The beatitudes are essential to the Christian life, but many people have not taken the time to understand them properly. There are many Christians who have misconceptions about what they are and what they mean. Here are five mistakes people make in understanding the Beatitudes. 1. They assume the beatitudes are something only notable Christians … Continue reading 5 Mistakes People Make in Understanding the Beatitudes
Desiring to be a moral person is not the same as hungering for righteousness; This beatitude is much more than that. The first three beatitudes focus on our lack. In poverty of spirit, we realize we have nothing that can contribute to our good standing before God. In our mourning, we lament that fact. We no longer rejoice in our sinful autonomy; instead we weep because we know what it deserves. In meekness, we stop struggling against God and begin to submit to Him because we have no way of salvation in ourselves. In our hunger for righteousness,
Meekness is one of those qualities we understand, but it can be difficult to articulate. So what does it mean to be meek? In general usage, we relate it to being humble, patient, gentle, and kind, but as with all of the beatitudes, there is a spiritual element that we must not miss or we could go astray.
"Blessed are they that mourn." This beatitude is clearly one of the great paradoxes of scripture. "Blessed" and "mourning" almost seem to be contradictory. When we think of mourning, we rarely think about blessing, Typically our minds think of death because mourning is something we do when someone dies, but here again, Jesus is showing … Continue reading What Does it Mean to Mourn? [Beatitudes]
Poverty is painful. Anyone who has experienced it will tell you that it comes with great distress. We fight against it, and rightfully so. Scripture speaks of the poor with great concern. The poor do not want to be poor. They struggle from day to day to have what they need. If they could get … Continue reading What Does it Mean to Be Poor in Spirit? [Beatitudes]
The Fight of Faith 