LIVING THE BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIAN LIFE

08-10-08

Commentary: Chapters 5-7 in the book of Matthew are called the “Sermon on the Mount” because Jesus delivered this sermon, perhaps over several days, on a hillside near Capernaum. Jesus introduced His sermon by teaching nine beatitudes or blessings that may only be ascribed to a born-again person. In this sermon, Jesus proclaimed that position, authority, and money are not important in His kingdom; what matters is faithful obedience from the heart. The Sermon on the Mount was not given as the way of salvation for the lost, but as the way of life for true children of the kingdom. It was instruction for living the Christian life for those who had responded to Jesus’ invitation to “repent” (Mat 4:17). The quality of life described herein is the inevitable product of grace - alone, for Jesus describes a life-style which no human being could live in his own power, i.e., without the indwelling supernatural presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Embodied throughout the Sermon on the Mount is a summation of Jesus’ basic ethical teaching of the life of a born-again person. This message does not tell one how to be saved; it tells one what it is like to be saved. It explains the qualities and characteristics of the born-again life being changed (Rom 12:1,2) by the saving grace of God through the Holy Spirit (Phil 1:6). If we do not find ourselves identifying with and increasingly living according to the thoughts and life-style patterns described by Jesus in this sermon, we will find ourselves using God’s message only to promote our own personal interests, and our eternal salvation in question.

  1. beatitude = Dict: 1. supreme blessedness; exalted happiness.
  2. (Mat 4:17) From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent[Gk: to think differently, i.e. reconsider]: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
  3. (Rom 12:1,2) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that yepresent your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed[Gk: changed, transfigured]by the renewing[Gk: renovation /// restoration]of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
  4. (Phil 1:6) Being confident of this very thing, that he [the Holy Spirit]which hathbegun a good work in you will perform it [Gk: continue it toward completion] until the day of Jesus Christ[i.e., the Day of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ - completion]:

THE NINE BEATITUDES

(Mat 5:1,2) And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set[seated in formal teaching mode], his disciples[Gk: learners, i.e. pupils] [students] came unto him: And he opened[Gk: anoigo, an-oy'-go]his mouth [i.e., He opened the heavens: Mat 3:16; He opened the Bible: John 1:14], and taught them, saying,

  1. (Mat 3:16) And Jesus[in accessible possession heretofore of “the earnest” of the Holy Spirit: 2 Cor 1:22; 5:5; Eph 1:14], when he was baptized[herein with the accessible fullness of the Holy Spirit], went up straightway out of the water: and, lo,the heavens [plural]were opened[Gk: anoigo, an-oy'-go]unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
  2. (2 Cor 12:1-5) It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body [a revelation], I cannot tell; or whether out of the body [a vision], I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise [Gk: a park, i.e. (spec.) an Eden (place of future happiness)], and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.
  3. Commentary: “the third heaven”: All three heavens were “opened unto him,” typified by the vertical (i.e., He has risen) compound of the Tabernacle, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place. (Exo 25-27). The horizontal Tabernacle represents our “experiential” life, whereas the vertical Tabernacle represents our “positional life.” The Tabernacle is also a typification of the body of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. The bones (the Law: hard, given for foundational structure – no forgiveness) ofthe body of Christ typify Jesus and us (all imputed for righteousness humanity) pictured in the valley of dry bones (the O.T.) which prophetically gain flesh and Spirit (Grace: soft, given for flexibility - forgiveness) in Ezekiel 37:1-14, and blood from Mary the wife of Joseph.
  4. (Ezek 37:1-14) The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open[Heb: shewbread]valley; and, lo, they were very dry[no Holy Spirit]. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breathto enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews[Heb: tendons] upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind[a symbol of the Holy Spirit], prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people,I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves [i.e., I will resurrect you], and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD. [same event: 1 Thes 4:13-18; Rev 20:4-6]
  5. (John 1:14) And the Word[of God]was made flesh [in the person of Jesus Christ], and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

THE FIRST BEATITUDE

(Mat 5:3) Blessed[Gk: happy]arethe poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

  1. Commentary: The English word “blessed” means “happy” in the Greek text. The word “blessed” may also quite rightly act as a wonderful synonym for born-again, for God only blesses His own children; God does not bless “the children of the wicked one” (Mat 13:38). Nine is the numerical symbol of the Holy Spirit in the Bible. The word “blessed” (Gk: happy) introduces each of the nineblessings of and upon the born-again life in the Sermon on the Mount. There are ninefruits of the Spirit (Gal 5:22,23), and there are ninegifts of the Spirit (1 Cor 12:8-10).
  2. Commentary: The connotation of “poor” utilized in this application is that born-again persons fully recognize that we are absolutely incapable of making ourselves the smallest bit any more spiritual (cf. richer in spirit) than God has already made us, and that we are in desperate need of God’s loving grace to even sustain our present poverty of spirit,and that we arewholly dependent upon God’s indwelling Holy Spirit to grow us upward toward fruit-bearing maturity (Phil 1:6) and our eternal inheritance in the kingdom of God/heaven. However, the very good news is that even the “poorest in spirit” of born-again Christians still have a mansion reserved for us in heaven. Hallelujah! Thank you Lord.
  3. (John 14:2) In my Father's house[figuratively, heaven]are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you[i.e., for the betrothed Bride of Christ].

Amen