Again this morning, if you would,
turn back to Matthew chapter 5. I've been calling the first two messages I brought
from this chapter, a profile of the And so this will be a profile
of the blessed number three. I want to remind you every time that what Christ gives here,
these are not conditions for being blessed. but they are rather
the characteristics of those who have been blessed. They are certainly not, as some
have said, the laws of the kingdom. No, these are the servants of
the king. And so he says in this fifth
verse, Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." As I've said, there is only one
who can truly give us a profile of the blessed, and that is the
one who does so here in this chapter, the Lord Jesus Christ. But nowhere would it ever be
any more clear than it is especially in this verse. Because the Bible
teaches us that everything is in Christ. As a matter of fact,
He especially fits the character identified here and not only
him, but all who are in him." How many times do we hear the
Apostle Paul speaking about his people being in Christ Jesus,
declaring also his own desire to be found in him? not having that righteousness
which is of the law, but that which is through faith, the faith
of the Son of God. And when we read this verse also
along with the rest, he gives another characteristic of those
who are blessed. Who does he say are the blessed
here? He says, blessed are the meek. This is just another description
that our Lord gives of His elect. And it is the same throughout
this whole book. Hold your place here and turn
back to Psalm 37. all the way back in Psalm 37,
beginning in verse 7, he says, Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently
for him. Fret not thyself because of him
who prospereth in his way, because of the man who brings wicked
devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake
wrath. Fret not thyself in any wise
to do evil, for evildoers shall be cut off. But those that wait
upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. In other words, meekness
is in that verse described in part as waiting upon the Lord. He says, For yet a little while,
and the wicked shall not be, yea, thou shalt diligently consider
his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the
earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." You
see, all the way back in David's day, those who shall inherit
the earth, the Spirit of God describes them even then as the
meat. And oftentimes, men mistakenly
define, or at least associate with meekness, weakness. By nature, it seems like we think
that meekness is weakness, but meekness is just the opposite
of weakness. It is quiet strength. You see, meekness is mildness
and humility, and I suppose if there is one word that we see
describing it most often in the Scriptures, it is gentleness. Gentleness. When the Apostle
Paul writes to Titus, He tells Titus to give this instruction
to those that he preaches to. He says they are to speak evil
of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness
unto all men. And then that man James, that
austere man James that we read in the book of James, he says
this, Who is a wise man, and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation
his works in meekness of wisdom. That's who a wise man is. And then Paul, writing to Timothy,
he says this, and all, not just to a preacher, but he says this
to all the Lord's people, but thou, O man of God, flee these
ungodly things and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith,
love, patience, Meekness. Meekness. It seems that meekness is quite
calm. Meekness can be described as
spiritual poise and strength, and we can see it and know it
to a degree as it was displayed in Christ Himself. In Matthew, he says this in chapter
11, Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and
lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest for your souls. He said, I am meek and lowly
in heart. In Matthew 21, he says, Tell
ye the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy king cometh unto thee meek
and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. And then Paul says this in II
Corinthians, "'Now I, Paul, myself, beseech you by the meekness and
gentleness of Christ.'" If we want someone who epitomizes
meekness and this gentleness, it is Christ Himself. And it is that which has characterized
the Lord's people, and when we think about it, we can know surely
that it is not weakness. As a matter of fact, the man
who stood toe to toe with Pharaoh, and delivered to him the message
that he surely did not want to receive, that man Moses, it is
said of him, now the man Moses was very meek above all the men which were
upon the face of the earth." And even when the Apostle Peter
is describing believing women that he calls, as he did, Sarah,
holy women, he says, whose adorning, let it not be that outward adorning
of plaiting the hair and of wearing of gold, or of putting on apparel,
But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is
not corruptible, even an ornament of a meek and a quiet spirit,
which in the sight of God is of great price." Great value. This meek and quiet spirit. And so when our Lord describes
these He's talking of here, this meekness we know is not natural
to us. We are not born with this particular
meekness, and it shows that these have evidently been born of God. Because this meekness is described
in this book as the fruit of the Spirit. It is produced in
the hearts and the lives of those who have been indwelt by the
Spirit of God. Look over in Galatians chapter
5. In Galatians chapter 5, the Apostle
Paul here sets in contrast with the works of the flesh this fruit
of the Spirit. Look down in Galatians 5 and
verse 19. He says, Now the works of the
flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred,
variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like, of
