Attitudes and actions that garner God’s blessings
• What is this series about?
• An examination of 21 attitudes and behaviors
identified in the New Testament as “blessed”
• A look at Christian conduct and characteristics
that will enrich our lives with lasting joy
• A look at the condition of those who lack
these qualities
• Why study this?
• To understand God’s explanation of happiness and
how we can reach it
• To understand how the world’s definition of
happiness does not truly satisfy
• Solomon found futility in the accumulation of
worldly wisdom and knowledge, in the pursuit of
pleasure, the collection of wealth and
possessions, in labor, in the oppression of
enemies; concluded: fear God & obey Him
• Outline
• Definitions of terms
• Today’s blessing is on the poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3)
• The blessing they receive
• The cursed life
• Definition of terms
• Blessed (Greek: makarios)
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Webster: “of or enjoying happiness; bringing pleasure,
contentment, or good fortune”
Vine’s Expository Dictionary: happy, the state of happiness
New Bible Dictionary: “used in Pagan Greek literature to describe
the state of happiness and well-being such as the gods enjoy”
• Beatitude (Latin: beatitudo, from beatus)
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Webster: “a state of utmost bliss”
The blessings of the beatitudes are moral joy and spiritual gain,
not just material prosperity.
• Blessed are the poor in spirit (Matt. 5:3)
• “poor in spirit” = humble in the heart, contrite
• Admits a dependency upon God, rather than
arrogance in one’s own self-sufficiency
• Humble before God
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Isa. 57:15 – God prefers the company of such…
Matt. 23:12 – God exalts such as these…
Jms. 4:6 – God gives to grace to such as these…
• Humble before other people
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Rom. 12:16 – do not think yourself better than others
Phil. 2:3 – regard others as greater than self
1 Pet. 5:5-6 – humility toward others and God
• The blessing they receive (Matthew 5:3)
• “theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (the church)
• Who is greatest in the kingdom? (Matt. 18:1-4)
• Humble people put others first, and serve them. God
rewards such behavior (Matt. 25:34-40)
• They enjoy the righteousness, peace, and joy of the
kingdom (Rom. 14:17)
• “The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD are
riches, honor and life” (Prov. 22:4)
• Humble people are happy people, for they trust in
God’s grace to bring them safely to heaven, rather
than trusting in themselves or other created beings
• The cursed life
• The opposite of poor in spirit: haughty, arrogant
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They seek to gain advantage for self (Jude 1:16)
“boastful pride of life” (1 John 2:16)
“take pride in appearance and not in heart” (2 Cor. 5:12)
“jealousy and selfish ambition” (Jms. 3:14-16)
• Cursed: too proud to admit their need for God
• They cannot enter the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9-10)
• They will never find true happiness, only a constant
pursuit from one temporary, unfulfilling pleasure to
the next temporary, unfulfilling pleasure
• Cursed are the haughty in spirit, for theirs is the
kingdom of hell (Ps. 101:5; Prov. 21:4)
• Summary
• The one who is lowly in spirit finds happiness!
• The one who is lowly in spirit is heir to God’s kingdom
• The one who lacks humility finds no lasting joy and
cannot enter the kingdom
• The blessed life begins with an humble attitude
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!
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Believe in Jesus Christ (John 14:1; Acts 16:30-34)
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Repent of your past sins (Acts 17:30; 2 Peter 3:9)
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Baptism puts you into Christ (Romans 6:3-5; Galatians 3:27)
Baptism is for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16)
Baptism saves you (1 Peter 3:21)
Be faithful until death (Revelation 2:10)
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Declare your belief that Jesus is God’s Son (Acts 8:37)
Receive Baptism (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:41; Acts 8:12)
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Commit yourself to holy conduct (Acts 26:30; Titus 2:11-12)
Confess your faith (Matthew 10:32)
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That He died for your sins and was resurrected (1 Cor. 15:3-4)
Trust His grace and obey His commands (Hebrews 5:9)
Or face the retribution due to those who do not obey
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2 Thessalonians 1:8; Romans 2:8; John 3:36
Pray without ceasing…Practice what Jesus preached…Prepare for our next assembly