8/12/2019 1990 Issue 4 - The Beautiful Beatitudes - Counsel of Chalcedon
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The first
four
men that Jesus called were fishermen. Peter and
Andrew were brothers and they were the first called. And very
soon after he called them
to follow Him, He
called two
more
brothers,
James
and John,
also fishermen.
Jesus had a
very
simple
message as
He began His ministry -- Repent; for
the
kingdom of beaven is at hand. He went about
healing every sort
of
sickness
and
disease and news
of
him
spread
all around.
and great multitudes began
to
follow
him,
not just from Galilee but from all regions of the land
of
Palestine
.Matthew records for us
the
Sermon
on
the Mount. This was
not just a
sermon for
the
'multitudes
of Jesus' day but it
was
a
sennon
for all his
followers
of all time. It has
timeless truth
o n e ~ g
what
it means to be
a Christian. The very essence
of
spirituality, true spirituality, is
taught
in this sennon.
Every Christian must
ask
himself
this
question,
Do I
manifest
these
spiritual characteristics?
Do
the beatitudes
describe
me? If
oot, can
I
truly expect the blessings that are
lisled
in
these
beatitudes?
I am
sure that every person would
desire the blessings of the beatitudes,
to
be called a
son
of
God, to see
God,
to inherit
the
kingdom
of
heaven, to inherit
the
earth. These blessings are limited to those who do
manifest these spiritual characteristics. There are no
exceptions.
So
the sennon ought
to be of
surpassing
importance for every one who
reads these
words
today. I
would
h pe
for you what
I
would hope for myself, that
the
blessings
enumerated
by
Christ might be a certainty
for you So,
it is a
most worthwhile study to
know
what these spiritual
characteristics
are
and see them manifested in each of our
lives.
l HOW DO
'IHESE SPIRITUAL QUALITIES COME
ABOUT?
1. It ought to
be
said at the outset that a great disservice
has
been done to Christianity by those who separate Cluistians
into
two
groups --
the religious
and the
laity, the exceptional
Cluistian
from
ihe ordinary Christian, the full-time Christian
from the part-time Christian. This
is
unscriptural. There is no
~ u h
distinction in
the
Bible. We
can
say that there
are
offices
to
which
some Christians
are
called, but all Cluistians are
to
be
alike
in
their character.
All
Christians are to manifest all
of
the spiritual qualities
of
the beatitudes. All Christians are
called to
be
saints.
1be
Roman Church canonizes some
Christians, but the New Testament
does
not
do
that. for all
Christians
are
canonized. This idea that the Christian life in
its highest sense is only for a small number of special, chosen
people is totally out
of
accord with the teaching of Cluist and
His apostles.
2.
Secondly, we must make a distinction between natural
endowments
and
spiritual endowments. You may hear
or
know of a person
who'
has nothing whatever to
do
with
Christianity;
who
seldom
i f
ever darkens the door
of
a church;
who
makes
no
claim
to
being a Christian;
who
nonetheless is
a model person. This person
is
gentle and kind, courteous and
helpful. He never prays or reads a Bible. On the other hand.
he
is not harsh or judgmental and always seems to be lending
a
helping hand when needed;
and
is a good community worker
and a good neighbor.
So
a person who looks at
the
outward
characteristics
of
this person and says, Well that person may
not
go to
church or claim any religion at
all,
but
he
certainly
seems
to be living like a Cluistian should. and so
we
ought to
believe that
he
must be a Christian after all in spite of his
practical denial
of
the Christian faith.
Some people
by
natural disposition are quiet, unassuming,
friendly
and
even
kind.
And
there are many people who have
very noble qualities who
make
no
claim
whatsoever to being
Cluistian.
So
how can we tell the difference? The beatitudes
do
not describe natural temperaments which a person may
have simply by virtue of his natural endowments at birth and
perhaps cultivated and refined as life matures. No. What the
beatitudes describe are spiritual endowments,
the
dispositions
and characteristics produced by
the
grace
of
God and the Spirit
of God The
beatitudes
are
not depicting persons who have a
natural, biological, physical niceness about them, who have
pleasant temperaments.
If
that were the case
then
those who
were born with a mean streak, or an aggressive nature, or a
bad temper, would not have a chance.
It
would be totally
unfair to say that only those who could fit the description by
reason
of
natural disposition would be eligible for the
Kingdom
of
God.
