"The Beatitudes"

    The first sixteen verses of Matthew 5 describe the true Christian and deal with CHARACTER. The rest of the Sermon on the Mount deal with CONDUCT. Character always comes before conduct, because what we ARE determines what we DO.  Matthew 5:1-16, Jesus shows us that true righteousness is INWARD, and in 5:17-48, He points out that SIN IS INWARD. Remember, God looks upon the heart, for there is where life's destiny is decided.

1. POOR IN SPIRIT - his attitude toward himself in which he feels his need.
2. MOURN - his attitude toward sin; his sorrow for sin.
3. MEEK - his attitude toward others; he is teachable; he does not defend himself.
4. HUNGER and THIRST - his attitude toward God; he receives righteousness from God.

The rest of the Beatitudes show the results of the new life in the believer:

5. MERCIFUL - he has a forgiving spirit; he loves others.
6. PURE IN HEART - he keeps his life clean; holiness is happiness to him.
7. PEACEMAKERS - Christians should bring peace, between men and God and between those who are at odds with each other. He spreads the Gospel of peace.
8. PERSECUTED - all who live Godly lives will suffer persecution.

All of these verses deal ATTITUDES - what a man thinks in his heart, his outlook on life. Beattitudes - the ATTITUDES that ought to BE in our lives if we are true Christians.

• Poor in spirit: We must be empty before we can be full. Our sufficiency is not ourselves (2 Cor. 3:5) . The world promotes self-sufficiency, yet God dwells with the man whose heart is broken.
• Mourn: This is sincere sorrow for sin, our own sin and the sins of others. How careless we are about sin. We excuse it, yet God hates it, and sin breaks God's heart. Peter mourned with Godly sorrow and was forgiven; Judas had remorse - the sorrow of this world -- and took his own life.
• Meek: Meekness is not weakness!! Jesus was meek (Mt. 11:29), yet he drove the changers from the temple. Moses was meek (Num. 12:3), yet he judged sinners and even faced Aaron with his sin. Meekness means not asserting my own rights, but living for the glory of God. Christians are to show meekness (Eph. 4:1-2, Titus 3:2); We are prone to be self-willed. 
• Hunger and Thirst: A true Christian has an appetite for things spiritual. Ask a man what he eats and you know what the man is like.
• Merciful: This merely the working of the Bible principle, "You reap what you sow." If we show mercy, because Christ has been merciful to us, then mercy will come back to us. (Luke 16:1-13; James 2:13; Prov. 1:17; and Ps. 18:25.
• Pure in Heart: Not sinlessness (1 John 1:8) but the truth with (Ps. 51:6). It means a single heart, not divided between and the world.
• Peacemakers: Titus describes this world at war. The Christian has the Gospel of peace on his feet (Eph. 6:15), so that wherever he goes, he should bring peace. This is not "peace at any price", for holiness is more important than a peace based on sin (James 3:17; and Heb. 12:4). Compromise is not peace, but Christians should not be contentious as they contend for the faith.
• Persecuted: Read 2 Tim. 3:12 and 1 Peter 4:15. Note that we should be accused "falsely". We should never be guilty of deliberately asking for persecution. If we live Godly lives, it will come! Note the rewards: 1. We are in the same company as Christ and the prophets, and 2. We shall be rewarded in Heaven.

Here are two pictures of the Christians in closing: SALT and LIGHT.

1. Salt speaks of inward character that influences a decaying world
2. Light speaks of the outward testimony of good words that point to God. 

Our task is to keep our lives pure that we might "salt" this earth and hold back corruption so that the Gospel can get out. Our good works must accompany our dedicated lives as we let our lights shine.