Warfare Spirituality

golden sunsetEveryone wants to be blessed. 

(the following article first appeared on the Gospel Coalition Website).

We want to be blessed in our relationships, our businesses, and our churches. We want to be blessed in life, death, and eternity. The opposite of being blessed is being cursed—and nobody wants that.

No one knows where to find blessing better than Jesus does, so when he speaks about blessing in the beatitudes (Matt. 5:1–12), I want to listen, and so should you.

 What does a blessed life look like? Is it having a happy marriage? Gifted children? Good health? Fulfilling work? Financial stability? Travel opportunities? You could add to this list of rich blessings. But none is included in our Lord’s description.

Jesus doesn’t say “Blessed are the happily married,” but “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” He doesn’t say “Blessed are those who enjoy good health,” but “Blessed are those who mourn.” According to Jesus, the greatest blessings aren’t found where we normally look, but in places we aren’t inclined to explore.

Seven Rings

When our Lord tells his disciples about life under God’s blessing, he doesn’t begin with a class on doctrine or with a mandate for mission. Instead, he describes a person poor in spirit, one who mourns over sins, meekly submits to God, and longs to grow in righteousness.

According to Jesus, the greatest blessings aren’t found where we normally look, but in places we aren’t inclined to explore. 

 

But the beatitudes are counterintuitive. Being poor means you don’t have resources. Nobody wants that. But Jesus speaks of a kind of poverty that makes you rich. 

Mourning means you have great sorrow. But Jesus speaks of a kind of mourning that leads to joy.

Picture a series of seven rings, each suspended on a rope from a high ceiling. At either end of these rings, there’s a high platform. Your goal is to get from one platform to the other by swinging from ring to ring.

The first ring is within your reach. If you pull it back and swing, your momentum will bring you within reach of the second, and swinging on it will bring you within reach of the third, and so forth. 

Think of the beatitudes like these seven rings. The only way to get to the fifth ring of forgiveness, the sixth ring of purity, and the seventh ring of peace is by the previous rings. Forgiveness, purity, and peace have to be reached. And the beatitudes show us how.

Roots . . . Shoots . . . Fruit

The first three beatitudes deal with our need. We’re poor in spirit (Matt. 5:3) because we don’t have what it takes to live as God commands. We mourn (v. 4) because our sins are many. We become meek, rather than self-willed and defiant (v. 5), because we can’t direct our lives wisely. These are the roots of a blessed and godly life.

Out of these roots come the shoots of the fourth beatitude—a hunger and thirst for righteousness (v. 6). God uses the root of sensing your need to produce the shoot of longing for righteousness. When the roots of the first three beatitudes are nourished, a desire for righteousness will grow.

Continuing the metaphor, the roots produce shoots, and the shoots bear fruit. The first fruit of this blessed and godly life is mercy, or forgiveness (v. 7), then purity (v. 8) and peace (v. 9).

The order of the beatitudes shows you how to make progress in the Christian life.

Our Lord also gave us an eighth beatitude: “Blessed are those who are persecuted” (v. 10). The others reflect character God’s people should pursue; but persecution is different. Though we shouldn’t pursue it, it will pursue us as we live in light of the previous verses.

The order of the beatitudes, then, shows us how to make progress in the Christian life. If you want the fruits of forgiveness, purity, and peace in your life, then begin with the roots of becoming poor in spirit, mourning over your sins, and meekly submitting to God’s will.


For more of this article, follow the link below:

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/how-order-of-beatitudes-could-change-your-life/

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  • I Lift My Hands

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Warfare Reflection

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  • You are free

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Favorites

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  • Jesus in the Perfect Storm by NT Wright +

    Zechariah 9.9-17; Luke 19.28-48; A sermon for Palm Sunday, April 17, 2011, In the University Chapel of St Salvator, St Read More
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Hidden Blessings

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