Matthew 5:1-12

• The Beatitude of Meekness

  Theme: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” – Matthew 5:5

  1. Biblical Definition of Meekness

  • Not weakness, but controlled strength.

  • Greek word for "meek" (praus) implies a wild animal trained to obey the master’s voice.

  • A meek person submits to God’s will, even when wronged or provoked.

  Key Scriptures:

  • Matthew 5:3–5 – Beatitudes: Meekness follows spiritual poverty and mourning.

  • Exodus 32 – Moses demonstrates meekness in interceding for rebellious Israel.

  • John 8 – Jesus, though sinless and powerful, responds with calm and grace.

  • Psalm 37:11 – The meek will inherit the land, echoing Christ’s words.

  2. Historical and Theological Context

  • In ancient culture, meekness was not admired—it was seen as lowliness. Christ flips that view.

  • Jesus embodies perfect meekness: gentle, yet righteous in judgment (see also Matthew 11:29).

  • Moses is called the meekest man on earth (Numbers 12:3), yet was a bold leader.

  3. Practical Applications

  • Meekness begins in the heart and flows into our words, relationships, and responses to sin.

  • True meekness seeks to glorify God, not vindicate self.

  • Practice by:

    • Regular self-examination.

    • Seeking forgiveness and reconciliation sincerely.

    • Resisting the urge to gossip, retaliate, or defend reputation sinfully.

    • Cultivating humble friendships that speak truth in love.

  4. Westminster Confessional References

  🧷 Westminster Confession of Faith

  • WCF 13.1: Sanctification as the work of God’s grace—meekness flows from this ongoing process.

  • WCF 16.2: Good works flow from faith and are fruits and evidences of true faith.

  📜 Larger Catechism

  • Q.75–76: Explains how sanctification works inwardly and manifests outwardly—like in meekness.

  • Q.135: The sixth commandment includes preserving peace and meekness toward others.

  📘 Shorter Catechism

  • Q.1: Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever—meekness is part of glorifying God.

  • Q.35: Sanctification is the renewing of the whole man after the image of God—meekness is fruit of that.

  5. Reflective Questions for Group or Personal Study

  1. How does recognizing your spiritual poverty influence how you treat others?

  2. When was the last time you mourned over your own sin?

  3. What does meekness look like in your current relationships—at home, church, or work?

  4. Do you practice self-control when wronged, or do you respond in kind?

  5. How do regular Bible reading and prayer fuel your sanctification and growth in meekness?

I. Understanding the Text

1. Biblical Context

• Peter writes to persecuted Christians in Asia Minor (modern Turkey).

• Chapter 5 begins with instructions to elders, emphasizing servant leadership (vv.1-4).

• The focus then shifts to the congregation, urging humility in relationships and before God.

2. Key Themes

• Submission to Authority: Rooted in God's order, not oppression.

• Mutual Humility: Reflecting Christ’s servant-heartedness.

• Trust in God’s Care: Casting worries on Him is an act of faith.

3. Cross-References

• Philippians 2:3-8 – Christ’s humility as our model.

• James 4:6-10 – God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

• Matthew 23:12 – Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

II. Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think young men, in particular, are called to submit to elders?

2. What does it look like to be "clothed with humility" in daily life?

3. How can pride manifest in our anxieties? How does trusting God help us overcome worry?

4. What are practical ways we can submit to one another in the church?

III. Westminster Confession & Catechisms

1. Westminster Confession of Faith

• Chapter 5 (Providence) – God’s sovereign care over all things encourages us to trust Him.

• Chapter 20 (Christian Liberty & Authority) – True submission is not forced but a willing obedience under God’s authority.

2. Westminster Larger Catechism

• Q. 126 – Honor and submission are due to those in authority.

• Q. 135-136 – Duties required in the fifth commandment include respect for elders and leaders.

3. Westminster Shorter Catechism

• Q. 105 – The fifth commandment requires honor, love, and obedience to authorities.

IV. Practical Application

• Personal Reflection: Do I struggle with submission in any area of my life?

• Prayer Focus: Ask God to reveal pride and cultivate humility.

• Action Step: Identify one way to practice humility in your church or family this week.

Conclusion

True humility is not just a virtue—it is Christ-like. Whether in our relationships with church leaders, fellow believers, or before God, we are called to a posture of humility that leads to peace, unity, and grace.

