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Matthew 5:3
- Thread starter mets65
- Start date
Thousand Hills
Active Member
To me as just a regular guy, I think it continues with a theme we see throughout the Bible that the things which appear powerful and wise in this world are nothing to God. Examples: Israel small nation chosen by God to reveal himself, Bethlehem smallest town, Christ's humble birth, etc., Disciples were ordinary men. God blesses those who are "poor in spirit" who see their need for him, they don't trust in their wealth, fame, or position. God blesses those who are humble before him and put their trust in him.
Here's a good passage from 1 Corinthians that I think goes along with what I'm trying to say.
1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:That no flesh should glory in his presence.But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
I'm sure it will digress to that issue at some point :tongue3:
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Old Union Brother
New Member
I think that it goes along with the reward that is the Promise. I also think that this scripture goes along with it as well.
2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
An humble and contrite spirit seeking repentance.
2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
An humble and contrite spirit seeking repentance.
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To me, this verse is about repentance. Every day repentance.
Every day we sin by what we do and by what we fail to do. The only way we can empty ourself of today's sin is to get down on our knees, confess our daily sins, and ask for the mercy of God through Jesus the Son.
When we ask for mercy through Jesus, we are saying our spirit is broken. When we empty our spirit of pride and self-sufficiency, we are poor in spirit. Our spirit is broke, our spirit is penniless, our spirit is nothing. And that is what God wants from us, a contrite spirit turning to Him, acknowledging the poverty of our spirit.
Then we look around and we see we are in the Kingdom of Heaven, the dwelling place of the saved. We never really left the Kingdom from the day before, from the last time we were on our knees asking for mercy. But, somehow, we forgot about the Kingdom, we busied our spirit with things of this world, we fell into sin again by what we did and by what we failed to do in the course of the day.
And now, on our knees, in our poverty, we receive the mercy of God through Jesus the Son, the sins of the day are forgiven, we are washed clean, and the Holy Spirit fills us up so we can see the terrain of the Kingdom of Heaven once again. The Holy Spirit is strong and takes control of our spirit. We feel the Kingdom around us and we know it is real.
And soon, sooner that it should ever be, we open our eyes, rise from our knees, and the terrain of this world takes shape again, in some way we do not understand, and we start again to do what we should not do and we fail to do what we should do--until we are on our knees again.
That is what Matthew 5:3 means to me.
...Bob
Every day we sin by what we do and by what we fail to do. The only way we can empty ourself of today's sin is to get down on our knees, confess our daily sins, and ask for the mercy of God through Jesus the Son.
When we ask for mercy through Jesus, we are saying our spirit is broken. When we empty our spirit of pride and self-sufficiency, we are poor in spirit. Our spirit is broke, our spirit is penniless, our spirit is nothing. And that is what God wants from us, a contrite spirit turning to Him, acknowledging the poverty of our spirit.
Then we look around and we see we are in the Kingdom of Heaven, the dwelling place of the saved. We never really left the Kingdom from the day before, from the last time we were on our knees asking for mercy. But, somehow, we forgot about the Kingdom, we busied our spirit with things of this world, we fell into sin again by what we did and by what we failed to do in the course of the day.
And now, on our knees, in our poverty, we receive the mercy of God through Jesus the Son, the sins of the day are forgiven, we are washed clean, and the Holy Spirit fills us up so we can see the terrain of the Kingdom of Heaven once again. The Holy Spirit is strong and takes control of our spirit. We feel the Kingdom around us and we know it is real.
And soon, sooner that it should ever be, we open our eyes, rise from our knees, and the terrain of this world takes shape again, in some way we do not understand, and we start again to do what we should not do and we fail to do what we should do--until we are on our knees again.
That is what Matthew 5:3 means to me.
...Bob
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The poor in spirit are those that recognize their spiritual need and know that it can only be found in Christ. They acknowledge they are sinners in need of a Savior. They come to God with a broken and contrite spirit.
In the Beatitudes the King is descibing the charateristics of those that have been born from above, to whom the Kingdom of Heaven belongs.
But he that doeth the truth cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, that they have been wrought in God. Jn 3:21
Their hearts have already been changed.
ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5
And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready at the quarry; and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building. 1 Ki 6:7
But he that doeth the truth cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, that they have been wrought in God. Jn 3:21
Their hearts have already been changed.
ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5
And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready at the quarry; and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building. 1 Ki 6:7
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freeatlast
New Member
When I was first saved i saw the beatitudes as each being a separate type of believer. However i am now convinced that is incorrect.
While i do think that we may stand out in certain areas in the beatitudes a true believer has all the traits.
The poor in spirit I believe means one who does not see himself as self sustaining in regards to God.
1. POOR IN SPIRIT Matthew 5:3
a. NO Physical Assets
Luke simply says in his brief account “blessed are the poor” and many think this just is physical.
The ancient Greek had a word for the “working poor” and a word for the “truly poor.” Jesus used the word for the truly poor here.
It indicates someone who must beg for whatever they have or get.
Greek penicros (we get “penny” from this) was for those who were poor and had little.
But ptwcos is from root to shrink, back away, cower or cringe like a beggar in an alley
Illustration: Lazarus (Luke 16:20) the beggar
b. NO Spiritual Assets
They know they are spiritually bankrupt.
Without hope
No salvation apart from God reaching my soul
Illustration: Illumination and regeneration of the holy Spirit, as it is not PHYSICAL poverty, but of anything that is “spiritual” within me
2. TRUE HUMILITY
a. EVERYONE Starts Here
It isn’t first blessed are the pure or the holy or the spiritual or the wonderful.
Everyone can be poor in spirit. “Not what I have, but what I have not, is the first point of contact, between my soul and God.
Poverty of spirit cannot be artificially induced by self-hatred;
It takes the Holy Spirit and our response to His working in our hearts bring it about
b. God has to humble us
Isaiah 66:2 "For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being," declares the LORD. "But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.”
Micah 6:8 “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Psalm 51:17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.”
a. NO Physical Assets
Luke simply says in his brief account “blessed are the poor” and many think this just is physical.
The ancient Greek had a word for the “working poor” and a word for the “truly poor.” Jesus used the word for the truly poor here.
It indicates someone who must beg for whatever they have or get.
Greek penicros (we get “penny” from this) was for those who were poor and had little.
But ptwcos is from root to shrink, back away, cower or cringe like a beggar in an alley
Illustration: Lazarus (Luke 16:20) the beggar
b. NO Spiritual Assets
They know they are spiritually bankrupt.
Without hope
No salvation apart from God reaching my soul
Illustration: Illumination and regeneration of the holy Spirit, as it is not PHYSICAL poverty, but of anything that is “spiritual” within me
2. TRUE HUMILITY
a. EVERYONE Starts Here
It isn’t first blessed are the pure or the holy or the spiritual or the wonderful.
Everyone can be poor in spirit. “Not what I have, but what I have not, is the first point of contact, between my soul and God.
Poverty of spirit cannot be artificially induced by self-hatred;
It takes the Holy Spirit and our response to His working in our hearts bring it about
b. God has to humble us
Isaiah 66:2 "For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being," declares the LORD. "But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.”
Micah 6:8 “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Psalm 51:17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.”