Matthew 5 begins what is called “The Sermon on the Mount”. Jesus preaches about some majorly relevant issues, and I believe that modern Christians fail to realize this. The very first thing He addresses is happiness. The Beatitudes begin with “blessed” which translates “happy”. If you want to truly be happy and blessed with joy unspeakable and full of glory, you need these qualities in your life.
- A humility that acknowledges sin – “poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3). This is the humility that takes place when a lost sinner sees his/her need for Christ and results in the lost sinner confessing his/her lost condition to Christ and seeking salvation.
- Mourning over sin (v. 4) – This mourning comes when we feel about sin the way God feels about it. Ephesians 4 says sin grieves the Holy Spirit. We should repent of our sin because it breaks God’s heart, not because we don’t want His judgment. Mourning over personal sin is comforted by confession and repentance. Mourning over the sins of unbelievers is comforter by God’s compassion.
- Meekness (v. 5) – Meekness is not weakness. Warren Wiersbe defines it as “power under control”. This is a work of God’s Spirit.
- An intense desire for God (v. 6) – This is the meaning of those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. If you and I are hungry and thirsty enough for God, we will pursue Him and be satisfied.
- Extending mercy to others (v. 7) – Mercy leads us to have a forgiving spirit. If we do not extend mercy to those we have sinned against, Hebrews 12:15 says that bitterness will take root and manifest itself in various ways. The contrast to mercy is a judgmental, condemning spirit.
- A pure life (v. 8) – Those who are pure in heart because they have been cleansed by the blood of Christ will see God. Purity is necessary in order to be fit for God’s use.
- Peacemakers (v. 9) – Romans 12:18 calls us to live peaceably with everyone. Peace is also a fruit of the Spirit. Notice that it says peacemakers and not peace keepers.
- A willingness to suffer for Christ (vv. 10-12) – Persecution is a promise to all who live godly in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:12). When people persecute you, they are really persecuting Christ. Our response should be rejoicing (v. 12; I Peter 4:14). That sounds crazy, but persecution is a pretty good indicator that we are a threat to the devil.
I find it interesting that Jesus addresses happiness and blessing in the beginning of this sermon. Keep reading chapters 5-7 and you will see that He addresses prayer, worry, and many other things. The devil wants you to think that happiness comes from getting what YOU want. It truly comes from you getting what God wants for your life.
Matthew Winters (Honest Thoughts from a Pastor) 
I like this, especially your last two sentences. I liked that you differentiated between peacemaking and peacekeeping, too. Yes, if we are truly following Jesus Christ with our lives, we will be persecuted. If the world loves us as its own, and doesn’t hate us, then maybe we are not really following Christ with our lives.
And another thought to consider is that our greatest persecution may come from within the organized church. Jesus’ greatest persecutors were the leaders in the temple. They were the religious, the professors of faith in God. So don’t be surprised if you are persecuted from other professing Christians when you are sold out to Jesus.
I definitely agree with what you said about persecution coming from those who are supposed to be on the same side. I have experienced that one a few times.
I am humbled that He chooses to lay His heart over my heart so that His desires become my desires. Such grace that He would want me to be happy knowing this is only possible by walking in His will. Thanks for the reminder, Matthew.
So good! Truth!!!😄❤
What a great “digest” of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew! Love this! It really brings it home and gives me something to truly aspire to!! Thank you!
Wonderful!❤
Another excellent thought-provoking post, God has truly used you in a mighty way to rationalize, exhort, encourage and inspire others to strive for excellence in their Christian life. I am so honored to read your blog each week.
P.S. I now you’ve been praying for a situation regarding a trial we faced lately. God has been so Good to us! The challenge we endured with a controlling, insecure person in our church has been taken are of by God (as He told me He would; but I fretted anyway, sigh) and by the prayers of loving friends and followers like you who remembered us continually. She sent a resignation letter to my pastor husband last week. Now we pray for her restoration back to a godly testimony and from her bitterness. Thank you Pastor for your support. ❤
We praise the Lord for working things out. You included a very important thing that many forget – restoration. It is heartbreaking to see others go down a path that was never intended by God. May God restore this individual to a submissive spirit and the joy of the Lord.
Amen! Thank you,
A good post Matthew
Reblogged this on emotionalpeace.
Thanks for the reblog!
you are welcome
Powerful. Thanks for going over these in detail. I totally see how a prior experience made me bitter because I struggled to give it God. I was hurt by it, and I did discuss the pain, but I didn’t realize the scars it left till God revealed it to me, and I’m so glad He did. He helped me work completely on forgiveness and let it go. Now, it’s just a story to share to help those who have been hurt.
I can remember carrying 3 years of bitterness toward an individual. How freeing it was to release myself from that bondage. This individual and I now encourage each other periodically on social media.
Amen!! I know what that is like.