Poor in Spirit

The poor in spirit are those who know they are spiritual paupers, they have no righteousness of their own, they must come before God as humble beggars. Jesus refers to our spiritual poverty throughout the gospels.

We are all sinners before God, falling far short of his glorious perfection. We don't have the resources to overcome our sin nature. We need God.

You cannot come before God full of pride, for pride is just another word for self-exaltation. Pride puts you on the throne. You have no need for God's kingdom if you live in a kingdom of your own making. The poor in spirit realize their sin separates them from God. Those who recognize their spiritual poverty come humbly before God. The poor in spirit know they have nothing to commend themselves before God: they need God and his righteousness. The poor in spirit are welcomed into God's kingdom because they are ready for God to reign in their lives.

The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is a good illustration of two groups of people in the world: those who think they are pretty good and those who know they are really bad. Each group has its own issues with which to deal.

Those who think they are pretty good people have tried all their lives to do the right thing. They compare themselves to others, as this Pharisee does, and feel they come out looking good. The problem is that God compares them to himself and sees how short they fall, no matter how good they try to be. Just one sin creates a law breaker. No one can earn their way into God's kingdom. Their only hope is to realize their true condition as sinners and spiritual paupers and depend on God's grace, not their own good works.

Then there are those like the tax collector who know they constantly fall short, even compared to other people. They know, like the thief on the cross, that they are guilty and don't deserve anything from God. But when the thief recognized Jesus for who he was and acknowledged his own guilt, Jesus welcomed him into God's kingdom (Luke 24:39-43). Those of the guilty tax collector mindset need to realize that God made provision for their sinful condition and made a way through Jesus' sacrifice to have a relationship with God. When they repent and trust in God for their righteousness, they are welcomed into God's kingdom.

In which group do you fall? Whichever group it is, you have a daily struggle to move beyond that mindset and remember that you are a sinner and spiritual pauper, but God loves you in your poverty and wants you in his kingdom. When you no longer rely on your own righteousness but trust in what God has done for you and make him Lord of your life, you are ready for heavenly kingdom living.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™