What does it look like to be like Jesus?

It can be overwhelming to think about the perfection of Jesus and the imperfection of ourselves.

The Bible is filled with charges, proverbs and parables of what it looks like to live like Jesus. My favorite, though, is Matthew 5, also known as the Sermon on the Mount or the Beatitudes.

What exactly are beatitudes? Well, that’s a great question! Like it sounds, "be-atitudes" are best described as the attitudes (or characteristics) that a believer should "be," hence the name.

Throughout Matthew 5, Jesus clearly lays out what believers should aspire to do and be.

In verses 3-12, we are presented with traits that should be practiced in our pursuit of Jesus. Every Christian is responsible for living out these attitudes. And no, we don't get to pick and choose our favorite ones. Instead, we are called to live out all of them.

The cool thing is that when we participate in the beatitudes, we are able to recognize one another because of it. Not only should these attitudes describe each individual believer, but they should describe the Church as a whole.

Let’s dig a little deeper in Matthew 5:3-12:

At the foundation of living like Jesus, we have to recognize our need for Jesus.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”

First off, the word blessed in the Greek means happy. Happiness, not based on our circumstances or surroundings, but happiness in a different form. In this verse, happiness is described as being completely satisfied in God.

Okay, now that we are using the world blessed correctly and not as a trendy hashtag, we can move on to what it means to be poor in spirit.

By nature, humans were created with purpose and dignity. When sin entered the world in Genesis 3, our spiritual condition changed.

Even though we still have purpose and dignity as image bearers of God, our spiritual condition made us enemies of God. When we acknowledge that we are poor in spirit, we are confessing that we are totally sinful and in need of God’s help.

This confession isn’t a type of self hatred or apathetic disposition. By the power of the Holy Spirit, our eyes are opened to the depths of our sin.

This first beatitude is the foundation of the Christian life. Being poor in spirit is a prerequisite for Jesus.

God doesn’t say that the perfect will gain the Kingdom. He says that the poor of spirit will. Which let's be honest, is so comforting. We have nothing to offer for eternal life. Not our good works or morality. Charles Spurgeon sums it up nicely, “Not what I have, but what I have not, is the first point of contact, between my soul and God.” We have nothing to bring God – it’s actually our lack of that makes salvation possible and necessary. It is the work of God in our lives that makes us Kingdom citizens.

We become Kingdom citizens through the work of the gospel. As we walk through the beatitudes, we see an important key is the use of ‘for’ that acts as a sort of cause and effect in each beatitude. The blessings we receive does not come from being spiritually bankrupt, the blessing comes from the fact that they will get the Kingdom. Despite our spiritual bankruptcy, God offers eternal life to us.

Once we acknowledge that we are poor in spirit, how should we respond?

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

Mourning is not a casual act. Instead, it’s a godly response to a painful or devastating situation. This response leads us to repentance which ultimately leads to salvation (2 Cor. 7:10).

As Christians, we recognize our complete need for God. Because of our sin and the consequences of those sins, we mourn. We cry out to God, who alone can bring comfort to the sinner. Because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, we find rest.

This leads us to verse 5, which is the first time we see a beatitude that applies to how we treat others.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Many times people equate the word meek with being a push-over. Walking in meekness, however, means that we walk as someone who has strength under control. A person who walks in humility is free from anger and a hostile spirit.

This verse is asking believers to use restraint and walk in obedience to God rather than obedience to personal desires. A meek person denies their sin nature and chooses to walk like Jesus in the treatment of others.

However, this can only be done through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we walk in obedience and self-control, we walk as people of God. Do you remember what verse 5 says about the people of God? Yep, it's the people of God who have hope of inheriting the earth.

By an earthly standard, it’s easy to think that the meek do not gain the big promotion, respect of others, money and power. But, Jesus is saying the exact opposite. Those who walk in meekness, the people of God who control their anger and seek the good of others, they are the people who will inherit much.

by Emily LaGrone