Beatitudes: Going from night to day

I think the first three blessings Jesus gave where for the "night" - when people are chaos, in trouble, or causing trouble. I see this as the essence of grace: God comes to bless us when we don't deserve it, and maybe can't even ask for it.

I also think the next three blessings are for the day, where God expects obedience from me. He expects my heart to change, my relationships to strengthen, and my influence to be for good. I have come to life, and he requires me - it's my obligation - to live and grow. It's the only sane response.

This to me is the essence of faith - to see what God has done, how he's come to me when I was (and often am) in chaos, and act appropriately.

I see those who followed Jesus, the Apostles, trying to communicate this concept throughout the new testament...

Paul said: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

In this section of Ephesians, Paul talks about being dead and coming to life.

James said: What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

If I don't work to meet my obligations to God, I have no faith - it's just a fabrication.

John said: This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

Jesus reached out to me, so I'm obligated to reach out to others.

Peter said: Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Titus said: But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us,not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

All of these men who started the Christian faith conveyed the same message: God's goodness came to me as a gift, now I must do good in response. God gave me new life, now that life must do something.

This rightly raises all kinds of concerns about how good does good need to be? I think some of the answers are in the rest of Jesus's sermon.

God, help me to live in the daylight.