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Blessed
(Author unknown)
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment,
the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation,
you are ahead of 20 million people around the world.
If you attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death,
you are more blessed than almost three billion people in the world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace,
you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful,
you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.
If you can hold someone's hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder,
you are blessed because you can offer God's healing touch.
Note: I did a New Testament download using the Lockman Foundation NASB Bible software. 84
“bless”s and “blessed”s originally downloaded. I deleted the ones that were not directly related
for the purpose of this study which was to find out why true Christians should be divinely blessed
and if they are supposed to say “bless you” or “you are blessed by God”. I also deleted a few
verses that might be considered controversial or have several interpretations.
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Titus 2:11-13 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny
un-Godliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and Godly in the present age, looking
for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, Who gave
Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own
possession, zealous for good deeds.
*5. What is the blessed hope that Christians are looking for? (You should read in Romans 8 and 2 Peter
before answering.)
Now for the section about why individuals get blessed by God:
Matthew 5:1 And seeing the multitudes, He [Jesus Christ] went up on a mountain: and when He was set,
His disciples came unto Him:
Matthew 5:2 And He opened His mouth, and taught them, saying,
1. Matthew 5:3 “Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous-- with life-joy and
satisfaction in God's favor and Salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the poor in spirit (the
humble, who rate themselves insignificant), for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven!-- future blessing
POOR, a. [L. pauper.] 4. Destitute of value, worth or importance; of little use; trifling. 7. Of little
worth; unimportant; as in my poor opinion. 8. Unhappy; pitiable.
2. Matthew 5:4 Blessed [with a happiness produced by the experience of God's favor and especially
conditioned by the revelation of His matchless grace] are those who mourn, for they shall be
comforted!-- can be a current blessing
3. Matthew 5:5 Blessed (joyous regardless of their outward conditions) are the meek (the mild,
patient, long-suffering), for they shall inherit the Earth! -- future blessing
4. Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (uprightness and right
standing with God), for they shall be completely satisfied! -- can be a current blessing
5. Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy! -- can be a current blessing
from the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary--
MER'CIFUL, a. [from mercy.] Having or exercising mercy; compassionate; tender; disposed to pity
offenders and to forgive their offenses; unwilling to punish for injuries; applied appropriately to the
Supreme being. The Lord passed before him (Moses) and proclaimed, the Lord, the Lord God, merciful
and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth. Exodus 34
MER'CY, n. [L. misericordia.] 1 That benevolence, mildness or tenderness of heart which disposes a
person to overlook injuries, or to treat an offender better than he deserves; the disposition that tempers
justice, and induces an injured person to forgive trespasses and injuries, and to forbear punishment, or
inflict less than law or justice will warrant. In this sense, there is perhaps no word in our language
precisely synonymous with mercy. That which comes nearest to it is grace. It implies benevolence,
tenderness, mildness, pity or compassion, and clemency, but exercised only towards offenders. Mercy is
a distinguishing attribute of the Supreme Being. The Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy, forgiving
iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty. Numbers 14.
6. Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God! -- future blessing
1 Peter 1:21-23
“Who by Him [Jesus Christ] do believe in God [the Father],
that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory;
that your faith and hope might be in God.
Seeing ye have purified your souls
in obeying the truth through the Holy Spirit
unto unfeigned love of the brethren,
see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible,
by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”
7. Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the makers {and} maintainers of peace, for they shall be called the
children of God!-- can be a current blessing
8. Matthew 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake (for being and doing
right), for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven!-- future blessing
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9. Matthew 5:11 Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil
things against you falsely on My account.
Matthew 5:12 Be glad {and} supremely joyful, for your reward in Heaven is great (strong and intense),
for in this same way people persecuted the prophets who were before you. [2 Chronicles 36:16] -- future
blessing
Matthew 5:13 You are the salt of the Earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality), how can
its saltiness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden
underfoot by men.
Matthew 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Matthew 5:15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it
giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your
Father Who is in Heaven. [See Ephesians 2:8-10.]
For more thinking-- (a) Reread the Beatitudes and think of your spiritual testimony.
(b) Reread the Beatitudes and think of the development of a few of your beliefs/convictions.
James 1:12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive
the crown of life which {the Lord} has promised to those who love Him.
James 5:9 Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged;
behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take
the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of
the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion
and {is} merciful.
*6.) What kind of individuals are blessed? Explain each one as if you are teaching a group.
1 Corinthians 14:13-16 Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I
pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. What is {the outcome} then? I will pray with
the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.
Otherwise if you bless in the spirit {only,} how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the
"Amen" at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? Otherwise if you bless in
the spirit {only,} how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the “Amen” at your giving of
thanks, since he does not know what you are saying?
*9.) In what situation, how, and when should true Christians not bless?
James 3:8-10 But no one can tame the tongue; {it is} a restless evil {and} full of deadly poison. With it
we bless {our} Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God;
from the same mouth come {both} blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this
way.
Luke 6:28 “Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
Romans 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
1 Corinthians 4:11-13 To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and
are roughly treated, and are homeless; and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we
bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become
as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, {even} until now.
Matthews 10:13 “If the house is worthy, give it your {blessing of} peace. But if it is not worthy, take
back your {blessing of} peace.”
*11.) Who and when should true Christians bless? What kind of blessing should be given?
2 Corinthians 1:12-15 For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in
holiness and Godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves
in the world, and especially toward you. For we write nothing else to you than what you read and
understand, and I hope you will understand until the end; just as you also partially did understand us, that
we are your reason to be proud as you also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus. In this confidence I
intended at first to come to you, so that you might twice receive a blessing;
*12.) What kind of confidence can a true Christian have in order for them to help others they meet have
wonderful blessing? How would you have such confidence without being prideful?
Concluding questions:
*13.) In the section of Christians blessing others, what seems to be left out? (Many end their letters with
such. No appropriate verses were deleted.)
*14.) How should we respond when someone verbally blesses us?
*15.) In what ways can you be a proper blessing to someone else?