We just sang from Psalm 14. I'd ask you to turn into your Bibles to Psalm 14. It ties into the sermon that, Lord willing, I'll be preaching today. It ties into the gospel. Verses five through seven, verse five, there were they in great fear for God is in the generation of the righteous. Compared to God, these fools are nothing. Now by fool, I'm not talking about people with concerning what their IQ may happen to be. This has to do with people who are not Christians, who act as if there is no God, do not understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. Compared to God, these fools are nothing. They are legends in their own minds. Just ask them, they'll tell you. But their own shadows scare them to death. They do not have the true God to depend on. God is not on their side. They are as dead men with the same true abilities that dead men have, spiritually speaking. In verse six, he has shamed the counsel of the poor because the Lord is his refuge. One of the signs of people being without God and without Jesus and living as if there is no God in the Bible is their attitude toward the poor and the vulnerable. The ungodly not only have a tendency to mistreat those who are poor financially, but they also often mistreat the truly godly ones, people who are poor in spirit. As we see in Matthew chapter five, Jesus talks about the poor in spirit. People who recognize their spiritual poverty and are changed by the Holy Spirit become alive, never forgetting that without Jesus, they are with nothing. They are truly poor. Poor in spirit who recognize their own spiritual poverty for without Jesus, they recognize that they have absolutely nothing. These true followers of God who are poor in spirit are also meek. They keep their strength under control. They may appear to be weak, like Jesus on the cross are often taken advantage of, even by members of the church, because who has Jesus put on the cross by? But God is their refuge. God is saved, is saving, and will save. And then in verse seven, oh, that the salvation of Israel will come out of Zion. When the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad. True salvation, Christian salvation, is the only hope for mankind. Unregenerate men are slaves, they're slaves to sin. We notice there are two names that we see here in verse seven, and you might say to me, well, I only see Jacob. Well, actually, in a sense, you see two names at the same time, because not only do you see Jacob, but you also see the idea, see the name of Israel. Jacob in his early years was a slave to sin. He was a slave to his own desires. He was someone who seemed to have a tendency to grasp for things that were not his, which ties in with his actual name, Yaakov. He was a slave to his own desires, someone who seemed to have a tendency to grasp for things that were not his. He obtained his brother's birthright in a less than gracious way. He stole his brother's blessing. But somewhere in the story of Jacob, he lost his status as a person with a tendency to act in a foolish manner when the Holy Spirit changed him and gave him new life. Now Jacob was no longer a captive to sin. He was no longer in captivity. He was no longer a slave to sin. It's important to point out that there's a big difference between literally slaving for 14 years for a foolish relative and being a slave to sin and being a fool. It's also important to point out that God gave Jacob a new name, and that new name being Israel. Not only did Jacob receive this new name of Israel, but the name of Jacob no longer had the same selfish, grasping appeal to it. Why grasp for the things of others when you have all that you will ever need? Christians are born in sin and in and of themselves have no hope, since there is no hope without Jesus. True Christians have a new name and are not fools. Salvation comes from God primarily, and secondarily from his church, the same church who are made up of potential lifetime fools who were given true wisdom. So rejoice, if you are a Christian, rejoice and be glad, for you are no longer a captive. Jesus has given you true freedom. I'd ask that you turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 5. Matthew chapter 5. As we continue our study of the Beatitudes, so I guess it's been a year or two since we did part three. Matthew five, starting with verse one. And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain, and when he was set, his disciples came unto him, and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the poor in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad For great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. In Matthew chapter five, verse three, again we read, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Again, this poverty has nothing to do with a person's wealth or lack thereof. No matter what a person's financial situation is in life, without Jesus Christ, he or she is poverty stricken. This person has absolutely nothing. So why is someone who is called poverty stricken also described as being blessed? What we are looking at here is someone who, through the power of the Holy Spirit, recognizes his or her spiritual poverty. Without Jesus, the person is doomed and has come to the conclusion that, spiritually speaking, he or she has absolutely nothing to offer to God. Absolutely nothing, zero, zilch, nothing. but due to the work of the Holy Spirit in that person's life, that person is rich. Theirs is the kingdom of God. These blessed people are truly blessed. There is nothing wrong in and of itself in being financially rich, and there's nothing in and of itself good about being financially poor. We're not talking about finances. But unless people come to the place where they recognize their spiritual poverty, those people are truly poor. And not only has the Christian come to the place of recognizing his or her spiritual poverty, this recognition must never be forgotten or it never changes. Without Jesus, all people are spiritually poverty stricken. Jesus points out time after time the importance of what is going on in the inner man. This blessedness, this inner objective happiness is always there no matter what person's circumstances in life may happen to be, as opposed to subjective happiness that is so often based on circumstances. And these truly happy people who have truly recognize their spiritual poverty without Jesus, are not only part of the Kingdom of Jesus now, but will be citizens of the Kingdom of Jesus forever. Verse 4, Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Mourning in and of itself is not what this verse is talking about. Any more than being poor in and of itself is what the preceding verse is describing. Also, this mourning is not a hopeless mourning of a spiritually poverty-stricken person like Judas Iscariot who died without hope. If a person has come to the recognition of their spiritual poverty, it would only seem logical that that person, when recognizing how he is offended, the Holy Trinity, would internally and perhaps also externally weep due to what that person has done or not done. The recognition of inner poverty on the part of the Christian should lead to mourning, not only at the point of salvation, but throughout the Christian's life as well. This mourning on the part of the Christian is not a hopeless kind of mourning. The truly repentant Christian who is mourning over personal sins shall be comforted. This recognition of spiritual poverty and the resultant mourning over sin will surely be made known in the lives of Christians who take sin and confession of sin extremely seriously. They will not just be going through the motions, but they will be giving proof of their salvation and their positive response to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The inward life does not just stay inward, but results in a godly life outwardly. This leads us to the third beatitude in verse 5. