Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in Heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Matthew 5:3-12
Matthew chapters 5-7 are a record of this complete, uninterrupted sermon of Christ. These Beatitudes are the introduction and the basis of His whole sermon.
Coming from a background of “in need of nothing” (Laodicea), we must first realise our need.
These 8 blessings are inseparable; they are also both progressive and accumulative.
The first four are how to receive Righteousness i.e. Justification
The last four are how to live in Righteousness i.e. Sanctification
Numbers 4 & 8 highlight Righteousness.
Number 7 - we are now complete. We are ready to be persecuted to demonstrate to Satan and others that we are children of God .
Number 8 has a double blessing, 3 verses used, it is the most important of them all.
The persecution mentioned is psychological in nature i.e. insult and false accusation rather than physical.
Persecution does not change our character; it is a test to see if we are going to remain blessed.
These blessings are not a smorgasbord, we must have them all or none.
It is impossible to have each one unless the previous one has been attained.
All the promises are different except 1 & 8 where both promise the kingdom of Heaven.
The LORD Bless You
