Thursday, January 19, 2006

Sermon On The Mount: Poor In Spirit

Matt. 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

What does it mean to be poor in spirit? Does it mean depressed, or low on the Holy Spirit? I believe, and some of the men I've read on this topic believe, that being poor in spirit is simply the realization that I am very sinful, condemned, and helpless apart from Christ. People who are poor in spirit do not feel good about themselves or have high self esteem, but derive their worth from looking unto Christ. It isn't getting depressed because we are failures, it's finding hope in the fullness of God through our failure. And Jesus says that people who are poor and worthless apart from Him are happy people. I would say it takes a lot of faith to act upon that truth. Not only that, these people possess the kingdom of heaven. These beatitudes are in the context of evangelism in Matthew 5. Jesus goes directly into talking about salt and light. Why would a person who has no regard for himself be an effective witness?

When I am not poor in spirit:
I do not see the importance of God's word enough to be faithful to it
I get self-reliant, which causes me to worry. After all, it all depends on me
I become very leisure oriented, and waste a lot of time
I am not faithful to prayer, because I feel like things are going ok without it
I become the center of it all, my pride overtakes me and I only love myself

When I am poor in spirit:
He becomes my treasure, and I find Him in His word.
He becomes a rock to me, and a fortress
He replaces my leisure with things that fit into His calling
He attracts me to prayer
He becomes the center of my universe, therefore I can love others

When someone who isn't saved gets around someone who is poor in spirit, and happier than they are in their self-confidence, this sends a strong message --- It is very salty. The more of these beatitudes the grace of God plants in our hearts, the more salty we become, and the more Christ-light we exude. I believe this is the first beatitude listed for a reason. After all, will God do anything in a heart that sees itself as worthy?
Posted by Jeremy Turner :: 7:55 AM :: 2 comments

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