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. The Third Beatitude. I mentioned that the inward life of the Christian does not just stay inward, but results in a godly life outwardly. This outward godly life, however, is not a showy, I'm-just-so-much-better-than-you kind of life. The Christian is meek. I'd ask you to turn your Bibles to Exodus chapter 32. Starting with verse one, Exodus 32. And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron and said unto him, up, make us gods which shall go before us for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we want not what has become of him. And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people break off the golden earrings, which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool. After he had made it, a molten calf, after he had made it a molten calf. And they said, these be thy gods of Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made proclamation and said, tomorrow is a feast to the Lord. And they rose up early on the morrow and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings And the people sat down to eat and to drink and rose up to play. And the Lord said unto Moses, go, get thee down, for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made them a molten calf and have worshiped it. and have sacrificed thereunto and said, these be thy gods of Israel, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt. And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people and behold, it is a stiff neck people. Now, therefore, let me alone that my wrath may wax hot against them and that I may consume them and I will make of thee a great nation. And Moses besought the Lord his God and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou has brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak and say, for mischief did he bring them out, and to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth. Turn from thy fierce wrath and repent from this evil against thy people. Compare this portion of scripture with what we heard in Psalm 106. Think of all the things that happened to Moses and how badly he was treated by the people of God, and yet, what is his response to God at this particular point? What is his response when he is offered this great honor, and yet he doesn't seek revenge. He does not seek judgment against these people who have treated him and will treat him like garbage. What is his response? Meekness, kept his strength under control. How would you like to come to church one Sabbath, and everyone started complaining about God? You come in, there's all this complaining about God, and how he does things, and at the same time, not only doing that, but insulting you to your face, and then there are people in the corner whispering about you behind your backs. How would you feel if this happened to you, not just one Sunday, but fairly regularly when he came to church. Now think about Moses and what he went through up to this point and what he's gonna go through with these people in the future. Moses was given the opportunity to have these not-so-nice people wiped out and he would literally become the father of God's new nation. Now that's power, that's strength. But despite everything, Moses kept his strength under control and refused God's offer. Moses was a meek man as we see in scripture. Now does that mean that he was a doormat who allowed people to just walk over him whenever they wanted to? Oh, just treat me however you want, I don't mind. Absolutely not. Moses, as a meek man, pointed forward to a man who was absolutely perfect, and part of that perfection involved his meekness. And that person was Jesus. Put it bluntly, Jesus will not look or sound like a typical President of the United States. or a typical leader of any country for that matter, he will be a true leader and a true judge. Now does this mean that Jesus will never show anger and never raise his voice? Absolutely not. But he will not be the typical government leader who is so often more interested in power than doing what is right for his people and for the glory of God. He will not be a power or money-hungry church leader who is more interested in the honors of men than treating his flock, his people, with love and compassion. No, he will not be a stereotypical Caesar. And no, he will not be like the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes were as a group. No, Jesus will be much, much more powerful but he will keep all of his strength under control. Please turn to John chapter eight, which we've looked at before in the past. And we'll look how this ties in to meekness. Johnny, starting with verse one. Jesus went unto the Mount of Olives. And early in the morning, he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him, and he sat down and taught them. And the scribes and the Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery, and when they had set her in the midst, they said unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned, but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him that they might have to accuse him But Jesus stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself and said unto them, he that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again, he stooped down and wrote on the ground. which heard it being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest even unto the last. And Jesus was left alone and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, woman, where are those dying accusers. Hath no man condemned thee? He said, no man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more. When I preached on this passage of scripture relatively recently here, I did not say much of anything, if anything, at all concerning what Jesus was writing. But I do believe that it points back to the Old Testament. Think about the Ten Commandments, God writing those commandments, and how he wrote those commandments. Then, remember the story of Daniel. where the king and many others were having a party. I take it they were making a lot of