We were made by God. We were created with His purposes in mind. There were NO mistakes made. God never makes a mistake. And when you are living out His purpose, you’ll know it. There’s no greater joy than knowing you are living the life you were created for.
In fact, when we are living out the life we were created for, it always produces within us a satisfaction about life that cannot simply be described or measured by productivity or accomplishment. This deeply rooted resonance within us comes from the presence of God resulting from a redeemed relationship with God through Jesus Christ. That’s MAKARIOS.
MAKARIOS is the first word used before each of the 9 beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-12) and is not merely an adjective used to describe positive feelings associated with a life in God – even though it’s usually translated “Happy” or “Blessed”. It is a word that describes one who has entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and is also acutely aware of His presence and current activity. It is a word that cannot be defined without God's presence associated with or characterizing it.
So, what can we do to experience MAKARIOS? I've been learning a lot about this in my personal study of the beatitudes. Here’s a brief outline. Hope they help you move forward with God and taste MAKARIOS.
1. Know your limitations.
“MAKARIOS are the poor in spirit.”
Admitting you are bankrupt spiritually is the starting point.
2. Confess your sin and need for change.
“MAKARIOS are those who mourn”
Grieving over how sin affects our relationship with God is necessary.
3. Yield to Lordship of Jesus Christ.
“MAKARIOS are the gentle”
God wants us to surrender our will, our resources, our life to His leadership.
4. Focus your ambition on righteousness.
“MAKARIOS are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness”
We must pursue Him over all other options.
5. Choose to value people.
“MAKARIOS are the merciful”
We need to become GIVERS and stop living like TAKERS.
6. Live transparently.
“MAKARIOS are the pure in heart”
A clear conscience is so critical to our ability to notice God's presence.
7. Tell others how to connect with Jesus Christ.
“MAKARIOS are the peacemakers”
The greatest act of peacemaking is helping another to have peace with God.
8. Don’t give up when opposed for doing what is right.
“MAKARIOS are those who are persecuted for righteousness”
Be willing to die for a life worth living.
9. Expect to be criticized because of your association with Jesus Christ.
“MAKARIOS are you when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me”
Don't be shocked when people reject you because of your association with Jesus.
If you want to hear more, listen to my two messages on MAKARIOS on May 31st and June 7th. You can find them online at http://www.sarasotabaptist.com/resources/archived-sermons.html?view=studieslist.
The Christian life is not simply an improvement of your former way of life. As a former atheist, I used to wonder what the hype was all about. My lifestyle (except for not attending church on Sundays), seemed to be similar to those who claimed to be Christians. And yet they would say being a Christian was so much better. Why didn’t they look like it was any better?
After becoming a Christian I can now understand how Christians can get bogged down in the details of living life and forget the real source of their new life. In fact, if one is not careful, you can easily miss out on that which distinguishes a Christian from one who is not.
The difference is not the lifestyle, because even an atheist can be kind, generous, and benevolent. The difference is the presence of God in your life. A Christian is one who has tasted of a life not previously accessible to men or women. The great promise of Jesus was that it was a good thing that He would leave because of the One who would come after Him…the Holy Spirit.
The presence of the Holy Spirit in your life makes all the difference.
When Jesus preached his famous “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew 5-7, He introduced the sermon with a series of beatitudes. The beatitudes frame the rest of the Sermon with a very important concept. Kingdom living is impossible to experience or live out apart from the supernatural presence of God in your life.
“Makarios” is the greek word used over and over again in the Beatitudes. It is translated either “blessed” or “happy” but means so much more. William Barclay notes that during the time when this was written, the word “makarios” (from the root “makar”) was used in greek literature to describe the bliss that could only belong to and be experienced by the gods.
Jesus now uses the word to introduce Kingdom Living as supernatural living. In other words, it is not the kind of life that can simply be accomplished as a spiritual to-do list that you try to live out in your own strength. It is the kind of life that requires the evidence of and presence of God in your life. The Sermon on the Mount becomes a legalistic document that is destined to cause one great frustration without this understanding.
I encourage you to re-read the beatitudes now with this in mind…as well as the rest of the Sermon on the Mount. I believe it will free you up to live a different kind of life. The power of God is accessible to you when you, by faith, enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ. “Makarios” is the kind of life available to you when that happens. If you want to hear more, listen to my message on May 31, 2009 online at our church website.
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