Category: Today’s Truth

You are the light of the world! We have heard Jesus referred to as the light of the world, but have you ever given serious thought that YOU are also the light of the world? Matthew 5:14-16 says, “ “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” If you have found salvation in Jesus Christ, then you are part of that light!

What a beautiful thought. This should be encouraging for a few reasons. First, you have the light living inside of you and it has lit up your entire life. This means you no longer need to walk in darkness. You always have the light of Christ within you- this is why he calls you the light of the world! If you always walk around with a flashlight, then you are always able to light up any room. Christ and his message is that light. The other reason this is encouraging is because it means you are able to witness to others. You can live as though you have the light to light up their darkness. Your light will never go out because it is connected to the Father.

Why would the Bible compare Christians to salt and say that we are the salt of the earth in Matthew 5:13 ( “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless”). Salt is a compound that is “abundant in nature, and is used especially to season or preserve food or in industry” as merriam-webster.com states. This definition says two significant things that can be linked to Christians. It says it is “abundant in nature,” and it is used to “season or preserve.” There are many who profess to know the salvation of Christ, so you could say that they are “abundant in nature.” The purpose of Christians is to bring season to a dark and lost world- to add life to a dying world, or “preserve” those who are lost.

How do we do this? We bring the gospel of Christ to the lost world. His message preserves those who do not know him. We bring life, joy, love, and hope to the world, just as salt brings flavor to otherwise bland food. As this verse states, though, what good are we if we have lost the flavor (or lost the life, joy, love, and hope he gives)? We must live as though we bear the greatest flavor to this world!

“God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs,” Matthew 5:10 promises. Persecution is one of the most difficult ways to show your devotion to the Lord and his Word. You probably never thought about what you would do or say if persecuted when you came to know the Lord, but it is something that happens to every Christian at some point in their spiritual relationship with God. Most of us will only experience persecution in the form of words or feelings that others have. But some will experience it in greater and more difficult forms: the loss of a relationship, imprisonment or even the loss of life as some Christians in persecuted countries have experienced. When you are living by the righteousness of God, you will experience some form of persecution.

However, there is great reward in persecution. The greatest blessing or reward is the kingdom of heaven! Salvation in its fullness is yours in the midst of persecution. The other blessing is knowing you are pleasing the Lord and living a righteous life. You will experience him and his blessings when you strive to live a righteous life no matter what the cost or persecution. Take comfort and glad knowing that you are not alone as Matthew 5:11-12 says, “ “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.”

Peace is a popular word in today’s world. The peace of God means something different than society’s version of peace. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:9, “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.” I love the version of this verse because it says those who work for peace. Peace does not always come easy. Neither does it come quickly. Sometimes it is difficult and takes time. True, biblical peace is different than “keeping the peace” as the world tends to think.

Merriam-webster defines peace in several ways. One way is, “a state of tranquility or quiet: such as freedom from civil disturbance, a state of security or order within a community provided for by law or custom.” This would be a way that the world would define peace: “freedom from civil disturbance,” the opposite of war, arguments, or discord. Think about it in terms of the church. If the church body is in agreement and there is no discord, then there is peace within the body. This is not necessarily biblical peace. The next definition that Merriam-webster offers is much closer to how the Bible defines peace, “freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions.” Peace begins in the mind. The enemy loves to attack your mind with thoughts of worry, fear, or hatred. He wants to disrupt the peace that God gave you when he saved you. If someone has a peaceful mind, then their actions will be peaceful. This leads to the peace defined in the first definition. For the Christian, it begins with the mind.

“God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God,” Matthew 5:8 states. The purity of heart will inherit the kingdom of God. According to biblestudytool dictionary the word purity means: “Purity is related to guiltless, blameless, or innocent behavior. In Exodus 23:7, an innocent person is portrayed as someone who is righteous as measured by the demands of the law.” The law was meant to show someone how to live a pure life. It also exposed the struggling man who continuously had to live a pure life. Purity shows the need for man to have a Savior. Only by the salvation of Christ could one strive to live a pure life. Christ was completely pure with the same struggles man encountered on a daily basis. Yet, he remained pure.

It is possible for a man to live a pure life when connected to the Savior Jesus Christ. That is the purpose of the Holy Spirit, to lead the sinner into a pure, right relationship with God, to teach him how to live and lead him in the way he should go. When you are living according to his word and the Holy Spirit, you will have a pure heart and mind. It is because of that purity that you are promised eternity. You are blessed because the purity of Christ has impacted you to also live a pure life. That does not mean we will not struggle sometimes, but with Christ in your life, you will know what is pure.

