The Salvation of Jesus Christ
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted,” (Matthew 5:4).
The previous verse states that those who are poor in spirit are the ones who will enter the kingdom of Heaven. To be poor in spirit is to recognize your situation apart from Christ. That is, without Him, you are lost.
“For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23). The realization that one must come to in their lives is the fact that they have sinned and have been separated from God. To be separated from God is a realization that should strike fear into one’s life. The reason for this is that “the wages of sin is death,” (Romans 6:23a). When one realizes the consequences of their actions, and the inevitable future those consequences hold, it should undoubtedly be a mournful experience.
Fortunately, however, there is a latter part to the initial verse that we looked at. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted,” (Matthew 5:4).
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost,” (Luke 19:10). God created man perfect, however, man chose to leave that relationship with God and go their own way. One of the problems with this was the fact that there was no way back into that perfect relationship and community with God. In the Old Testament they would make animal sacrifices to God on behalf of the people’s sins. Of course, this was not sufficient as the Hebrews writer states that “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins,” (Hebrews 10:5).
Jesus, the Son of God, left His perfect home above in Heaven to come to earth to “save the lost.” It was because of His great sacrifice that we too can have eternal life in Heaven when our life on earth is finished.
“‘Behold, I have come to do your will.’ He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for His feet. For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified,” (Hebrews 9-14).
Perhaps one of the most comforting verses in all of scripture is Romans 6:23. “For the wages of sin is death.” Thankfully, this is not the end of the verse. Paul goes on to write “but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Romans 6:23).
It is when one recognizes their spiritual condition, becomes poor in spirit, mourns because of their lost condition, that they can be comforted through the loving sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted,” (Matthew 5:4).
Be Comforted in the Salvation of Jesus Christ!
