In this, the final part of the series on God’s Portrait of a Blessed Life we shall be considering the last three traits which portray the blessed life.

The Blessed Life: The Pure in Heart

God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God – Matthew 5:8, NLT

Christ spoke of the blessedness of maintaining a pure heart before God. God is not in search of men with a form of godliness who deny the power thereof, but He looks out for men whose hearts are pure before Him. In His days on earth, Christ chided the Scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy thus, “How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence!” (Matthew 23:25).

The reward for maintaining a pure heart, according to our text is that we shall see God. This does not just connote seeing God in eternity, but seeing Him in every affair of our lives. God always shows up right on time for the pure in heart; such a person cannot be stranded in life because the purity of his or her life attracts God’s abiding presence. God will not hesitate to reveal Himself to the pure in heart. We must trust the Lord to free us from every religious ritual like the Pharisees which only culminates in an outward show of activities without the real manifestation of the life of God. 

God always shows up right on time for the pure in heart; such a person cannot be stranded in life because the purity of his or her life attracts God’s abiding presence.

Of Himself, Christ speaking said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). For Christ, the core of the matter is the issue of the heart, ‘…I am gentle and lowly in heart…’ It is only in this state that our souls find rest. When we maintain a pure heart before God and men, then will we be bold to approach the throne of grace, and call Him Abba Father. We must strive by His grace to make this our daily experience just as it was for the Apostle Paul; “Therefore, I always exercise and discipline myself [mortifying my body, deadening my carnal affections, bodily appetites, and worldly desires, endeavoring in all respects] to have a clear (unshaken, blameless) conscience, void of offense toward God and toward men” (Acts 24:16, AMPC). 

It is by this (purity of life), that all men will know that we are children of God.

The Blessed Life: The Peacemakers

God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God – Matthew 5:9, NLT

Every child has semblance to the parents or relatives, and it is by this that such a person is identified. So likewise it is in the spirit life: we bear the likeness of the one who begets us spiritually. In the above passage, we are told that one mark that identifies us as offspring of God is the ability to work for, and maintain peace with all men. The author of Hebrews enjoins us to “make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy: without holiness, no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14, NIV). 

In a related Scripture, the Apostle Paul also exhorts us to “Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible” (Romans 12:18). In both Scriptures, the emphasis is to live in peace with ‘everyone’ – believers and non-believers inclusive. This implies that as believers, we are to ensure that peace reigns wherever we are found; the onus to maintain peace lies on us. The world has got so much trouble already, the need for peace is inevitable and we are the carriers of that peace. In being united with Christ who is the Prince of peace, we are by default meant to express the same to a troubled world. 

In being united with Christ who is the Prince of peace, we are by default meant to express the same to a troubled world. 

Do you live in a neighbourhood where trouble abounds? You’re called to be the peacemaker. Do you have some troublesome colleagues in your workplace? Always remember, you’re Christ’s bridge for reaching and winning them. Therefore, show them the way of peace by expressing the likeness of your Father in heaven.

The Blessed Life: Hope for the Persecuted

You are blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s Kingdom – Matthew 5:10, MSG

It is of utmost importance to know that part of the blessings of following Jesus is persecution (suffering, provoked by our commitment to Christ) (Mark 10:29-30). This truth is confirmed by the various books of the Bible – from the Patriarchs to the Prophets, and down to the Apostles in the New Testament. Each of these saints, who walked with God, had their share of this suffering for His sake. As we declare our intention to follow Jesus, the world tends to turn its fangs against us, but the good news is, “Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37, AMP). 

The believer of today also suffers persecutions such as victimization in the workplace, being disowned by family, imprisonment, denial of rights, and so on. Saints of old counted it a great joy and privilege to suffer for Christ’s sake (Acts 5:41), so also must we see persecution. The Apostle James in his charge to us exhorts, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy” (James 1:2, NLT).

Christ, in the latter part of today’s opening text makes it clear that persecution drives us deeper into the Kingdom. This implies that the more we are persecuted, the closer we are to the Kingdom of God. The persecution you encounter today is not to break you, but to make you conform to the image of the Son of God, and qualify you for the Kingdom. 

The persecution you encounter today is not to break you, but to make you conform to the image of the Son of God, and qualify you for the Kingdom.  

As you ponder over God’s considerations of a blessed life as described in the beatitudes, may you receive grace to walk worthy and be pleasing to Him in all things.