But, thank
God. it
is not that way.
f
t were, I could never
have become a Cluistian. No matter what
our
biological
disposition
may
be our genes do not qualify or disqualify us
from the kingdom
of
God.
The
central glory
of
the gospel is
that it can take the proudest man
by
nature and
make
him poor
in spirit
The thing about it is, the Christian and the non-Christian
are
spiritually different.
II. TO BE POOR IN SPIRIT IS UNNATURAL
1.
I said
in
the beginning that the Christian must exhibit
in
his life all of the beatitudes, not just one or two. And
foremost
of
all
is the
first one -- to be poor
in
spirit.
This
is
absolutely contrary to what the natural man wants
to be
or
thinks
about himself.
The
nice person I described who
is
totally disinterested in the gospel, does not see himse
lf as
being poor
in
spirit.
The
natural man
has
a high regard for self-
The Counsel
of
Chalcedon May 1990
Page
3
8/12/2019 1990 Issue 4 - The Beautiful Beatitudes - Counsel of Chalcedon
2/2
.-
.
.
.
t
'
;: ..
I
" ,
_:, ,
.
:
:
z
' .
. reliat)ce, self.coh,fi
said'of
himself
,
the king. But
when
Uzziah 'died, God I am
he
chkfof &buuri."
gave
Isaiah a
vision of the Lord on
His
There is ~ a single Ouistian who
throne ofglory,
and wheri he saw the will
.not come
.to the
place
where
he
is
Lord he said, Woe is me, for
I
am U Uly able to see i m s ~
as
poor. n . .
ruined because I
am a man oj spirit.
without any
r i g h ~ r i e s S
of
his
unclean
lips,
an.d I
iive among
a QWllj wh< his own .
p opl of
unclean lips;
form} .
insufficiency
and poverty ofSpiritapart .
eyes
have
seen .he King, the
,
frpm
the gr:ace
of G()(l
This is
idvork '
Lord o fHosts.';:
(Isa. 6:5)
When i h ~
Lotddoes mall'qfitis
clrl1drett Th e
.
Isaiahgot a
vision
Of
the
Holiness of
. , SUtneJ'
must see himSelf as ,I IJined, ...
God he
became
poor irt spirit .helpless,
d e f l l ~
'
and
Witliol thope
of
When
GideOn
saw the
angel
of
the
h ~ a v e n
~ c q > t
in Ute
Y
n4
Lord
he
became poor in spirit and said, . . goodneSs OfGOd in esns Olrist. . .
"Alas, 0
Lord
God
For
now I
. I ask you the questi()n .U;day, Do 'yoo
have seen th angel
of
th e LQTd
truiy
have th.at blessing myour life.
face
to
face ." (Judges 6:22) Are you poor in.spirit? Have you come
Peter
had been
a boastful.
and
self-
to
Christ for
cleanSing and anew beait?
confident man until he met
the
Lord
BLESSED ARE
ntE
POOR IN
Jesus,
and
then he said on one occasion, SPIRIT FOR THEIRS ISTIIE
"Depart
from me
Lord,
for
I
am
r
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN..
The Counsel of Chalcedon May, 1990 P a ~ ~ g e 4
,
Coming
to
Christ in repentmce
and
. faith
involves
a
self-awareness of my
sinfulness and insufficiency apart from
Him.
The hymn by Joseph
Hart
sqms
it
up well. . . .
o ~ ye sinners,
poot
and needy,
~
and wounded, sick.
and
sore; .
Jesus
ready stands
to
save Y.OU,
Full of
p1ty,
Io\le
and
poW'r.
~ o ~ Y.e
thirst}',
c
ome
IJ1d
welcome,
Gods
free bounty
glorify;
True belief
and
true t a Q c e
Evry grace
that
brings
you
mgh
.
Let not conscience
make
you linger,
Nor
of
fitness fond
ly
dreain;
All the fitnesS
He
requireth
Is to feel your need of Him.
Come, ye we;ary, heary laden,
LOst
and ruinea
bl tlie
fall;
I f ~ ~ ~ n e ~ e i : : : b ~
I
will
a,rise II d go to J ~ u s
He
willembrace me m ills
armil;
In the arms of my dear Savior,
0,
there are
ten th.ousand
charms.
,
;,
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, O
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j
I
o
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o
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r,
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