the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time
past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the
kingdom of God, but the fruit of the Spirit." And if you notice
here, it doesn't say, the fruits of the Spirit. Because these
are all one and the same of a whole that is wrought by the Spirit
of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness. temperance. Against such there
is no law. You see, the meek, they are those
who have been given faith, and this meekness arises in the heart
and is demonstrated in the life out of faith in Christ. out of trust in His blood, out
of the knowledge of His love and His grace and His mercy,
and of assurance of His strength and promises. You see, it is quiet strength. Because there is no need to display
this imagined strength that we have, the Lord's people rest
in His strength. We rest in the assurance of His
promises. And it is the profile of all
of these who have been saved by grace alone. They don't have anything to prove
to anybody. They don't have any strength
or macho to display to anybody. They've been humbled by God's
mercy to them. They've been brought to realize
their weakness and yet at the same time to know His strength. They have been taught of God. And they have heard and believed
his gospel. In the psalm, he says also, the
meek will he guide in judgment, and the meek will he teach his
way. What is that? That Christ is
the way. That the way is the way of righteousness
in Jesus Christ. Again, the meek shall eat and
be satisfied. They shall praise the Lord that
seek Him. Your heart shall live forever. And again, for the Lord taketh
pleasure in His people. He will beautify the meek with
salvation. And then our Lord, when He stood
in that synagogue in Nazareth and He read from Isaiah 61, that
very text that He fulfilled, that pledge and promise of God
that He fulfilled in that hour was this. He said, the Spirit
of the Lord is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to
preach good tidings. unto the meek." Blessed are the meek. The psalmist, when God arose
to judgment, it was to save all the meek of the earth. That's why he says, to the Lord's
people and of the Lord's people in Isaiah. Thou wilt keep him
in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he
trusts in Thee." You see, the quiet strength of
the meek is the knowledge that God is their strength and salvation. It is the knowledge that we can
do nothing of ourselves and that we need not do anything of ourselves. And it is certainly those who
have been brought by the Spirit of God to this meekness. which is so set in contrast to
the bravado of this false professing religious world. The Lord's people
are described as the meek. But in this character, he says
something else. He said, blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth. They shall inherit something. And some translate this in this
way. They shall inherit the land. And that was used by the Jews
on often occasions to express great blessings. Because as a
people, if you remember, the promise of God to Abraham, the
promise of that inheritance to Abraham and this people, was
the promise of a promised land. What did he say to Abraham? I am the Lord, that brought thee
out of Ur of the Chaldees to give thee this land to inherit
it." When you look back at such promises
as that in the Scripture, if all you see was God making this
promise of literal, physical land to a physical people on
the earth called the Jews in that hour, if that's all you
see, you've missed the whole of it. Because that's only a picture
and a type of something far greater and of a spiritual people that
are the true Israel. In Isaiah 60, he says, Thy people also shall
be all righteous. Is that right? They're all going
to be righteous? When the Bible says there's none
righteous, no, no, they'll all be righteous because they'll
be made the righteousness of God in His Son. He says they
shall be all righteous. They shall inherit the land forever. What's He talking about there?
He's talking about the kingdom. He's talking about the kingdom
of God. Because, if you remember, in
describing the very angels in the book of Hebrews, he says
of the angels, he says they are ministering spirits to them that
are the heirs of salvation. They're going to inherit the
earth. And to inherit. I love that word. And every time I see it in Scripture,
it says one thing to me. It says grace. Because when you inherit something,
it is something that is received through relationship It is something
that is a gift without human merit. It is something that is
of grace. He didn't say, blessed are the
meek because they're going to work hard and God's going to
pay them for it. He didn't say, blessed are the
meek because they're going to labor and they're going to get
a reward for everything they do. He said, blessed are the
meek for they shall inherit the earth." They're going to get
what they get because of a relationship. And this is the good news of
the gospel, that there are some that God in His free and sovereign
grace has made to be heirs with Christ, and in Christ, who is
the heir of all things. They're going to be blessed. When Paul, or whoever it is God
used to write the book of Hebrews in the very opening verses of
Hebrews, he says, God has in these last days spoken unto us
by His Son, whom he hath appointed the heir of all things." So, if Christ is, as God says
He is, the heir of all things, the meek will inherit the earth,
all that that involves, in the only way anything can be inherited
by a sinner. And that's in the Lord Jesus
Christ. He's the heir of all things. And He calls His people joint
heirs. And that simply shows that we
have nothing in ourselves, nothing to give, nothing of worth, but
the question is, Do we have anything in Christ? Did God love us? Did He choose
us? Did He make us to be His children
