Blessed Are The Poor in Spirit

 

    Matthew 5:3

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

    What does it mean to be poor in spirit? It means to be humble before God. To be poor in spirit is to live our lives in humbled obedience to God. If you think it is beneath you to humble yourself or that it is impossible to deliberately think less of yourself, then, my friend, you need help. And that Help is The Holy Spirit. 

    We are hearing God speak to us when we read in His Word how to humble ourselves to His will. We have our example in Christ.

    Philippians 2:8 tells us that "And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross." 

    To humble ourselves is to not rebel against God's Word which we have heard. Isaiah 50:5 "The Lord GOD has opened My ears, and I have not been rebellious, nor have I turned back."

    To humble ourselves is to focus on Christ and not on ourselves. We can cry "Woe is me!" and draw attention to ourselves or we can shout "Glory Hallelujah! Jesus leadeth me!" Hebrews 12:2 "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

    To humble ourselves is to surrender what we want for what God wants. Jeremiah 4:4 "“Circumcise (dedicate, sanctify) yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskin [sins] of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire [consuming all that gets in its way] And burn and there will be no one to quench it, Because of the evil of your acts.”

    To humble ourselves is to purposely decrease our say-so and let God say thus and thus. John 3:30 " He must increase, but I must decrease."

    To humble ourselves is to give God the glory and not take credit for anything He says and does. Ever. Who found the perfect outfit for you to wear? God. Who showed you which tool to use for which project? God. Who reveals Himself in nature? God. Every question can be answered for God is the solution. 

    When Christ humbled Himself, He surrendered to God's Will and submitted Himself to God's Purpose and Plan. It was a battle (Luke 22:) but The Spirit was with Him and He was able to overcome the flesh part of Him that He might fulfill God's Plan of Salvation for His people. Luke 22:42  “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me. Yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

    To be poor in spirit is to intentionally honor God in our daily lives, bringing our self-desires into alignment with His desires for us. Only then will be blessed (to be envied because of God's benefits on us). 

     Are you ready to be "poor in spirit"?

    

Poor In Spirit

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:3

To be poor in spirit is to have humility before God. Since everything we do and say is seen and heard by God we need to be aware of this and consider how we will react to the words being spoken against the believer, the actions being brought against the believer's faith in Jesus Christ. 

To be poor in spirit is have joy in our relationship with Jesus Christ. It is a knowing of who He is, who He is in us and who we are in Him. It is joy in our salvation through Him. Why do we rejoice in such salvation? Salvation through Jesus Christ is necessary to not only reach God, but stay in God's eternal presence, in His heaven for all of eternity. 

When we die, our bodies are not just buried and that's it. Cremation may turn the body to ash and the winds may blow it to the four corners of the earth, but that's not the end either. A living person has three integral counterparts: the body, the soul and the spirit. 

The body is the physical part. The spirit is breath. The soul is our mind, our will, our emotions. The soul is the spiritual part of the body, the heart of the body that makes decisions and causes the body to go where the heart wills. 

When the body dies, the spirit, the breath, leaves the body. So does the soul. But where does the soul go? If you believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, that He died on the cross and rose from the dead, and lived according to the Word of God on how a Christian (a follower of Jesus Christ) should live (precepts), then your soul is going to enter into the kingdom of heaven.

If, however, a person never believes that Jesus Christ is Lord, then that soul will go to hell. God clearly outlines what is required to enter into His kingdom and what happens when that requirement is not met. Hell is not one big party. If all of your friends are there, they don't want you there with them. It is a horrible, nasty, dry place without love, without relief. As a person lived in life, so that person will die in death: selfish and prideful. (see Luke 16:19-31)

What is the kingdom of heaven? A gift from God to those who believe that He sent His Son to Earth to take our punishment for sin by surrendering His will to His Father's will. (see John 3:16, 17; Luke 22:42) 

The kingdom of heaven is God's dwelling place, where God lives and abides. The believer is given the keys to the kingdom (Matthew 16:19). And lives according to kingdom rules (Matthew 7:21). 

But just remember: however you believe while you still draw breath determines the eternal destination of your soul. God does not send a person's soul to hell according to how 'bad' a person has been in this life, but how that person believed: God can see our hearts: our thoughts, our decisions. You cannot blame God for your actions. When He created us, He created us with the power to choose. We can choose life in Jesus Christ and be saved or we can choose not to believe and be condemned. 

I am a Christian. I choose to follow Jesus Christ and live according to godly precepts. I am a believer.