noise. Belshazzar and his people. But then, quietly, there is a finger writing on a wall. Who is the person who is finally able to solve the problem concerning what has happened? Now that message up there is concerning judgment and what is going to happen to Babylon. The great Babylonian empire, the next day is going to be no longer. This is it. But the king and all these people, they don't know what's going on. Who is the person who's finally able to solve the problem concerning what just happened? Well, God's man, Daniel. And what is the final result? Three simple words. Three simple words and judgment. And in John 8, we see the finger of God writing on the ground, quietly, calmly, meekly. But just like with the Babylonians, judgment is coming. The Pharisees and scribes come in with a devious plan of destruction. They were the noisemakers. They were the power brokers. They said most of what was going to be said. And the result? The hand of God writing. Jesus kept his strength under control. The religious leaders would eventually win, might wanna put quotes around win, by putting Jesus on the cross. Just because Jesus meekly allowed people to mistreat him, even to the point of death, does not mean that he was weak. No, Jesus kept his great power under control. A meek person is one who keeps his strength under control, someone who submits himself to God no matter how much he may happen to be provoked. The meek person would much rather suffer wrong than wrong someone. Exhibiting true meekness can be difficult for Christians. True biblical meekness means that no matter what someone does to us, we must never lower ourselves to their level, whether that person claims to be a Christian or not. and you never take credit for the meekness that you have because except for the grace of God, who knows what you might be like and who knows how you would have reacted as someone who has not been changed by the Holy Spirit. Just because God has blessed us with biblical knowledge and mental acuity does not mean that we have any right to use these gifts and abilities sinfully. Sinfully caused hurt. And that's no matter how much we have been sinned against. Doesn't mean that you can't defend yourself, your name, when you've been mistreated. but you don't lower yourself to the level of the person sinning against you, no matter what. Christians recognize their spiritual poverty and mourn over their sins, so it's only logical that they will not sinfully use what they've been blessed with to sinfully harm others, no matter how others cause them harm, pain, and suffering. We should be sensitive to our own sins much more than the sins of others. And we see in verse five of Matthew chapter six that this blessed person who is willing to suffer wrongs in a meek manner will inherit the earth. When a Christian who has recognized his or her spiritual poverty and has mourned over his or her sins and continues to mourn over those sins and treats others in a meek, Christ-like manner, no matter how badly treated, that person is able to enjoy the kingdom of God on this earth in a way that no one else can. The meek shall surely inherit the earth, both now and forever. Even the relatively small amount of earthly riches that they do own is able to be appreciated by godly meek Christians much more than all the world's riches by ungodly people. The question to ask yourself at this point might be, what are some of the ways that might help me to be able to objectively look at myself and at the same time help lead me in the direction of true biblical meekness and godliness that we see described in these Beatitudes. Ask yourself the question, do these Beatitudes describe me? And if not, why not? Do you, one, You read your Bible regularly and in generous portions And I know there's a temptation to say well, I just don't have enough time Where I start reading and then things come up There got to be the place in my life where I just had to stop doing that and as a minister of the gospel I was not reading scripture like I needed to be and Praise God I Godly father helped me in this as well, but my family started reading the Bible regularly. And it's amazing what reading scripture regularly can do for the Christian. And you can actually, and you can end up realizing through reading it, but a lot of statements you made in the past aren't really true. And you also end up seeing how scripture fits together more and more, and as you read through it the second time, the third time, the fourth time, not that I hadn't done that multiple times, but as you read that regularly, you realize that the scripture becomes new. I hadn't seen that before. Where'd that come from? Wow, now it makes sense. And now, praise God, I'm now through my 17th time through scripture, through the Bible, and it's had an amazing effect on my life, and it's had an effect on my family's life as well. Remember that one of the functions of the Ten Commandments is that they serve as a measuring stick so that we can better able see how well we are responding to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. Well, scripture as a whole does this as well. Secondly, pray regularly and not just at bedtime. Pray without ceasing. In other words, prayer is a regular and vital part of your lifestyle. Number three, strive to deal primarily with your own sins in your life. Notice I said in your life. Number four, prosecute yourself. That does not sound like something that would be a really popular book title. Prosecute yourself. In other words, look at yourself and be honest about your sins. Winston Churchill is quoted as saying, men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened. Do you delve, do you dig or inspect into your actions and your intentions behind your actions? Or do you just dust yourself off after sinning against someone and go on your merry way as if nothing has happened and nothing needs to be dealt with? This often in one way or another happens between couples. Yes, sometimes people who are married have problems. You're newly married. Just give me a piece of news. Might not know yet. One of the things that sometimes couples will do is after they've had this big argument, the husband will say, honey, I didn't mean that. What did you mean? And then the wife says, oh, honey, I didn't mean that. What part of Those mean words meant I love you. You meant what you said, that's why you said them, so deal with them. But a lot of times what ends up happening between married couples is that they do this sort of thing, but they don't really deal with their sins individually or corporately between the two of them. and they just basically stick all the things that they have against the other person just in their little bag, in their little sack of memories, only to come up again. We need to deal with our sins. The sin that we should be most concerned about, especially as fathers and heads of the home, is how I sin. Not how she sinned. And it works for the wife as