The Beatitudes and Why They Matter
What are the beatitudes? what do they signify to believers? What role do they play in prayer?
In the book of Matthew, the scene of the sermon of the mount is rich in instruction both to the multitude of people who gathered to hear what Yeshua was saying and the apostles. Yeshua speaks about the characteristics of each and every single one of the attributes described in the list of beatitudes, and it doesn’t take long for anyone to realize that the standard set by Christ was one of perfection and almost impossible moral heights. In truth, if we tried on own strength to realize these attributes it wouldn’t be long before we would be overcome by the reality of exactly how difficult it is to live up to them. Here is where the gifts of faith and of the holy spirit are put into practice.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Yeshua: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Romans 3:23-25
However, we must keep into account that only God alone is righteous and it is this righteousness that is endowed to us in the acceptance of and through our faith in His son Yeshua. In that both Jew and Gentile are now both heirs of the promises of God. Two olive trees from which the fruit of faith and the testimony of Christ does compel us to obedience and through the gift of the holy spirit by whom we are enabled by the dunamis power of the resurrection. From which in having died in our place for the sins of the world he conquered death. Therefore, having accepted our messiah as Lord of our lives and in surrendering all area of our lives to him, it is His righteousness in us that transforms us to better fit the will of God. For this reason His word says that we should renew our minds and spirit, leaving all the old things that the world bound to us so that we may truly stand a new creation before the Lord.
This is sometimes easier for some than others, but we must not lose faith or be discouraged if we stumble but hold steadfast to our faith.
He is all powerful God for whom there is no challenge greater than He.
That the gift of the grace of God ( which is yet another gift his mercy in not only forgiveness but his provision and protection, given unto us without merit, but freely by God) strengthens the weakness that is our flesh by the power of the holy spirit which indwells in us through that same faith. In this way his love abounds, never departing from us so as long as we remain close to him and are careful not to reject or turn our backs on him.
How does this play a part in prayer?
The characteristics of the righteous man (or woman) in which God is pleased, not out of self righteousness, but rather in the transformation of the soul, life and mind of that believer. This is yet an other key element in the ways in which we should approach God in prayer. That we should live as he desires for us to and therefore fulfilling the qualifying part of our prayer life as outlined in Isaiah 58.