They speak of:
1. The fall (poverty of spirit)
2. mourning over that fallenness; but also comfort from God through salvation—as God covered Adam and Eve with sheep skins, signifying the sacrifice of the Lamb; “Comfort ye my people (Isaiah 40:2; “to comfort all that mourn” (Isaiah 61:2); “our Lord Jesus Christ, and God, even our Father. . . comfort your hearts” (2 Thessalonians 2:16,17).’
3. meekness, the result of the response of a good conscience toward God;
4. righteousness, because it’s essential for being right with God and for regulating our relationships;
5. mercy, which is how God keeps us in that righteousness and which we’re dependent on because we can’t achieve it ourselves; by His mercy He saved us (Titus 3:5);
6. purity, which speaks of purpose, singlemindedness, and enjoyment of God— “seeing” Him gives us purpose and focus;
7. peace-making—our responsibility as His children (“sons”); which brings us back to the human condition of fallenness in need of redemption . . .
8. persecution—revealing the poverty of spirit in the fallen condition of mankind, and those who need to realise their fallenness, repent (mourn), and receive the comfort of God and His salvation. It all goes around again back to the first beatitude, which speaks of the kingdom of heaven. It is our responsibility to show mercy (not expecting it) and love and pray for those who hate the gospel. Joy and rejoicing come; “so persecuted they the prophets” and those prophets were on the same beatitude journey and pointed the way to redemption and reconciliation.
The fact that we also have sometimes failed the standards of the beatitudes reminds us that we too are all fallen. Yet we should not avoid them or retreat into feelings of defeat. The Beatitudes alert us to our need and constantly call us. Their challenge to us is that the Word of God can work in our life. While we have the chance, we can seek for God to form our character along the lines of Beatitudes, allowing ourselves to be a work in progress.