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Matt. 5:7
Matt. 5:7 "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain
mercy."
1655. eleemon, el-eh-ay'-mone; from G1653; compassionate
(actively):--merciful.
1653. eleeo, el-eh-eh'-o; from G1656; to compassionate (by word or deed,
spec. by divine grace):--have compassion (pity on), have (obtain,
receive, shew) mercy (on).
Jesus is the greatest example of compassion:
1. Heb. 2:17 "Wherefore in all things it
behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a
merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make
reconciliation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that he himself
hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are
tempted."
2. Matt. 9:27 "And when Jesus departed thence,
two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have
mercy on us."
3. Matt. 20:30 "And, behold, two blind men
sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried
out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David."
4. Mk. 5:19 "Howbeit Jesus suffered him not,
but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great
things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee."
5. 1 Tim. 1:16 "Howbeit for this cause I
obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all
longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on
him to life everlasting."
In James 1:27, "Pure religion and undefiled before God and
the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their
affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world," we are taught
to be compassionate or merciful to others.
Those who are not born of the spirit are totally selfish in
their endeavors. They cannot be compassionate toward them that are
without. However, when we are born of the Spirit of God we have the
fruit of the Spirit, which includes love, and in that love written in
our hearts we are to be compassionate towards others. We are blessed to
be merciful and then we have the corresponding blessing that God is
merciful toward us.
Matt. 5:8
Matt. 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see
God."
We are blessed to have a pure heart when we are born of the
Spirit of God:
1. 1 Tim. 1:5 "Now the end of the commandment
is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith
unfeigned:"
2. 2 Tim. 2:22 "Flee also youthful lusts: but
follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the
Lord out of a pure heart."
3. Heb. 10:22 "Let us draw near with a true
heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an
evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."
4. 1 Pet. 1:22 "Seeing ye have purified your
souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the
brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the
word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."
We have a pure heart in the inner man because that when we
were born of the Spirit God washed our heart with the blood of Jesus
thus making it pure. We are blessed to have a pure heart. Furthermore,
since the heart is seat of our feelings or emotions, we are able to feel
after Jesus because our heart has been made pure in the inner man.
We can see him through an eye of faith as we have a pure
heart to feel after him and to love Him: Heb. 2:8 "Thou hast put all
things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in
subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now
we see not yet all things put under him. 9 But we see Jesus, who was
made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned
with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death
for every man."
Without this pureness of heart, we could only feel after
the hard and stony heart of the flesh. Our feelings or emotions would
only be toward earthly things. Thus we are blessed both to have a pure
heart and to feel after Jesus.
Matt. 5:9
Matt. 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers: for
they shall be called the children of God." Peace is one of the
nine-fold fruit of the Spirit: Gal. 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
Whether we have peace or make peace, we are manifesting the
fruit of the Spirit and showing forth the evidence that we have been
born of the Spirit of God.
We are blessed to make peace or bring peace to others:
1. Acts 10:36 "The word which God sent unto the
children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of
all:)"
2. Rom. 10:15 "And how shall they preach,
except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of
them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good
things!"
3. Rom. 14:19 "Let us therefore follow after
the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify
another."
4. Eph. 2:14 "For he is our peace, who hath
made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between
us; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of
commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain
one new man, so making peace; 16 And that he might reconcile both unto
God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17 And
came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that
were nigh. 18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the
Father."
5. Eph. 4:3 "Endeavouring to keep the unity of
the Spirit in the bond of peace."
6. Eph. 6:15 "And your feet shod with the
preparation of the gospel of peace;"
7. James 3:18 "And the fruit of righteousness
is sown in peace of them that make peace."
Therefore, when we bring peace to the heart of God's people
we are manifesting the peace that God has given us and those who have
experienced the peace in their hearts because of our actions will surely
say that we are the children of God.
Matt.
5:10-12
Matt. 5:10 "Blessed are they which are persecuted for
righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are
ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all
manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be
exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted
they the prophets which were before you."
Normally we might consider ourselves to be blessed to be
persecuted. Yet the Lord told us that we are. When we consider what
the Lord suffered for us on our behalf, then we should count ourselves
blessed indeed to suffer on his behalf. Acts 5:40 "And to him they
agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they
commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them
go. 41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing
that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name." To be
counted worthy to suffer shame for his name is a great blessing for the
obedient child of God.
When we stand for what is right and people ridicule us and
speak against us, then we are also blessed to know that we are in
possession of the kingdom of heaven. We are ridiculed because we oppose
evil and we are persecuted because we stand for right. This not only
identifies us as God's children, but also it identifies us with the
truth and God's kingdom here on earth.
Furthermore, we are ridiculed, reviled, persecuted, and lied
about because we associate ourselves with Christ and his word. We are
told to rejoice and be exceedingly glad because of this. In addition,
we are told that our reward in heaven is great. Some have thought that
this teaches we will have a reward in the glory world, because we do
this, but the scripture says that our reward is great, not
will be great. The reward is in the kingdom of heaven
here in time. The Lord richly blesses us when we are willing to be
persecuted for his name's sake. We feel his presence and his guidance
and the empowering of the Holy Spirit when we do this.