well. It works for brothers, sisters. It works in the workplace. Whatever the case may be, sins need to be dealt with. And we need to be harshest with ourselves. If we get really angry with someone else, ask yourself, when's the last time I got that angry with my own sin? Number five, you catch yourself acting as if your sins are excusable, but the sins of others are inexcusable. You have to understand why I did that. But what you did, you have no excuse for that. Number six, develop friendships with people who will be honest with you about your strengths and shortcomings. Develop friendships with people who will be honest with you about your strengths and shortcomings. When I first met my wife, I was in a Sunday school class that I was teaching and I asked her how I did. And she struck out because she failed because she pointed out at least one thing that I could have done better. One of the things I appreciate about my wife. Went to her recently, not this sermon, but another sermon. I asked her what she thought about this illustration that I put all this time into and she said, no, that was the end of that. She's not the head of the home, but she gives really good advice and sometimes it hurts. Number seven, do you listen or do you major in making sure that others listen to you? Number eight, when you sin, do you repent and do everything humanly possible to make it right? And that involves many times more than will you forgive me? For example, if you told somebody about the person A, your person A, and you tell person B something about somebody and it's not true, when you have made that statement, when you're asking forgiveness to the person who you have been talking about, More than just will you forgive me, but you have the responsibility to do all you can to clean it up as well. Are you willing to do that? Or do you just want to take the easy way out and just say, I'm sorry, will you forgive me? Let's go on. You might find that you're much less apt to gossip or say things about other people It shouldn't be saying when you realize that you're wrong, you've got a lot of work to do. You have a stop mechanism. You enlist others to help you stop, to help you stop. In our marriage, I guess it might be called the ankle because I'm sitting at a table or if she's sitting at the table and the one is as in talking too much, talking too much about myself, talking too much about a subject that I really shouldn't be talking about on the Sabbath, that I might get a gentle nudge or something's into the ankle, let me know that I need to cease and I need to desist. That's it, done. Do you have a stop mechanism? It doesn't necessarily have to be another person, but just some way in which You enlist, whether you're enlisting others to help, or just something to get you to stop. And recognize that you have only one real hope, and that's Jesus. Remember that if you are a Christian, your salvation is of Jesus, and the work of the Holy Spirit, as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have planned and worked things long before you were born. Meekness is not weakness. It involves keeping your strength under control. If you're a Christian, your main goal should never be to show off how much you know or how wonderful you are. You don't want people to say, or I don't want people to say about me, Terry's great, just ask him. Not something you really want, should want. Your goal should be to glorify God and enjoy him forever. Most of us understand what the word enjoy means, I know I do, but what does glorify God mean? It involves mirroring the communicable attributes of God, such as love and justice and holiness. So when faced with difficult situations in life, it's your main goal in life to glorify God. When you're hurt, mistreated, gossiped about, what's your main goal? Get back at the person or glorify God. When we're faced with situations that we do not like, do we act like a spoiled child? Sort of thing you end up seeing at Walmart or in the grocery store. I want an ice cream cone. What do you mean by I can't have my ice cream cone? I'm acting nice, actually, compared to a lot of things I've seen. Worked at Walmart one time. Somebody was with a grandchild, and the grandchild was acting up some, wanting candy. And I opened my mouth, more or less said to the child, you got what you deserved, you get nothing. Guess he was basically acting like he deserved that candy. Well, no son, you don't deserve that candy. Or how about when it comes to being mistreated by someone? Are we more interested in how we've been hurt or how we need to glorify God? Are we more interested in getting our own way and seeing what scripture has to say then I should say, I said that incorrectly, are we more interested in getting our own way than seeing what scripture has to say and what we can learn from the situation? Are we guilty of being self-righteous and say, well, I would never do that. Even if I were a Christian, if I weren't a Christian, I would never do that. Are you guilty of being self-righteous? And self-righteousness can be a very, very, very sneaky thing. Quite insidious, quite sneaky, quite evil. When we get to the place where we are spending more time, spending, dwelling on the sins of others than the sins of ourselves, it is impossible to glorify God and enjoy Him in the way that Christians are called upon to do. When we get to the place where we are forgetting our spiritual poverty without Jesus and thus not mourning appropriately over our sins, meekness is often difficult to be found in our daily lives. God has called on his people to be meek. We are to keep our strength under control. We are called on to mirror the character of Christ and keep our strength under control. And that control involves not just our actions, but our thoughts and feelings as well. And then and only then will we truly glorify God and enjoy him. If we want people to take us seriously, when we present the good news of the gospel, reflecting Jesus in our thoughts, words, and actions is so vitally important. Blessed are the meek. Let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word. We pray that your Holy Spirit would change us to become more and more like your son, Jesus. There are those tough times in life, in our families, out in the workplace, when we're out on the road driving, our interpersonal relationships with our extended families. But it's so tempting to get our way and to get back at the other person. We pray that your Holy Spirit would change each and every one of us. Be more like Jesus, recognize who we are. With Jesus, recognize who we are if we didn't have Jesus. Look at our own sins, be introspective. Look inside. Give more grace to others than we give to ourselves. We pray, Heavenly Father, that you will bless this church. We are so thankful for the pastor and the session We pray, Heavenly Father, that you'd be even much more thankful for your son, Jesus, who has done so much for his people. In Jesus' name.

