In Matthew 5:6-8 (sermon audio here), Jesus explains further to his disciples the blessed life of the kingdom of heaven. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be satisfied with God’s grace in this life and his glory in the next. Those who are merciful will receive God’s mercy. Those who are pure in heart will see God in the face of Christ in heaven.
The blessed person is the person whose heart has been changed by Jesus so that it beats for God and his kingdom. Beloved, Jesus has cleansed us from our sin and made us into that good tree that bears fruit that pleases God. Therefore, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, mercy and having a pure heart are not what earn us God’s blessings, rather they are evidence that God is indeed our heavenly Father, Jesus is our Saviour and the Spirit is our sanctifier. The eternal blessings of the kingdom of heaven belong to us who have faith in Christ. The kingdom of heaven belongs to those who give evidence of this gift of faith in a heart and life of love toward God and one’s neighbour.
2013-10-02