I recently had the opportunity to read Crucifying Morality: The Gospel of the Beatitudes by R.W. Glenn. The author pulls apart the Beatitudes, verse by verse. The point is stressed that being a Christian is not about being a moral person. It is not about being a religious person. The Beatitudes are not commands. So what are they? In his own words, Glenn explains:

But the Beatitudes are not commands; they represent the profile of a Christian, the profile of someone who has already come to understand God’s grace & is growing in that understanding. The beatitudes are all about what happens to people when their hearts are gripped with the unmerited favor & undeserved acceptance of God. (page 77)

So the Beatitudes are not a description of what we do as Christians but who we are in Christ. It is a prompting to change, to become.

Glenn helps us to understand that:

• we continually come back to “the inexhaustible grace of God, knowing that it is all we have & all we need.” (page 32)
• we acknowledge our weaknesses. They are “not flaws per se but the means by which God’s flawless grace shines” in our lives. (page 54)
• “satisfaction in Christ begets hunger for Christ.” (page 65)
• mercy “does not simply feel compassion but moves beyond the feeling to intentional kindness.” (page 72)
• we are “compelled to love God with an unwavering loyalty & live in relational honesty.” (page 89)
• the true heart & nature of peacemaking
• persecution can be expected & the blessing that comes out of it

Although this book contained solid biblical information, the writing style was a bit dry & tedious at times. But I still learned much.  This book is a good resource for the person developing a series on the Beatitudes.

**I was provided this book by Cross Focus Reviews in exchange for my honest review.