in His only begotten Son? Did He make us an heir with Christ
to inherit the earth? Turn over to Romans Chapter 8. Here are the meek of whom it
is said that they shall inherit the earth. But what is the only
ground for any sinner receiving an inheritance from God? It is
all an inheritance. It is not based on our works. or our will, or our worth, or
anything else except this relationship. Now, is that right? Or I look
down in Romans chapter 8 and verse 14. You know, this is the way it
is from start to finish. This is the way it is on the
first day that the Lord's people are brought to believe on Christ,
and this is the way it will be all the days of their life. This
is the way it will be on the day that they die. This is the
only basis both now and in eternity past and in eternity future. Now, you listen to this. For
as many as are led by the Spirit of God, They are the sons of God. He said, if you have not my Spirit,
you are none of mine. And that means if we are not
in this character that Christ describes, which is the work
of God's Spirit bringing us to this meekness, we are none of
His. He says, for you have not received
the Spirit of bondage again to fear. That means meekness can't be
fear. Meekness can't be weakness. He
says, but you have received the spirit of adoption whereby we
cry, Abba, Father. Can you imagine walking into
a lawyer's office tomorrow morning where there's a will about to
be read and everything talked about, and here you're just out
of the clear blue sky and you sit down and you say, I want
a piece of that inheritance. I'm sorry, sir, but you're not
his child. He says, the Spirit itself beareth
witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. Now, you look at that next verse.
And if children, then heirs. Now, you can just imagine, and
certainly all the foolishness of the idea of rewards being
different for one of God's children and more so than another of God's
children. All this notion that some people
are going to be kind of second-class citizens in heaven and some are
going to have bigger buildings. That's utter blasphemy. Because there's just one basis
for an inheritance. He says, and if children, then
heir. And that's so contrary to our
nature. Because all we have to hear is
that some man and his wife who worked hard all their lives and
labored and stinted and saved and just sacrificed, and they
built up some worth and some value and had money in the bank. And they had one son. And when
they died, this one son, who we know is worthless and sorry,
as we say, and a spinthrift, and in a few months he has squandered
the whole inheritance. And when we think about it, it
kind of makes us mad, doesn't it? My friend, that's the same basis
upon which we receive what we receive from God. If children, then heirs. And we are only His children
because He has made His people to be His children. Behold what
manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we might
be called the children of God. He says, and if children, then
heirs. Not because I'm a better child
than you. Not because as a child I sin less than you. Not because
as a child I do more than you. He said if children, then heirs. And all the same because it's
the inheritance of grace. The meek shall inherit the whole
kit and caboodle. And if children, then heirs.
Heirs of God. This isn't a million dollars
sitting in cash or what would have been a million dollars a
year ago in stocks which may be worth ten dollars now. He
said, Heirs of God. I wish that God would bring to
our mind all this coming week that one phrase, heirs of God. In other words, those who will
receive, who have received an inheritance of God. Not of the Rockefellers, not
of some multi-millionaire, but of God. And joint heirs with Christ. How do we get to be children? How do we get to be heirs? Because
of grace, He made us joint heirs with Christ, so that the basis
upon which we receive all this eternal inheritance is based
on His worthiness and not ours. His worthiness. You see, God in grace has made
His people joint heirs with Christ. And that is why the gospel is
not a message telling you and I how to do something to please
God or for God in order to be blessed by God, but rather it's
an announcement and a proclamation that He has blessed all who are
brought by the Spirit of God to look to Christ, to believe on Him, and to trust
Him alone. for all their righteousness,
all their salvation, and all their hope of inheritance before
God. Turn over to Galatians 4. Galatians chapter 4. In Galatians 4, listen to what
Paul says. Same thing here. Galatians 4
and verse 4, but when the fullness of the time was come, God sent
forth His Son made of a woman, made under the law. That means
made responsible to bear the consequences of the law or the
justice of God on the behalf of His people. made under the
law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive
the adoption of sons." That doesn't mean that this adoption
began then. That means the public setting
forth of those who are the children of God. And because you are sons,
God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts,
crying, Abba, Father. Now, my understanding is, and
the reason that Paul uses this term on more than one occasion,
is that that word, Abba, bears with it a great significance
which signifies a real and personal relationship. It means something
like Papa. Papa. Wherefore? Thou art no more a servant, but
a son. And if a son, there it is again, and if a son,
if a child of God, then an heir of God through Christ. You know, in this world, somebody
might have a favorite child. And so, when the time of the
inheritance comes, he may give to that favored child more than
he does to a less favored child. Or he might write somebody out
of the will altogether. But you see, that can't happen
to God's people because all of their favor, all this relationship,
they're all in the same one. So to write them out would be