• Why is human righteousness insufficient before God? Human righteousness is insufficient before a holy God because, as Romans 3:10-12 and Genesis 6:5 highlight, we are all inherently sinful. Our thoughts, intentions, and actions consistently fall short of God's perfect standard. We are prone to evil, and even our best efforts are tainted by selfishness and pride, meaning we cannot achieve a state of righteousness that would satisfy God's justice. This demonstrates the dire need for an external source of righteousness.

• What is meant by 'substitutionary atonement' in the context of Jesus' suffering? Substitutionary atonement refers to the concept that Jesus, who was completely righteous, willingly took the punishment for our sins upon himself. As Isaiah 53:4-6 and 2 Corinthians 5:21 show, he suffered and died on the cross as a substitute, bearing the consequences of our wrongdoing. This act of love and sacrifice satisfied God's justice, allowing us to be reconciled to him. Christ's suffering was not merely a demonstration of love but a means of payment for the penalty that we deserved, hence the "just for the unjust".

• How does Christ's resurrection impact our hope and justification? Christ's resurrection is vital because it proves the completeness and success of his sacrifice. Romans 5:1-5 and Philippians 3:9-11 describe how it demonstrates that God has accepted Jesus' atonement. It signifies not only the forgiveness of our sins but also our restoration to a right relationship with God. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, the believer has been given an "alien righteousness", one that was not earnt by them, but imputed to them by God through faith. It is through Christ's resurrection that we have the hope of eternal life, having been both acquitted of our sin and declared righteous in God's sight.

