In our Lord’s famed address on a mountain near the Sea of Galilee, he powerfully taught the multitude of individuals who had gathered around regarding an array of spiritual principles that were to guide his disciples in their daily lives. In the beginning of the discourse, Jesus delivers what is commonly referred to as the “beatitudes” (Matthew 5:3-12). Within this portion of Scripture, Jesus pronounced incomparable blessings to befall us when we possess certain qualities of spirit and behave in a way that is worthy of the kingdom of heaven. If you and I are judicious, we will consciously pursue the cultivating of these attitudes that we may be in complete alignment with Jesus Christ and continually grow in his favor.
May you and I never forget that we are daily to reflect the unity that we share with God by manifesting a spiritual like–mindedness. It is imperative we hold and highly esteem the same spiritual values as our Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit.
May we carefully consider a couple of Jesus’ affirmations from the text: First, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (verse 7). Second, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (verse 9). Do we agree with Jesus here?
God is “rich in mercy” (Ephesians 2:4) and he calls upon you and me to follow his example in extending mercy to others (cf. Matthew 23:23). God’s will and power unites those who are truth-seeking and truth-loving. We are to do our part in living peaceably with all men (Romans 12:18). A man is either of the spirit of truth, or the spirit of error (1 John 4:6). Of which are you? Of which am I?
- Tim Childs preaches for the Hillcrest church of Christ in Baldwyn, MS. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.thelordsway.com/hillcrestms
No comments:
Post a Comment