BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT

BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT

I wonder sometimes why we (I should say I) have been so slow to learn some of the truths contained in the Bible. I have been an avid reader of scripture since I received the infilling of the Spirit in the Spring of 1938. I spent the next summer working for a rancher in Notus, Idaho. The ranch was out next to the sage brush, and miles from the nearest Church, so I spent my Sundays, and evenings in my tent-house sleeping quarters with my Bible. I couldn’t get enough of it.

It has now been over 70 years since I started studying, and I am just now learning some of the “secrets” that have been there all the time. I wonder “Where have I been”?.

I know, some of you have probably known for a long time what I am just now learning. If that is so, please bear with me, for there may be other folks who are still as much in the dark as I have been, on some of these subjects I’ll relate some of my new facts for their sakes.

First, I have been trying to establish the fact that Jesus DID NOT talk very much about people getting “saved” as we use the term today. Rather, He taught about THE KINGDOM OF GOD. I’ve been telling you that there is a difference between having our sins forgiven (getting saved), and earning (yes, I do mean earning) a place in the Kingdom of God. We MUST have our sins forgiven before we can even think about a place in the KINGDOM OF GOD, but forgiveness of sins DOES NOT automatically make us members of the KINGDOM OF GOD. Neither does forgiveness of sins automatically constitute the New Birth.

One of the key scriptures (and there are many more key scriptures) signifying these two steps is found in the Gospel of John . Joh 1:12 But as many as RECEIVED HIM (sins forgiven), to them gave he POWER (EXOUSIA—Privilege, permission) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Joh 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God

THIS, then, is the essence of being BORN AGAIN. (emphases added) It is much more than a mental assent. Mental assent can bring Salvation to us, but being Born Again will require a definite encounter with the Spirit of God. Many of us have been lacking this experience, and sometimes wondering what is wrong with us.

Let’s look at the Sermon On The Mount. It has been called “THE CONSTITUTION OF THE KINGDOM”

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

Is that telling us we MUST have the trait mentioned there in order to be saved from the consequences of our sinful nature? I do NOT believe so. Forgiveness of sins is FREE (no strings attached) when we declare (confess) that Jesus Christ is the Son Of God.

But, if we aspire to the Stature of the Kingdom, WE WILL HAVE TO WORK ON OUR SPIRIT TO BRING IT INTO CONFORMITY TO THE NATURE OF GOD.

That complicates the situation considerably. On one hand we have the words of Jesus, saying, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden—I will give you rest.” And on the other hand we have the words of the same Jesus telling us that we have to, “Strive to enter in at the strait gate—for many try and can not do it.” Which of these sayings are we supposed to believe and act on?

The “Holiness People” devised a plan many years ago, before the 1900’s, whereby we could “help the situation along”, by the men not wearing neckties, wrist watches or gold watch chains across their vests, etc., and the ladies wearing old fashioned attire, etc.. “That would help out immensely”, they taught. But it failed to produce the desired results. Instead, it produced a sort of prideful rivalry among the believers to see who was dressed in a more “holy” manner than the others. It was aimed in the wrong direction—the OUTSIDE (the appearance), instead of the INSIDE (the spirit). Pride, of any sort, comes from the inside, and must be dealt with there, or we can not deal with it at all.

Probably the main reason for Jesus to say, “Blessed are the Poor in spirit” was because He knew that it would be real work for us as human beings to attain to and maintain an attitude of poverty toward God, and continually realize that without Jesus we have nothing with which to be worthy of Salvation. And without Salvation, we have absolutely no hope of ever attaining to KINGDOM STATURE.

Mat 5:3 "Blessed are those who recognize they are spiritually helpless. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them. (God’s Word)

Mat 5:3 "Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them! (GoodNewsBible)

Mat 5:3 God blesses those people who depend only on him. They belong to the kingdom of heaven! (ContemporaryEnglishVersion)

I use the term “KINGDOM STATURE” deliberately to help steer our thoughts away from attaining to MEMBERSHIP in what might be called a “club” or “honor society”. Instead, it will be, in my opinion anyway, a condition of the heart and personality of each individual who is granted the privilege of enjoying that level of relationship to Jesus Christ. There, that is the definition I have been searching for! “RELATIONSHIP TO JESUS CHRIST”

Psa 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Jesus had an “attitude” toward those who were proud of their “righteousness”.

Luk 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

Pro 16:19 Better it is to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Pro 29:23 A man's pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.

It is entirely a condition of the HEART (spirit) of each individual. And ONLY GOD knows the heart (we can not, because it is capable of being deceitful above all things). Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jer 17:10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

NOTHING THAT IS UNDER GOD'S CURSE WILL BE FOUND IN THE “CITY”. We have our work all “cut out for us” if we are hoping to be a part of that “City” that is called the Kingdom of God. It is also called the Paradise of God.

Rev 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Rev 22:1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
Rev 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

It has been quite a jolt to finally learn that the Kingdom is not talking about a geographic location, but a group of humans (in mortal bodies ?) who have successfully risen above the impulses of carnal flesh, to a place of victory over what Satan implanted within them at birth. Not ONLY salvation from, but VICTORY OVER that Adamic nature.

Achieving such a stature in God is much more difficult than it would seem on the surface, and we CAN NOT ACCOMPLISH IT WITHOUT THE SPIRIT OF GOD to guide us.

Rom 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye THROUGH THE SPIRIT do mortify (overcome) the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Rom 8:14 For as many as are LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, they are the sons of God.

It is a simple equation—if we live for the pleasures and gains of our earthly life, we must forfeit our chances of attaining to a relationship to Jesus Christ that will qualify us for the Kingdom. Conversely, if we prioritize our Spiritual Life—even if it means not “keeping up with the Joneses”—we can reach the goal of KINGDOM STATURE. It is in that Spiritual stance that we can experience the “fullness of joy and pleasures forever more. Psa 16”

Poor in (the natural) spirit—Rich in (the Holy) Spirit.