By James Fire
The following study covers CHAPTER 5:1-8
What does the word ‘beatitude’ actually mean? Have you ever wondered? One rendering says, “To be supremely blessed, consecrated, and holy, in a state of bliss”.
Those who follow the truth as expressed by the LORD in this chapter will certainly know (even if they don’t understand) this bliss and peace; yet there must be no mistake: in order to follow the Truth Incarnate, His Spirit must be the one to empower and enable them by indwelling their person!
Christianity is not, and cannot (successfully) be a mere philosophy or a set or principles for ‘moral man’ to abide by. The one statement alone, made by our LORD should put an end to any such endeavor: MATT 5:48!
Christianity is “Christ in us, the hope of glory” (COL 1:27)!
The apostle Paul likewise deals with the moral man in his treatise found in the book of ROMANS 2:1-16 (See the TTUF study of Romans, chapter Two).
Certainly the principles laid out by the LORD here are absolutely contrary to the edicts and principles and philosophy of this world which is ruled by Satan.
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By James Fire
CHAPTER FOUR – PART ONE
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, it wasn’t merely the arrival of the Son of God Who would bring the Gospel message to fallen man, for the redemption of souls; it was a Holy Invasion into enemy territory with the intent of defeating Satan, the ruler of the rebel world system, as was promised as early as . . .
GENESIS 3:15
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Satan being expert in the Scriptures, knowing full well what they said, realized the implications of the prophetic Word and understood that the Babe of Bethlehem would be the One to confront him in what would seem to be the Battle of the Ages, the War of all wars, the Supreme Strategy that would end, if he couldn’t stop it, the reign of sin.
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By James Fire
THE KING THAT DWELLS OUTSIDE CHRONOLOGY –
The ETERNAL GOD is not subject to time or space, and therefore is well able to observe past, present and future events simultaneously and knows all things before they happen; whereas we who are creatures (both human and angelic) bound within the confines of the space/time continuum, when left to ourselves, see the present, remember the past, and can only guess at the future.
This is where the Holy Bible leaves all other religious books that claim authenticity as the works of Deity behind; the Scriptures audaciously speak of future events before they ever happen because the Author of these Scriptures has ‘been there, done that’.
ISAIAH 46:9-10
9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
God is the only One Who can make that boast. Earlier in ISAIAH the LORD taunts the false gods of the nations and challenges them to foretell the future (if they can!):
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By James Fire
CHAPTER THREE –
At this time I would like to resort to Dr. Scofield’s notes and provide the thematic outline on Matthew’s Gospel that he produced:
"THEME: The scope and purpose of the book are indicated in the first verse. Matthew is the "book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David; the Son of Abraham" (MATT 1:1). This connects him at once with two of the most important of the Old Testament Covenants: the Davidic Covenant of kingship (2 SAM 7:8-16), and the Abrahamic Covenant of promise (GEN 15:18).
"Of Jesus Christ in that twofold character, then, Matthew writes. Following the order indicated in the first verse, he writes first of the King, the son of David; then of the Son of Abraham, obedient unto death, according to the Isaac type GEN 22:1-18; HEB 11:17-19.
"But the prominent character of Christ in Matthew is that of the covenanted King, David's "righteous Branch" JER 23:5; 33:15. Matthew records His genealogy; His birth in Bethlehem the city of David, according to MICAH 5:2, the ministry of His forerunner according to MAL 3:1. His rejection by Israel; and His predictions of His second coming in power and great glory.
"Only then (Matthew chapters 26-28) does Matthew turn to the earlier covenant, and record the sacrificial death of the son of Abraham.
This determines the purpose and structure of Matthew. It is peculiarly the Gospel for Israel; and, as flowing from the death of Christ, a Gospel for the whole world.
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By James J. Fire
It must be stated that the description of a saint, (that is, one who is sanctified, set apart for God and from the world in this context) is an ideal that we are all growing in and should desire.
We are all at different stages of spiritual development: some are babes in Christ, others are young in the faith, there are those somewhat older and wiser; then there are those elders who have walked with the LORD for many years and bear an even greater resemblance to Him.
None of us are perfect however, and none of us have attained the level of maturity whereby we can claim all of the attributes listed below, consistently, all of the time. Yet this description of a saint is by the grace of God, something that we may, over the course of our lives, acquire in increasing measure to become more like our LORD. May this encourage the saints to truly seek God and His empowering Spirit of grace to become more like JESUS, day by day!
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