to write Christ out. So if you're a child, then an
heir of God through Christ. through God placing us in union
with Christ, making us a son in Christ, redeeming us by His
bloody death on the cross. It's His choice. That's right. The psalmist said,
he shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob
whom he loved. Who was Jacob? He was a scoundrel. He was that
worthless son. But God said, Jacob have I loved. And he received the birthright. Not because he tricked. his brother out of it. That was
just that natural birthright. He received the spiritual birthright
because God said, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated,
and he called himself the God of Jacob. An inheritance. What did he say he's the heir
of? All things. You know, we've got such small
minds. If a man came by tomorrow and
he gave us a thousand dollars, just tickle us to death. But he might have billions. But the heirs of God, those who
inherit the earth, they'll inherit all things. Because Christ is
the heir of all things, and they are joint heirs with Him. That means that we shall be delivered
from all those things that are against us, especially the justice
of God. The Apostle says in Acts 13,
"'Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through
this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and
by him all that believe are justified from all things from which you
could not be justified by the law of Moses.'" All things. Everything that was
against us. He said we're justified through
Christ from all things. And all things that pertain to
our standing and acceptance before God, which is the gift of righteousness
in Christ, which God imputes to us. As a matter of fact, He
says all spiritual blessings are in Him. He's blessed us with
all spiritual blessings in Christ. So that Peter says, blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. which according
to his abundant mercy he hath begotten us again into a lively
hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance
incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved
in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith
unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time." Nobody's going to steal this
inheritance. The government's not going to
tax away this inheritance. It's never going to end. It's
an inheritance that is eternal, incorruptible, undefiled, nothing
shady about it, and it fades not away, reserved in heaven
for you. We are the heirs of all things. Of all things we need in this
life. Of all things that we will need
in death. Of all things we need in every
situation, at every minute, because they are all in Christ. And if God be for us, who can
be against us? He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all? You see, when he says the meat
shall inherit the earth, he means in Christ his people get it. You see, we don't have to worry
about Him dividing it up between us. We all get it all. That's why the preaching of the
gospel is a lot like the reading of
a will. And we ought to hear with the
closest attention to see if there's anything in it for us. Because the heir of all things says, Blessed are the meek, for
they shall inherit the earth, and the meek are simply those
that the Spirit of God brings to acknowledge and be confident
that all things are in the air, and they have been given all
things in When the gospel is preached or
this will, this testament is read, the names of those who
are written in the will, they are described as sinners, ungodly,
unrighteous, lost, guilty, meek. He says in that same book, Matthew, Then shall the king say unto
them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world. Who will the king talk to? The
blessed. Come, ye blessed of my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world. So all throughout the Scriptures,
he addresses the people of God as Paul did in Colossians and
says, put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved,
vows of mercy, Humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering. And we can be reminded, the Lord
lifts up the meek, and He casts the wicked down
to the ground. To this world, the meek, the
Lord's people, they appear the losers. But they're the only
winners. The Lord lifts them up. He casts
the wicked to the ground. He said, the meek also shall
increase their joy in the Lord. And the poor among men shall
rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. And I'll give you one more. In
Zephaniah, he says, Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment. Seek righteousness, seek meekness. It may be ye shall be hid in
the day of the Lord's anger. Who are blessed? The blessed, the meek. And they shall inherit the earth. They'll not get it by their conquest. They're going to inherit it all
in Christ. Everything God in grace has to
give. The forgiveness of sins, eternal
life, perfect righteousness, redemption, sanctification, wisdom,
everything. They're going to inherit the
land. God help us that we might be
found among them. Our Father, this day we give
you praise and thanks, that in the lovely name of the
Lord Jesus, our King, our Savior, and our Redeemer, the heir of
all things, You've brought your people to
inherit the land. You've given all things to the heir of all things, and in Him we have all things. Grant that we might be found
among those who believe on Him, who look to You, who trust the
Lord Jesus, who plead His blood and rest in His righteousness
imputed to us as the whole of our salvation. Grant to us that we might be
found with this meekness, which is born out of the knowledge
that we have received all things freely in Christ from your gracious
hand. Again, Father, we pray for these
requests that are on our hearts. We pray thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven. And we thank you. We thank You
for all things in Christ. Amen.