Additionally, our persecution for righteousness sake and for
his name's sake associates us with the prophets of old. They were also
persecuted before us for holding to the word of God and faithfully
exercising themselves in the service of God.
Matt. 5:13
Matt. 5:13 "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt
have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth
good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of
men."
Salt is associated with God's covenant:
1. Lev 2:13 "And every oblation of thy meat
offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt
of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with
all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt."
2. Num 18:19 "All the heave offerings of the
holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the LORD, have I
given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for
ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the LORD unto thee and to
thy seed with thee."
3. 2 Chr 13:5 "Ought ye not to know that the
LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even
to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?"
As God covenant people by the covenant of redemption we are
compared to salt. Salt has many qualities. It is a food preservative.
It is also a necessary nutrient for our health. It adds flavor to the
foods that we eat.
Similarly, God's obedient elect people are a preservative in
this wicked world in which we live. God promised Abraham if he found at
least ten upright people in the cities of the plain then he would spare
the cities from destruction: Gen. 18:32 "And he said, Oh let not the
Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten
shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's
sake." Additionally, the prophet Isaiah said that God was sparing
Israel from destruction because of a very small remnant: Is. 1:9 "Except
the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have
been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah."
God's obedient covenant people are a needed element for our
spiritual health. Paul commended the faithful brethren in Thessalonica:
1 Thes. 1:2 "We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of
you in our prayers; 3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith,
and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in
the sight of God and our Father; 4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your
election of God. 5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but
also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know
what manner of men we were among you for your sake. 6 And ye became
followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much
affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: 7 So that ye were ensamples to
all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 For from you sounded out the
word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every
place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to
speak any thing."
God's obedient covenant people are a flavor or savour of
Godly things in this wicked world. This savour unto God and to God's
people is set forth in the following verses:
1. 2 Cor 2:14 "Now thanks be unto God, which
always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour
of his knowledge by us in every place.
15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved,
and in them that perish: 16 To the one we are the savour of death unto
death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is
sufficient for these things?"
2. Eph 5:2 "And walk in love, as Christ also
hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice
to God for a sweet-smelling savour."
On the one hand when we walk in humble obedience to the
command of our God, then we are a sweet-smelling savour unto God and a
sweet savour of Christ unto God's people. If, however, we walk in
disobedience unto God, then we have lost our savour and our walk becomes
like the people of the world, and we lose all of our savour and worthy
only of timely destruction at the hands of men.
Matt.
5:14-16
Matt. 5:14 "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is
set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put
it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all
that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they
may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
The above scripture says that the disciples are the light of
the world. We should ask ourselves what kind of light and what kind of
world is being addressed? It is either a natural light or a spiritual
light. Likewise, the world will be either a natural world or a
spiritual world. In order to be consistent, if it is natural then both
the light and the world must be natural. If, however, it is spiritual,
then both the light and the world must be spiritual. Obviously then,
both the light and the world are spiritual. The disciples are the
spiritual light of the spiritual world. The disciples are not the
spiritual light of the natural world of all mankind. Those who have not
been born of the Spirit of God have no spiritual eyes in which to see
the spiritual light of God's disciples. Only those who have been born
of the Spirit have eyes to see and can therefore see the spiritual light
being manifest by the disciples of Christ. The disciples are the
spiritual light of the elect world.
Where did the spiritual light come from? According to John
1:9 "That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into
the world." Jesus made us light or lighted us when we were born of the
Spirit of God. He makes us light and gives us spiritual eyes in which
to see spiritual things.
When the scripture says that we are the light of the world,
in what way are we light? The light that shines forth are the good
works of God's obedient people. According to Eph. 2:10 we are created
or born spiritually unto good works: "For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them." Doing the good works glorifies God: John
15:8 "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall
ye be my disciples."
We are to let our light so shine before men that they may
see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. In other words, we
are to live our lives in such a way that it manifests the truth of God.
God's born again people who have spiritual eyesight can then see our
good works and glorify God.
We are not to hide our light (as under a bushel), but
manifest it by putting it on a candlestick. The candlestick in the
scriptures is associated with the Lord's church. Thus, we are to press
into the Lord's church kingdom and be His disciples there in the church
and manifest the love of God in our hearts by doing the good deeds
taught in his word. Thus, we give light unto all that are in the house
(church) as well as giving light unto God's people outside the church.
Collectively, the disciples are compared to a city that is
set upon a hill. This city is typical of the local church in which all
the members are collectively letting each of their lights shine (living
lives to the honor and glory of God) and it gives light to God's people
in the community in which they live. It, therefore, becomes like a city
that is set upon a hill and gives light to those who otherwise would be
in darkness.
Notes on Matthew 5 Continue | 
