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So, you
see,
rhe ..sermon" on rhe
mounr was noca sermon ar al!, but a
privare, personal lesson Jesus gavc ro
His disciples. He was sirring down.
"The Beacirudes"
The nexr few verses are among rhe
bcsr-known
in
che enrire Bible. Per–
haps many of you can say rhem by
memory. Thar is exacrly why
J
wanred ro write rhis anide.
1
wanred
ro analyze, carefully, every single one
of rhem.
1
wanred ro rake rhe clear,
besr-known pares of Chrisr's reachings
- and show you by them how
urrerly removed from rrue Chri st ian–
¡
ry are mose professing Chrisrians
roday.
Chrisr said, "Blessed are rhe poor
in spirir: for rheirs
is
rhe kingdom of
heaven" (verse 3).
Whar does ir mean, ro be "poor"
in spirir? Cenainly Chrisr didn'r mean
co be lacking in rhe Spirir of God, for
He urges. rhrough Perer, "Grow in
grace, ami in rhe knowledge of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Chrisr"
(II Perer 3:
18),
and inspired Paul ro
wrire, ·· ow if any man have not che
Spirir of Christ, he is none of his"
(Rom. 8:9). Jesus said. '·If ye rhen,
being evil, know how ro give good
gifrs unto your children: how much
more shall your heavenly Farher give
che Holy Spirir ro rhem rhar ask
him?" (Luke
11:13.)
No, Jesus doesn'r mean ro LACK
rhe Spiri r of God, as rhe foolish vir–
gins (Mate. 25 ), bur means blessed are
rhosc who are rruly lowly, humblc,
yielding in acritude of hearr and
mind!
How many "Chrisrians" are rruly
Chrisrlike in spirir? Jesus was com–
plercly ·'poor in spirir"! He was com–
plcrcly humble! A grearer man ncver
livcd. A man never lived who cou ld
cxcrcise more giganric, all-encompass–
ing power rhan Chrísr. There never
was a more dynamic, lively, energeric,
personable, ralenred man. 1l1ere never
was a man wirh more reason ro ger all
"pufled up" and proud - filled wirh
human vaniry. Bur yer. Jesus was
humble! Paul wrore, "Be of rhe samc
PLAIN TRUTH November 1972
mind one roward anorher. Mind nor
high rhings, bur condescend ro men
of low esrare. Be nor wise in your
own conceits" (Rom.
12: 16).
Chrisr wenr abour wirh publicans,
sinners, harlors and rhe very lowesr
(in man's eyes) of rhe sociery of His
day. For rhis He was consranrly criri–
cized by rhe haughry, proud, puffed–
up denominarional leaders of rhar
rime.
\'<lhar abour our rime?
Ir jusr isn'r roo ·'popular" ro com–
forr a diseased, amícrcd pcrson, tOcare
for invalids, ro givc somerhing of
yourself ro someonc who is really in
necd, is ir? To be really poor in spiri r
is a grear rariry rodar.
"Theirs Is rhe Kíngdom
of Heaven"
Here is rhe nexr diamcrric oppo–
~ire.
Skipping ahead jusr rwo verses,
Jesus said, "Biessed are the meek, for
they shall inherir rhe carrh." Does
Chri sr mean ro irnply rhc "poor in
spirir" are going ro "hcavcn." bur rhe
meek are going ro remain on earrh?
Look ar ir. Whar do<.-s ir say' If
Jesus promised he:tven ro rhe poor in
spirir, rhen ir is very clearlr srared rhe
meek are going ro sray on <.-arrh!
Bur did Jesus promise "heaven" ro
rhe poor in spirir?
No! Nowhere in all rhe Bible is
heaven promised as che rcward of thc
saved. Here is anorher grcar opposire
rhar is rhe vet)' basis of ·'Christian"
doctrine roday - and ir did not come
our of rhe Bible.
Read ir again carefully. Chrisr said,
"Blcssed are rhe poor in spírir: for
rheírs is rhe kingdom OF heaven' '
(verse 3). That lirrle worcl •·or" gua li–
lics che verse, makes ir plain. Ir is a
kingdom God promiscs His elecr - a
kin gdom ru led by God FROM
HEAVEN! Ir ís a kingdom OF hcaven,
bur nora kingdom
IN
heaven - and
rhcre is a grear differcnce! r orice jusr
a few of rhe hundrcds of Biblical
proofs.
Jesus ís picrured in Luke
19
as a
you ng nobleman who wcnr inro a far
counrry ro ger for himself a kingdom
- and ro rcrurn. When He rerurns,
he apporrions RUI.ERSHI
P
ro Hís L1irh–
fu l servanrs ovcr ciries, on chis carrh.
Rcad Lukc
19: 12-27.
John was inspircd ro wri re, of rhe
saínrs of God, "And hase made us
unro our God kings and priesrs: and
we shall reign ON THE EARTH"! (Rcv.
5:10.)
Jesus promises, ..To him rhar
overcomerh will I granr ro sir wirh
me in my rhrone. even as I also over–
came, and am ser down wirh my
Farher in his rhronc" (Rev
3:21).
Chrisr camc ro inhcrir rhc "rhronc of
His farher David" (Luke
1:32)
which
is on chis carch!
The Aposrle Paul wrore thar a
Christian 's ci rizenship is
in
heavcn.
He likened rhe saines ro foreigners, as
did Perer, and as srrangers. sojourning
in a srrangc counrry. ·'for our conver–
sarion ("cirizenship,'' margin] is in
heaven; FROM whence [He is ro
re tu rn ro rhc
eat·th]
also we look for
rhe Saviour, thc Lord Jesus Chrisr"
(Phil.
3:20).
Many prophccies illuscrare the
rerurn of Chrisr ro rhis earrh and His
rule over rhc earrh. Daniel's second
and sevenrh chaprers borh illusrrarc
Chrisr ruling on earrh. "... And rhc
srone [which is Chrisr] rhar smore
thc imagc bccame a grear mounrain
[ rype of a kingdom - or a govern–
menr], and
~ lled
rhe
tvhole eartb"
(Dan . 2:35).
"!
saw in rhe night
visions, and, bchold, one like rhc Son
of man came wirh rhe clouds of
beaven ... and rherc was given him
dominion, and glory, and a kingdom,
rhar all pcoplc, narions and languages.
should serve him: his dominion is an
everl asr ing dominion, which shall nor
pass away, and his kingdom rhar
which sha ll not be desrroyed" (Dan.
7:13-14).
People, narions and lan–
guages are
on this eartb.
"These grear
beasrs, which are four, are four kings,
which shall arise
ONI
of the eat'lh.
Bur
rhe saines of rhe mosr High shall take
rhe kingdom. and possess the king–
dom for ever, even for ever and cver''
(Dan.
7: 17-18).
Thc saines - Chris-
29