8 Truths to Master Life
(Matthew 5: 3-12: Beatitudes)
The “8 Truths to Master Life” were taken from the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) that Jesus gave on the Sermon on the Mount.
The Beatitudes of Jesus provide a way of life that promises salvation, they also provide peace in the midst of our trials and tribulations on this earth.
Take each one of your circumstances through these 8 truths below and see your character become more and more like Jesus. They go in order and line up with Beatitudes so can not go on to #2 until you agree in your heart with #1. It is a progression.
Beatitudes 1-4 we "receive" something and 5-8 we are "giving"
Beatitude #1
Matthew 5:3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
1. I confess my spiritual and moral bankruptcy and agree with Jesus’ words: “without me you can do nothing.”
Result: I am fully accepted and welcomed into God’s Family.
I am “Accepted.”
*When this happens, I am fully accepted into God’s family. Upon receiving Jesus and His work on the cross, of bearing my sin and His victory over death through His resurrection—I have the gift of eternal life.
Isaiah 55:1. “Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk—it’s all free!”
Luke 5: 31 Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.
Romans 3:18-26, 2 Corinthians 5:17
Beatitude #2
Matthew 5:4 God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
2. I honestly admit and regret that I have failed God, my family, myself and others.
Result: I receive God’s forgiveness and thankfully rest in His Peace.
I am “Forgiven.”
*This expresses the difference between-“I am truly sorry for my sin” versus I’m sorry I got caught.”
2 Corinthians 7:10. “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.”. Or: Psalm 32:5. “Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.”
Romans 5:18-21, Matthew 18:21
Beatitude #3
Matthew 5:5God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.
3. I sincerely ask the Holy Spirit to show me what I need to do and empower me to follow through in obedience.
Result: I am released from my need to control everything.
I am “Free.”
*The reason for this is that I now trust God, Who knows all, and He has promised those who are meek, that they will inherit the earth. Faith is God has freed one from the burden of trying to push, manipulate or force, in order to get one’s way.
Jeremiah 9:23,24. “This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!”
John 8:31-36, 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, Galatians 5:1,13,14
Beatitude #4
Matthew 5:6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.
4. I actively pursue God and His will through Scripture, prayer, and accountability to my fellow followers of Jesus Christ.
Result: I am filled with God’s love, sustained by His grace and satisfied because of His work in my life.
I am “Satisfied.”
*Accomplishing a project satisfies our need to be creative (for we are created in God’s image – God is the great creator) and we have a deep need to express that and experience the joy of a job well done. Being created in the Image of God, means we desire to know God – what greater filling could we experience?
Ephesians 3:17-19. “Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”
1 Timothy 6:6-10, Hebrews 10:19-25, Acts 1:18, 2 Peter 1:3, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, 2 Timothy 2:15
Beatitude #5
Matthew 5:7 God blesses those who are merciful,for they will be shown mercy.
5. I extend a loving, forgiving, accepting spirit toward others and act in like manner.
Result: I am positively involved in other people’s lives, and mutually encouraged.
I am “Kind hearted.”
*Because I have experienced the mercy of God, I will be merciful towards others. So having been blessed by God, I will want to bless others. The best way to do that is to be merciful. Basically that means: forgive. God has forgiven me through Christ. Because of that I must forgive myself. And I must forgive others. There is no revenge, no despising, no holding a grudge – but being merciful: forgiving, as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Matthew 25:37-40. “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
Luke 10:29-37, Hebrews 10:25-26
Beatitude #6
Matthew 5: 8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.
6. I make a commitment to be totally honest and thereby vulnerable to the Holy Spirit, my family and friends and myself.
Result: I’m being transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ my Lord.
I am “Honest.”
*We must recall that the Beatitudes are arranged as a Progression. There is a reason Jesus begins with poverty of spirit: then He moves to mourning and meekness and hungering and mercy. Now we come to purity of heart which is essentially sincerity, singleness of purpose, without hypocrisy – Honesty. Plus it means one is fair and square with everyone, no prejudice.
Because God speaks absolute truth, in order to master life we must be utterly sincere. The promise resulting is “they shall see God!” In Hebrews 11 we are told that Moses saw Him who is invisible. To see God is to know as He is, to understand Him as fully as we possibly can.
1 John 3:1-3. “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.”
Romans 1:18 Do not suppress the truth! Romans 12:1-3 Renew the mind!
Beatitude #7
Matthew 5:9 God blesses those who work for peace,for they will be called the children of God.
7. I bring a message of reconciliation, healing and hope to all who are open to hear.
Result: I have the privilege of bringing God to people and people to God.
I am “An Ambassador.”
*The Father is the great Peace Maker. But, that peace came at a great cost. Colossians 1 teaches us that the cost to God of reconciling (making peace) with us was Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross. Jesus has enabled anyone who will trust Him for forgiveness and healing and freedom, to be at peace with God.
2 Corinthians 5:20. “So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
Colossians 1:15-23, Mark 15:15, Isaiah 40:31
Beatitude #8
Matthew 5:10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
8. I am fully devoted to Jesus Christ, no matter what that will cost.
Result: I courageously and joyfully accept whatever comes my way because of my loyalty to Jesus Christ.
I am “Courageous.”
*For all the kindheartedness and sincerity and effort to make peace, the result may be rejection, persecution, perhaps even death. Many times Jesus taught that the rebellious human race would choose darkness rather than light. They would rather be their own God than acknowledge the One True God, Who gave His son for them. See John Chapters 3& 16. It takes courage to follow Jesus.
In summary, Jesus uses the last Beatitude to apply Kingdom Truths to His followers. When one is persecuted for the sake of Christ, they are identified with God’s Prophets through history and respond by jumping for joy. They are courageous ones and join Jesus Christ in His Victory.
Colossians 3:1-4 “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.”
1 Peter 4:12-17
The Bible is God’s word to all people. In it God reveals His character and His purposes. It was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian belief and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is truth without any mixture of error. John 1:1, Ephesians 6:17, 1 Corinthians 4:6, Proverbs 30:5 , 2 Timothy 1:13; 3:16 ,2 Peter 1:20-21, Hosea 4:6
Let us not suppress the Truth of God (Ro. 1:18) but, let us renew our minds (Ro. 12:2).