Matthew 5.9-12 [The Beatitudes in Action...]

R&R Devotional Bible Study
Matthew 5.9-12
The Beatitudes in Action
'Blessed are the peacemakers...'

Here in the beginning of The Lord Christ Jesus' first recorded sermon, we have been considering the attitude and demeanor of those who are in the kingdom of Heaven:
-Blessed are the poor in Spirit...
-Blessed are those who mourn...
-Blessed are the lowly...
-Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness...
-Blessed are the merciful...
-Blessed are the pure in heart...

As we have been discussing, these are not individual statements. Rather, they flow out of one another. Furthermore, all are incredibly important, and if a step is missed, then the next step cannot be taken.

Also, as we have discussed previously, a better way to understand this is that if we are sons of God, we are peacemakers, and it is Yahweh who causes this...

Thus, as we come to this last section here of peacemakers, if a step has been overlooked or not taken, the question arises:
'Can one be a peacemaker?'

We must once again look at a work of caution here...
These are spiritual blessings of God upon those who are His through The Lord Christ Jesus.
-Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Christ Jesus who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing through Christ [Ephesians 1.3]

Even when we look at what we might consider 'actions' such as mourning, mercy, and being a peacemaker...these are not merely things that mankind does on our own accord, in and of ourselves.

'9-Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.'

To understand what the peacemakers are, we first need to understand that peace is...

One of the titles of The Lord Christ Jesus is that He is the Prince of Peace...
-Upon His birth, the heavenly host praising God saying:
Luke 2.14 – 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is well pleased.'

Peace starts with God The Father...
Peace flows through and from the substitutional atoning work of The Lord Christ Jesus...
Peace is worked in us through the gracious indwelling of The Holy Spirit...

What then is this peace?

Peace can be defined as:
-Freedom from disturbance; tranquility
-A state or period in which there is no war, or war has ended

Once again, we have to look at mankind's reality, our natural state...
-We are conceived in corruption, and born into iniquity...
-Each and everyone of us are born spiritually dead...
-We are born slaves to sin, the world, and the evil one; we are part of the brood of vipers, in the family of the evil one...
-We are, by default, vessels of wrath

In our natural state, on our own accord we are not at peace with God. By default, we are at enmity with Yahweh.
As we are told in James 4.4:
'You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God...'

There has to be peace with Yahweh...
-Without peace, there is only the judgment and punishment and justice of Yahweh...
-This peace that is required is, in fact, required, but cannot be achieved by mankind at all...
-There is absolutely nothing at all we can do, or contribute to making peace [or being at peace] with Yahweh...

If we look at the manifesting work of The Holy Spirit, we see something quite telling:
Agape, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

We see that these are all the working of God within those who are truly of God...
-Peace is included in this list...
-This means that 'Peace' has to be worked in us by God and through God in order for there to be 'Peace'...
-This also means that without God working 'Peace' in us, there is no 'peace'...

Going back to what we are told in Luke 2.14:
'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is well pleased.'
-The peace from Yahweh only comes through The Lord Christ Jesus [God The Son], and through the gracious indwelling of The Holy Spirit [Galatians 5.22-23].

Looking also at the definition of Peace again:
Peace can be defined as:
-Freedom from disturbance; tranquility
-A state or period in which there is no war, or war has ended

Peace is not an emotion, rather it is a legal position in the presence of Yahweh...
-This position can only be obtained through the substitutionary atoning work of The Lord Christ Jesus...
-It is imputed upon those whom God alone wills, through The Lord Christ Jesus, through the gracious indwelling of The Holy Spirit...
-It is both the working and decision of God alone...

We have to understand peace in order to understand what the 'Peacemakers' is

The Peacemakers are the ones who proclaim the gospel, which every single one of us is supposed to do if we are truly of God.
-We will discuss this further in the next section were we are actually salt and light here in the world...
-We are to go and make disciples [learners] of all nations], teaching them to observe all that Yahweh has commanded...
If we are truly of God, we are a set apart people, a royal priesthood...
-We are ministers of the gospel...

As Paul says, knowing the terror of The Lord, we urge men to repentance...
-It is not just the preachers job to teach people, it is the congregations job to go out in their lives and be 'peacemakers' to the whole of the world in whatever capacity Yahweh has us in.
-The congregation has the ability to talk to people that a pastor would not naturally have..
-The Pastor/Elder/Overseers job is to feed and minister to the sheep...
-The sheep are supposed to be in the world and not of the world, being light and salt...

'10-Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'

'11-Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12-Rejoice and be glad, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.'

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