photo #8901325

2. And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,Matthew 5:2. Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount. Using nine phrases like a ladder, as the spiritual life progresses, the higher you climb the ladder. An example is the spiritually poor; they are blessed because they know that they are sinful and rebellious, having nothing to offer God—no spiritual assets, spiritually bankrupt. And for this, they mourn. And they become meek before God. And then they hunger and thirst for righteousness. And they learn mercy, being shown mercy by God. And their heart, through repentance and the grace of Christ, seeks to be pure. And at this stage, in the midst of a sinful world, they become peacemakers. Now they shall be persecuted for following Christ, being falsely accused of all manner of evil. This sermon says, "Blessed are," not "going to be," but immediately. The poor in spirit, having to beg God for forgiveness, are now on their way to being pure in heart. We see a process of the Spirit doing a work daily to turn us into Christ's image. We need Almighty God, we need Christ, and we need the Holy Ghost. Amen.