 ‘Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt and light

13 ‘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 underfoot.

14 ‘You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 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. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

The fulfilment of the law

17 ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practises and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Murder

21 ‘You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, “You shall not murder,[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.” 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister[b][c] will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, “Raca,”[d] is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, “You fool!” will be in danger of the fire of hell.

23 ‘Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

25 ‘Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

Adultery

27 ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.”[e] 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Divorce

31 ‘It has been said, “Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.”[f] 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Oaths

33 ‘Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, “Do not break your oath, but fulfil to the Lord the oaths you have made.” 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply “Yes,” or “No”; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.[g]

Eye for eye

38 ‘You have heard that it was said, “Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.”[h] 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Love for enemies

43 ‘You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbour[i] and hate your enemy.” 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

The Bible Panorama

Matthew 5

V 1–12: DESCRIPTION The progressive blessings of a heart in fellowship with God are reflected in the inner qualities shown in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. These ‘blessed’ sayings are known as the Beatitudes.

V 13–16: DIFFERENCE The Christian should be to the world what salt is to food and what light is to darkness—much needed and distinctively different.

V 17–20: DESTRUCTION The whole of God’s Word, in the smallest detail, will endure after the destruction of the heavens and the earth as we know them. God’s law is our guide to entering the kingdom of heaven. The righteousness of mere religious observance, like that of the Pharisees, cannot give entry to it.

 V 21–26: DANGER Those whose sinful and unrepentant hearts reveal their anger and hatred for others, even for those who are close enough to be brothers, are in grave danger of judgement and hell. Bringing a gift to God is no substitute. Repentance will produce a desire to be reconciled to the person offended. Judgement is the only alternative to repentance.

 V 27–30: DRASTIC In our personal fight against sin, drastic action is called for, emphasised here through striking illustrations. This involves self-denial, and recognising that, in the eyes of God, hatred and anger in the heart count as murder, and lust counts as adultery.

 V 31–32: DIVORCE Jesus teaches the permanence of the marriage bond, which He teaches can only be broken in the case of marital unfaithfulness.

 V 33–37: DIRECTNESS Our language and conduct must be such that we need not invoke oaths to make people believe we are telling the truth.

 V 38–48: DOING A Christian must always do good to others, even when he can insist on an enforceable legal right and even when enemies oppose him. His generosity will evidence his desire to follow God’s directions, as far as possible. His perfect heavenly Father is his standard.

Dictionary of Bible Themes

1620 beatitudes, the

The blessings pronounced by Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount on those whose lives exhibit particular characteristics or qualities. These contrast sharply with popular values and outlooks.

The poor in spirit

Mt 5:3 pp Lk 6:20 See also Ps 69:32-33; Isa 61:1; Mt 23:12; Lk 18:9-14

Those who mourn

Mt 5:4 pp Lk 6:21 See also Ps 51:17; Isa 57:18-21; Isa 61:1-3; Jer 31:13; Rev 7:17; Rev 21:4

The meek

Mt 5:5 See also Ps 37:11; Zep 3:11-12; Mt 11:29

Those who hunger after righteousness

Mt 5:6 pp Lk 6:21 See also Isa 55:1-2; Mt 6:33; 2Ti 2:22; 1Pe 3:12

The merciful

Mt 5:7 See also Ex 34:6-7; Da 9:9; Mt 6:12 pp Lk 11:4; Mt 6:14-15; Mt 18:21-35; Lk 6:36; Jas 2:13

The pure in heart

Mt 5:8 See also Ps 24:3-5; Ps 51:10; Ps 73:1; 1Jn 3:2-3

The peacemakers

Mt 5:9 See also Ps 34:14; Mt 5:44-45; Ro 12:18; Ro 14:19; 2Ti 2:22; Jas 3:17-18

The righteous who suffer persecution

Mt 5:10-12 pp Lk 6:22 See also Jn 15:18-21; 2Ti 3:10-12; Jas 1:12; 1Pe 3:14,17; 1Pe 4:12-16

Question: What are the Beatitudes?

A Study of the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount

The beatitudes come from the opening verses of the famous Sermon on the Mount delivered by Jesus and recorded in Matthew 5:3-12. Here Jesus states several blessings, each beginning with the phrase, "Blessed are ..." (Similar declarations appear in Jesus' Sermon on the Plain in Luke 6:20-23.) Each saying speaks of a blessing or "divine favor" bestowed upon a person resulting from the possession of a certain character quality.

Answer:

The word "beatitude" comes from the Latin beatitudo, meaning "blessedness." The phrase "blessed are" in each of the beatitudes implies a current state of happiness or well-being. The expression held powerful meaning of "divine joy and perfect happiness" to the people of the day. In other words, Jesus was saying "divinely happy and fortunate are" those who possess these inward qualities. While speaking of a current "blessedness," each pronouncement also promises a future reward.

 Am I Blessed Like This?

Blessed are . . . —Matthew 5:3-11

When we first read the statements of Jesus, they seem wonderfully simple and unstartling, and they sink unnoticed into our subconscious minds. For instance, the Beatitudes initially seem to be merely soothing and beautiful precepts for overly spiritual and seemingly useless people, but of very little practical use in the rigid, fast-paced workdays of the world in which we live. We soon find, however, that the Beatitudes contain the “dynamite” of the Holy Spirit. And they “explode” when the circumstances of our lives cause them to do so. When the Holy Spirit brings to our remembrance one of the Beatitudes, we say, “What a startling statement that is!” Then we must decide whether or not we will accept the tremendous spiritual upheaval that will be produced in our circumstances if we obey His words. That is the way the Spirit of God works. We do not need to be born again to apply the Sermon on the Mount literally. The literal interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount is as easy as child’s play. But the interpretation by the Spirit of God as He applies our Lord’s statements to our circumstances is the strict and difficult work of a saint.

The teachings of Jesus are all out of proportion when compared to our natural way of looking at things, and they come to us initially with astonishing discomfort. We gradually have to conform our walk and conversation to the precepts of Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit applies them to our circumstances. The Sermon on the Mount is not a set of rules and regulations— it is a picture of the life we will live when the Holy Spirit is having His unhindered way with us.

Oswald Chambers .  My Utmost for His Highest.