|
RenewingMinds
|
Christ's Sermon on the Mount
Miles J. Stanford
Overview
These nine Beatitudes of the [Millennial] Kingdom are promises with
legal conditions. They are future blessings for those who will merit them by
their own works.
For the CHRISTIAN, the nine fold fruit of the Spirit of Christ is provided by grace as a present possession of his nature and life. Each is to be developed in the walk, growing from His life within - “Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22, 23).
The undiscerning may feel it their duty to uphold and place such requirements (the Sermon on the Mount) upon those who are forever perfected in Christ, but this would be due to the failure to understand what it means to be in Christ and perfected forever. Even those who apply these requirements to themselves and to others utterly fall short of fulfillment of them.
The present super-abounding grace of God does not merely forgive the one who breaks the law; it saves one from any obligation to a merit system. Paul said, “Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty with which Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Gal. 5:1).
Who but the most prejudiced Arminian can incorporate into his scheme of doctrine the threefold warning against hell fire which is found in this (Sermon) portion of Matthew (5:22, 29, 30)? Christians “shall not come into judgment”; “they shall never perish;” “there is, therefore, now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus” (John 5:24; 10:23; Rom. 8:1).
Grace alone now reigns through Christ to the glory of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. --L.S. Chafer (Systematic Theology, Vol. V, p. 107)
The Sermon On The Mount
And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain:
and when he was seated, his disciples came unto him. And he opened his
mouth, and taught them, saying,
Blessed Are
The Poor
Blessed are the poor (humble) in spirit; for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:1–3).
The King is here speaking to His Jewish disciples, of His
coming kingdom. Those of the kingdom are to be characterized by humbleness
of spirit. They will mainly be humbled because of the realization of what
they did to their King. Humility and contriteness will be requirements for
possession of the millennial kingdom.
In Isaiah’s vision of the coming manifestation of the
King to His kingdom, he wrote, “I dwell in the
high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite
ones” (Isa. 57:15).
To the Christian, Paul writes,
“Put on, there1fore, as the elect of God, holy and
beloved, tender mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness,,
longsuffering” (Col. 3:12). He is not to
put on the virtue of humility in order to gain either the kingdom, or
heaven. These virtues are already ours in Christ., as they: are elements of
the character belonging to the new creation.
Blessed Are
They That Mourn
Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be
comforted (Matt. 5:4).
Israel will mourn until, and especially when, she sees
her King coming in His kingdom. “And I will
pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the
spirit of grace and of supplications; and they shall look upon me whom they
have pierced, and they shall mourn for him”
(Zech. 12:10).
Mourning is not a characteristic of the Bride of Christ.
“Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.”
“Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, rejoice”.
(Phil. 3:1; 4:4).
Blessed Are
The Meek
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth
(Matt. 5:5).
“With righteousness shall he judge the poor (humble),
and reprove with equity - for the meek of the earth”
(Isa. 11:4). Meekness is to be rewarded by inheritance of the earthly
kingdom. The King’s righteousness will prevail upon the earth for the poor
and the. meek, in the kingdom.
The meek are certainly not inheriting the earth now, nor
is there any such promise to the CHURCH, to whom no
earthly promise is made.
The BELIEVER finds all reversed --his citizenship and home are in heaven,
while here on earth he is but a stranger and pilgrim.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a
living hope by. the resurrection of Jesus, Christ from the dead, to an
inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved
in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3, 4).
Blessed Are
They Which Do Hunger And Thirst
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after
righteousness, for they shall be filled (satisfied) (Matt. 5:6).
Kingdom righteousness must be
attained (law) -
“For I say unto you that except your righteousness shall
exceed the righteousness of the scribes and, Pharisees, ye shall in no case
enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matt.
5:20).
The BELIEVER may hunger and thirst for a more righteous
walk with the Lord Jesus but he has already
obtained (grace) and has been made
“the righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor. 5:21).
Blessed Are
The Merciful
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy
(Matt. 5:7).
This is Kingdom Law.
“Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to Thy righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. With the thou wilt
show thyself merciful” (Ps. 18:24, 25).
The CHRISTIAN received mercy by grace, not by being
merciful. “Not by works of righteousness which
we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us”
(Titus 3:5). “But God, who is rich in mercy,
for his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in sins,
hath made us alive together with Christ”
(Eph. 2:4, 5).
“That he might make known the riches of his glory on
the vessels of mercy, which he had before prepared unto glory, even us, whom
he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles”
(Rom. 9:23, 24).
Blessed Are
The Pure In Heart
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God
(Matt. 5:8).
Here is a kingdom promise.
“Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy
place? He who hath clean hands, and a pure heart”
(Ps. 24:3, 4). “He that walketh
righteously, and speaketh uprightly.... Thine eyes shall see the king in his
beauty” (Isa. 33:15, 17).
Moses (Law): “Show me thy
glory” (Ex. 33:18).
“But we see Jesus” (Heb.
2:9). “God, who commanded the light to shine
out of darkness, hath shone in our hearts, to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”
(2 Cor. 4:6).
Blessed Are
The Peacemakers
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called
the children of God (Matt. 5:9).
The King, who is “the
Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6),
shall reign in
righteousness and peace upon the earth during the millennial kingdom. Those
who promote peace in the kingdom “shall be
called the children of God.
The BELIEVER is not constituted a child of God by any
works, peace-making or otherwise. Actually, they are sons of God, far beyond
the status of children. “For ye are all the
sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal.
3:26).
Blessed Are
They Which Are Persecuted
Blessed are they which are persecuted for
righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:10).
The issue is legal - “for righteousness’ sake.” The
CHRISTIAN suffers with the Lord Jesus and for His sake, and his reward is in
heaven. “We which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake.”
“But all these things will they do unto you for Thy name's sake” (2 Cor.
4:11; John 15:21).
Blessed Are
Ye, When Men Shall Revile You
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 exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.
For so persecuted they the prophets who were before you (Matt. 5:11).
Here the Lord Jesus speaks directly to the disciples,
soon to become Christians - “blessed are ye.”
The CHRISTIAN is called to suffer for the Lord Jesus, sake.
“For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not
only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake” (Phil. 1:29).
- SEATED
- ASCENDED
- RAISED
- BURIED
- CRUCIFIED
