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Articles
Beattitude Series
n Matt. 5:20 Jesus in teaching on the sermon on the mount said, "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." Our righteousness, what is required by our Lord under the gospel order of things, must exceed, surpass, excel, be better than the righteousness of the Pharisees and the scribes. Our righteousness must be within our hearts, that affects the very heart and core of our being and soul. The religious folks of Jesus day, their righteousness was only superficial, shallow, external. They were more concerned with what men thought, than what God thought and required. Jesus in the sermon on the mount seeks to show men what would be required and expected in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, and anything less would not be accepted nor recognized. Our Lord deals with attitudes we ought to be, in Matt.5:3-12. There is a progressive nature in the thoughts that are given, as well as a overall cumlitative teaching in the beatitudes. Each of the 8 beatitudes begins with the word blessed which means delighted, a genuine joy of mind and heart. It is somewhat different from happiness in that happiness is related to what is "happening" to us. If things on the outside are well and going good, we are happy. Yet in blessedness it is possible that a man could be blessed and joyful, while setting in prison, beaten, humiliated, and having your feet in stocks, consider Acts 16:22-25.
