A TUTORIAL ON EFFECTIVE SPIRITUAL WARFARE
Teaching, Training & Commissioning
Chapter 9
Matthew 5:1-11. “When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
It sounds odd that being poor in spirit, mourning, being insulted and persecuted could be considered a blessing. But, this is the Process of Sanctification which brings the blessing, which is the fruit of righteousness in one’s life. “Righteousness” as defined by the Bible, is right standing with God and with man. It produces the fruit of the Holy Spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
This is the process by which a person is transformed into a Disciple of Jesus:
- You will, literally, begin to “Walk by the Spirit of God”.
- You will effectively engage in “The struggle against the rulers, powers, and world forces of darkness and spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places”.
- And, you will overcome!
SANCTIFICATION is the process you experience after you fully surrender your life to God, His Purposes and His Ways. God will, through the work of the Holy Spirit and through circumstances, strip away your old life and make you into a new creation. New in your mind, body and spirit.
Sanctify: Is the Greek word, “hagiazo” (hag-ee-ad’-zo), To make holy, consecrate, sanctify; to dedicate, separate, set apart for God; To purify, make conformable in character to such dedication; Forensically, to free from guilt.
Holy: (“Sanctify” comes from the word Hagios which means holy; it is a characteristic of God, to be separated to God, to be worthy of veneration. In the moral sense of sharing God’s purity: Of pure, clean sacrifices and offerings.
Most of us may work hard to avoid this most difficult, painful and bewildering process. But, actually, it is the amazing, supernatural work of God transforming us into His Own, children of Light.
By the Hand of God and by way of this process, you will become:
Poor in Spirit: Literally, to be crushed in your spirit; to be pinched by toil, hopelessness and extreme poverty; A beggar with no hope of rescue, on the verge of death and perishing.
One Who Mourns: “Mourning”. An understandable response upon finding yourself severely pinched by poverty, reduced to begging; destitute with no influence, no position; lowly, afflicted and helpless; powerless to change your circumstances for the better; lacking in anything and terrified.
Gentle in Spirit: You may have now had enough time to reflect on what has happened, and you lapse into a time of quiet, gentle appearing reflection. Your emotions and spirit are quieted for a time.
Hungering & Thirsting for Righteousness: The ‘calm the followed the storm’ in your soul. The storm of your life behind you, you were actually hungry, in need of nourishment. It is the same in our spirit. It is usually at this point that we begin to make life-decisions.
For those being redeemed by the mercies of God, the process is to ‘hunger and thirst for right-thinking and right living’: which is the very definition of Righteousness.
It is through this process that we gain new insights and understanding.
Merciful: The word ‘mercy’ in this verse literally means “kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them; of men towards men: to exercise the virtue of mercy, show one’s self merciful
Pure in Heart: Showing mercy is a sign that our hearts are changing and become pure in the sight of God. We are being transformed in what we see and in how we see. We are beginning to see matters as God sees them.
A Peacemaker: A peace will begin to settle over the heart and mind of the redeemed and sanctified Believer. We, not only begin to experience ‘a peace that passes understanding’ from our deepening relationship with God, but we begin to demonstrate and practice that peace of God which earns us the title “sons (and daughters) of God”. We are being made into His image.
Persecuted for Righteousness:
The bible tells us, it is at this time, we inherit and possess the Kingdom of Heaven with all the rights, responsibilities and authority of a son of God, a joint heir with Jesus.
This statement is staggering, even for the fully devoted and fully surrendered follower of Jesus. And, it is too rich and too profound for the “casual Christian” or “casual Believer” to begin to understand.
The Light of the World: This is what “Entire Sanctification” looks like. These verses should leave the child of God breathless. Jesus tells us in John 8:12 that He calls Himself, “The Light of the World”, and, again in John 9:5 Jesus says, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Jesus is now calling you by that name! Truly, in His Image.
Your training is now, well under way. You are being made ready for the Teachings of The Master. It is now beginning.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
A Note Of Caution: You can resist the sanctifying work of God, and if you do, Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:13 that, “It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.”
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“The Transformation”
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