MEANINGFUL PERCEPTION OF THE POOR IN SPIRIT What does Jesus mean by being poor in spirit and who are those who are poor in spirit? (i) Being poor in spirit does not mean poverty in substance. There are people who are poor in substance and yet are very proud. A person may be poor in substance, having nothing and yet is still very proud. (ii) It does not mean the poverty-stricken people. A person may be poverty-stricken and yet not be poor in spirit. (iii) It does not mean those who are in penury and starvation. There are those who are in penury and are starving but will reject help because of the pride in their hearts. The poor, literally, are those who lack money to provide for the basic necessities of life. With regard to eternity, the basic thing is salvation. The poor in spirit is one that realizes that he has nothing to pay for his salvation but relies on Christ completely for his salvation. The poor in spirit and the proud in spirit are different. In fact, you cannot be poor and proud in spirit simultaneously. To be poor in spirit is to realize that you have nothing to pay for your salvation and therefore, tremble before God: “him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” The poor in spirit looks at the might, greatness and justice of God and sees his insignificance and absolute need of the mercy of God. Wealth and riches have limitations. There are some things rich people cannot have. They may be rich but that does not necessarily make them knowledgeable. Wealth may be there yet they are not immune from physical or emotional pain. There are those who are rich yet lack wisdom to live and interact with people peaceably. If, in spite of their riches, they are not able to buy physical things with money, how much less the kingdom of God and all its wealth. There are those who are poor but do not know that they are destitute like the Laodicean church. Yet, by heaven’s estimation, they are “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked”. When you realize who God is and who you are before Him, pride will have no place in you even after you have been born again; you will maintain an attitude of contrition in your relationship to Him.
Posted on: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 11:32:26 +0000
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