Matthew 5:7 tells us, “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” In this world today, it seems as though there is little room for mercy. People are constantly judging others and their situations or have little tolerance for anyone who has failed at achieving others’ expectations or standards for living. As we discussed yesterday, it is impossible to meet someone else’s expectations if it is based on their own experiences or feelings. According to merriam-webster.com, the word mercy means: “compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one’s power.” This is exactly what God did when he sent his son to die on the cross for our sins. He had compassion on us (the offenders), and sent his son to die a terrible death on a cross to take the place of us.

God wants us to follow his example of mercy in our dealings with others. Many of us have someone who has done wrong against us. We tend to hold a grudge against them and treat them the opposite of how God treated us, with no mercy and compassion. When we live in this way, we show how ungrateful we are for His mercy and love poured out in our own lives. We should long to show others mercy because of the mercy that was given to us. This part of the Beatitudes says that those who show mercy will also be given mercy. Give mercy to others because God did that for you and he will continue to show you mercy when you wrong him.

Matthew 5:6 says, “God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice (or righteousness), for they will be satisfied.” The word righteous in the dictionary (merriam-webster dictionary) means, “acting in accord with divine or moral law : free from guilt or sin.” There is freedom that can be found in living righteously. When you live according to the Word and God’s desires, you will find freedom, joy, hope. You will be able to focus on what God wants instead of your own feelings and desires. God will bless you when you are striving to live a righteous life.

However, the world will try to convince you to live according to your own standards or desires. You may have heard sayings such as, “You do you,” or “Do what makes you happy.” The problem with this philosophy is that it is based on temporary feelings and happiness. If every person’s definition of righteousness is based on their own experiences and feelings (or that of others), then every person’s definition of righteousness will be different. Each will have his own moral compass. This can be a problem when trying to live a righteous life or even trying to examine the way others live.

The Bible is the only place that provides consistent, authentic examples of how to live. It is not based on the temporary, but the eternal. God will not bless those who are always changing how they live based on themselves, but those who base their lives on God and His Word will find eternal joy, reward in Him, and hope of what’s to come.

Humility was next in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus said in Matthew 5:5, “God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.” There is no place in the kingdom of God for the proud and arrogant. This verse says that only the humble will inherit the earth. There is great reward for the humble. Look at the example of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16:19-31. Lazarus, a poor humble beggar, sat at the gate while the rich man (who is unnamed) never gave him the time of day. When they both died, Lazarus inherited eternity, while the rich man went to hell. Even in torture, the rich man asked for God to send Lazarus to provide relief. He was too proud to see Lazarus as anything but a poor beggar.

The word humility means to place others before yourself. It means to view yourself as less significant. When Jesus washed the feet of his disciples at the Lord’s Supper, he was displaying an act of humility. This was something that servants did when someone entered. It was not custom for someone who was considered a king. However, Jesus was a king who showed his patrons how to live. He served because he wanted his followers to serve. That is exactly what they did after he died. They served for the rest of their lives. They showed others the way of Christ because Christ showed them the way.

The second beatitude in the Sermon on the Mount is “God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” There is so much hope tied up in that statement from Jesus Christ. He knew that after he was gone there would be great mourning. Those who loved and followed him would mourn his death and long for his presence. Generations to come would mourn their loved ones. He knew his followers would mourn their own sins, the sins of others, and the brokenness in their lives. When he said bless those who mourn, he was saying this because he would be the one to see their pain and heartbreak.

He sees our pain and heartbreak still today. He knows what we go through and longs to see us turn to him with every tear. He grieves when we go to others before we go to him. He delights when his followers choose him first and allow themselves to be comforted by his grace, mercy, and love. Psalm 30:5b says, “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Jesus could say this to his disciples because he knew what would come in the morning! Sorrow only lasts for a season; his joy and goodness are never-ending! He knew that his followers would rejoice again.

There is hope for you too, dear Christian. There is joy after the sorrow and weeping. There is hope after the storm. There is rebuilding and restoration in Jesus Christ.

During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said in Matthew 5:3, “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” It is interesting that Jesus opened with these thoughts. He told his disciple that blessed are the poor. THis is definitely opposite from what we see in the world. Society will try to tell you that the rich are blessed and the poor are in dire need. The rich have everything they need. The more you have, the more blessed you are. These are lies that the world tells and so many believe. However, Jesus said the opposite.

So why would he call the poor blessed? The key is in the second part of that verse: they realize their need for him. Think about this for a moment. The poor have very little, and what they do have, they depend on. The rich have much and depend on little. Those who are poor depend on someone else for survival, just as the Christian depends on Jesus Christ. It is all about the attitude of heart and motivation.

Spend some time in prayer and thanks today for what God has done for you and what He has given you. Ask him for humility; may you always understand your need and desperation for the Savior.