• What does it mean for a Christian to be "blessed" in suffering for righteousness? According to 1 Peter 3:13-17, suffering for righteousness is a blessing because it means our lives are aligning with Christ's teachings, and we are participating in His suffering. When we are persecuted for our beliefs, it is not a sign of God's disfavor, but rather a testament to our faith and a confirmation that we are following Christ's example. It gives us a unique opportunity to testify to the hope we have in Christ. Instead of fearing such suffering, we are to view it as an honour and an opportunity to glorify God.

• How should Christians respond when they face evil or persecution? Christians are called to respond to evil or persecution not by retaliating, but by exhibiting compassion, humility and love. 1 Peter 3:8-12 says, instead of returning evil for evil, we should bless those who persecute us. We are to seek unity and pursue peace, trusting that God is ultimately just and will avenge us. The focus should be on reflecting the character of Christ, showing grace even when facing injustice. This includes being gentle and respectful when defending our faith.

• Why is the concept of Christ's finished work so crucial for Christians? The "finished work" of Christ means that Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection were all sufficient for our salvation. This means our righteousness is not based on any personal achievement, but a gift given freely by God. As the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms point out, Christ's obedience and sacrifice fully satisfied God's justice. Because of this, we can have full assurance of our salvation. There's nothing more we can or need to add to what he has already accomplished. This frees us from the burden of trying to earn our salvation and establishes Christ as the sole foundation for our relationship with God.

• How should the assurance of Christ's finished work influence our daily lives? The assurance of Christ's finished work should lead us to live with a deep sense of gratitude and confidence in our relationship with God. Knowing we are righteous because of Christ, not ourselves, should cultivate humility and motivate us to pursue a life that is pleasing to him. We should seek to display unity, peace, and love in our interactions with others. In our lives, we must seek to give a defence to others for the hope that we have in Christ, in meekness and fear. This should inform the way we approach every aspect of our lives.

• What is the practical application of the phrase "the just for the unjust" in our lives? The phrase "the just for the unjust" highlights the central tenet of Christian faith: Jesus, being perfectly righteous, took the punishment that we, being unrighteous, deserved. This realisation should foster a spirit of gratitude and humility. We must acknowledge we have no merit of our own, and our salvation comes entirely through grace. The just one took our place so that we might be brought into the presence of God. The application is that we can never rely upon ourselves for our own righteousness, and so must place our full trust in Jesus. This should lead to living lives that honor God's grace.

• Justification: God's act of declaring a sinner righteous in his sight through faith in Christ, not through their own good works or merits.

• Imputation: The act of crediting or transferring something, in this context, God credits Christ's righteousness to believers.

• Atonement: The reconciliation between God and humanity through Christ's sacrificial death, which covers the debt of sin.

• Substitutionary Atonement: The doctrine that Christ died as a substitute for sinful humanity, bearing the punishment and penalty for their sin.

• Righteousness: Moral perfection and conformity to God's law. In Christian theology, it's seen both as a standard and a gift of God through Christ.

• Sanctification: The process of being made holy, where God works in believers to transform them into Christlikeness over time.

• Passive Obedience: Christ's willing submission to suffering and death as part of his obedience to God's will, not limited to simply his active obedience to the law.

• Alien Righteousness: A righteousness that is not inherent to the individual but comes from an outside source. In Christian theology, it refers to the righteousness of Christ imputed to believers.

• Reconciliation: The restoration of a relationship to harmony, specifically, the bridging of the gap between God and humans through Christ.

• The Spirit: In the context of this study, refers to the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, who is believed to give life and bring about spiritual regeneration.