What kind of person does God choose to bless? According to evangelist David Diga Hernandez, Jesus already answered this in the Sermon on the Mount.
In a recent YouTube teaching, Hernandez examined Matthew 5:3-12, identifying eight kinds of people who experience God’s favor, along with the promises attached to each.
These blessings aren’t simply about financial prosperity or earthly success. They’re about developing Christlike character and living in complete dependence on the Lord.
Here are the eight kinds of people Hernandez says God chooses to bless.
1. The Poor in Spirit
Jesus promises the kingdom of heaven to those who recognize their need for God.
Hernandez explains that being poor in spirit doesn’t mean being spiritually weak. It means rejecting pride, self-reliance and even religious self-righteousness.
“It is finished, not you take it from here,” Hernandez said, emphasizing that salvation rests on the finished work of Jesus Christ rather than human effort.
2. Those Who Mourn
While God comforts those experiencing grief and loss, Hernandez points to another kind of mourning: genuine sorrow over personal sin.
He explains that feeling guilty isn’t the same as repentance. True repentance requires a change of mind that leads to a change in behavior.
Those who, with sincere hearts, turn away from sin receive God’s forgiveness and comfort.
3. The Humble
Humility isn’t about hating yourself or denying your God-given identity. Hernandez describes biblical humility as understanding who you are in relation to God.
“Humility is not looking down upon yourself,” he said.
Jesus promises that the humble will inherit the earth because they can be trusted with responsibility and authority.
4. Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness
God blesses believers who aren’t satisfied with being forgiven but desire to become more like Jesus.
“You can’t just focus on what God saved you from. You have to also put your mind on what God saved you for,” Hernandez said.
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He challenges Christians to pursue holiness, spiritual maturity and God’s purpose for their lives, even when that process requires difficult changes.
5. The Merciful
Mercy requires more than saying the words “I forgive you.”
Hernandez warns that bitterness can hide behind religious language and even the misuse of boundaries. While acknowledging that boundaries are necessary in abusive or harmful situations, he urges believers not to use them as excuses for unforgiveness.
God’s promise is clear: Those who show mercy will receive mercy.
6. The Pure in Heart
According to Hernandez, purity of heart means complete devotion to God without divided loyalties. It involves sincerity, integrity and refusing to live one way in church and another way outside it.
The reward Jesus promises for those with a purity of heart is extraordinary: They will see God.
7. The Peacemakers
One of Hernandez’s strongest warnings concerns the difference between peacemakers and peacekeepers.
“A peacemaker is courageous. A peacekeeper is cowardly,” he said.
He explains that peacemakers confront division with humility and love, while those who merely try to keep the peace often avoid difficult conversations.
Whether in churches, marriages, families, workplaces or ministries, genuine peacemaking requires addressing problems rather than allowing resentment and disorder to grow.
Jesus promises that peacemakers will be called children of God.
8. Those Who Are Persecuted
Finally, Hernandez reminds believers that persecution isn’t limited to physical violence. Instead, being mocked, rejected, falsely accused or mistreated because of faith in Jesus can also be forms of persecution.
He points to 1 Peter 4:14, emphasizing that God’s Spirit rests upon those who endure suffering for Christ.
Their reward is the kingdom of heaven and the promise of eternal glory.
Ultimately, Hernandez’s teaching presents a challenge to every believer: Are we pursuing God’s blessings while overlooking the character He desires to develop within us?
The Beatitudes remind us that following Jesus is about much more than receiving good things from God. It’s about allowing the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts, remove what doesn’t reflect Jesus Christ and shape us into the people He has called us to be.
God’s greatest blessings are not found in chasing the things of this world, but in surrendering our lives to Him and becoming more like Jesus every day.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected]. Learn more about Abby at abbytrivett.com.
