Good Morning Friends,
Matthew 5 was D. L. Moody’s heartbeat because it cuts through every cultural version of Christianity and asks the most important question a human being can face: How do I become a Christian? Not “How do I become religious?” or “moral,” but “How do I become the kind of person Jesus calls blessed?” Today’s devotional returns to that essential question.How do I, how do you, become a Christian?
Scripture Summary
Matthew 5 opens the Sermon on the Mount by describing the character of those who belong to Christ’s kingdom. Jesus blesses the poor in spirit, the mourners, the meek, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted, showing that discipleship begins with humility, repentance, and a transformed heart. He calls His followers salt and light, meant to preserve goodness and shine truth into a dark world. Jesus then deepens the Law’s meaning, teaching that anger, lust, deceit, retaliation, and hatred are heart‑level sins requiring inner renewal, not mere outward obedience. The chapter ends with His radical call to love enemies, revealing that life in His kingdom is marked by grace, purity, mercy, and a love that mirrors the Father Himself.
Message: Jesus begins His Sermon with our greatest need:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit…” The Christian life starts not with achievement but with admitting spiritual poverty and the confession that I cannot save myself. Becoming a Christian is not climbing a ladder; it is collapsing at the foot of the cross. The doorway into the kingdom is low enough that only the humble can enter: “I bring nothing. I need everything. Lord, have mercy.”
“Blessed are those who mourn…” This is not generic sadness but the grief of confronting sin, the rupture in our relationship with God. To become a Christian is to mourn the old life and long for the new. This mourning is not despair; it is the birth pangs of grace.
“Blessed are the meek…” Meekness is joyful surrender. Becoming a Christian means handing the reins of your life to the One who knows how to lead it: “Jesus, You are Lord, not me.” Christianity is not self‑improvement; it is self‑surrender.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…” The Christian life begins with appetite, not fullness. We hunger for what we cannot produce, a life shaped by Christ’s character and sustained by His grace. And then God fills the cup to overflowing.
“Blessed are the merciful…” Mercy is the overflow of having received mercy. A merciless Christian is a contradiction. The gospel softens the heart.
“Blessed are the pure in heart…” Purity is not perfection but undivided devotion. Becoming a Christian means letting God cleanse the inner life so the outer life reflects His presence. Purity is not achieved; it is received.
“Blessed are the peacemakers…” Christians carry the reconciling love of Christ into the world. To become a Christian is to join Jesus in healing what sin has broken.
“Blessed are those persecuted…” The Christian life is costly, but Jesus calls the persecuted blessed because they belong to Him. Matthew 5 reminds us: Christianity is not a cultural label, or even a membership, it is a cross‑shaped life. Expect opposition, and keep following. It is the best journey ever.
And So, How Do You Become a Christian? Matthew 5 answers with stunning simplicity: Admit your need. Mourn your sin. Surrender your life. Hunger for righteousness. Receive mercy. Let God purify your heart. Join His mission. Follow Him even when it costs you. You become a Christian not by climbing toward God, but by letting God come to you in Christ. The Beatitudes describe the life of the kingdom, but the King Himself gives life. Jesus does not say, “Earn this.” He says, “Come to Me.”
Pray Lord Jesus, You make us poor in spirit, honest in mourning, joyful in surrender, hungry for righteousness, overflowing with mercy, pure in heart, bold in peacemaking, and faithful in suffering. Pray You teach us what it means to become Your faithful disciples. Pray You teach us how to love You and each other.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 