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"Poor in Spirit"
- Thread starter Spinach
- Start date
Yes, that's it!!
Crucified in Christ
New Member
Those that realize their spiritual poverty...those that realize that they are a sinner and that the wages of sin is death. The only way that we can turn and walk upon the narrow road that the leads to Life, is that we first realize, through the Spirit, that we are on the wide road that leads straight to Hell. Only once we can see our true state, can we see our own need for a Savior.
Humble, I would suggest it is humility 
Thsi si what I've always hear dit meant, heard it preached by multiple preachers.
I noticed something the last time that I taught the Beatitudes. I had never seen it before and perhaps I am as goofy as a barrel of monkeys but here is what I noticed.
I noticed a progression of the spiritual walk there.
Blessed are the poor in spirit (Someone who understands that they are a sinner)
Blessed are they who mourn (Someone who is grieved that they are a sinner)
Blessed are the meek (Someone who understands what has to be done about it - to become like Jesus)
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness. (Someone who goes beyond understanding into a burden to change and who changes.)
Blessed are the merciful. (Someone who has a heart for others to change.)
Blessed are the pure of heart. (Someone who now walks the walk.)
Blessed are the peacemakers (Someone who is bent on others walking the walk and does so in imitation of Christ.)
Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice sake. (Someone who is willing to lay down all that he or she has for the sake of Christ.)
I am either presuming too much or reading too much into these blessings. Anyway, that's what knocked on my head the last time that I taught them in Sunday School.
If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. :tonofbricks:
I noticed a progression of the spiritual walk there.
Blessed are the poor in spirit (Someone who understands that they are a sinner)
Blessed are they who mourn (Someone who is grieved that they are a sinner)
Blessed are the meek (Someone who understands what has to be done about it - to become like Jesus)
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness. (Someone who goes beyond understanding into a burden to change and who changes.)
Blessed are the merciful. (Someone who has a heart for others to change.)
Blessed are the pure of heart. (Someone who now walks the walk.)
Blessed are the peacemakers (Someone who is bent on others walking the walk and does so in imitation of Christ.)
Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice sake. (Someone who is willing to lay down all that he or she has for the sake of Christ.)
I am either presuming too much or reading too much into these blessings. Anyway, that's what knocked on my head the last time that I taught them in Sunday School.
If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. :tonofbricks:
Scarlett, you get an "A." Being poor in spirit refers to being spiritually bankrupt. One has nothing whatsoever to offer God. His or her righteousness is as filthy rags. What righteousness he or she may have is of no consequence. Say I owe a billion dollars and yet can only come up with $10.00. My $10.00 doesn't even come close to paying off the debt that I owe. In fact, to even offer that $10.00 would be an insult to my creditor. All I can do is admit my bankruptcy and plead for mercy from the creditor. And, for the poor in spirit all one can do is cry out for mercy for the debt owed can never be repaid.
I agree with this - having heard it expressed this way in an expository sermon by one of the best a few years back. It made all kinds of sense!!
I love words. These words are really something when I meditate on them. Here are a few things I thought of when pondering the words:
As mentioned, poor and unworthy, needing a savior.
Sympathetic to the plight of the poor.
Sad/downtrodden.
Humble.
I really like Scarlett's definition, but I also like the thought of being sympathetic to the plight of the poor.
As mentioned, poor and unworthy, needing a savior.
Sympathetic to the plight of the poor.
Sad/downtrodden.
Humble.
I really like Scarlett's definition, but I also like the thought of being sympathetic to the plight of the poor.
Marcia
Active Member
It's also been said that the Beatitudes are what will exist in God's kingdom one day. So those who are now poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful, the pure in heart, etc. will have the 2nd part of the statement, which is just as important as the first part.
3"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5"Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
6"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
3"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5"Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
6"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The Beatitudes are for TODAY (not some future kingdom, but the kingdom that is here today). Try to plug the "persecuted" etc into a millennium and you see how it contradicts the Word.
HERE IS A SUMMARY (just finished at Christmas preaching thru them)
In my poverty of spirit seeing my own need for mercy (Blessed are the Poor in Spirit) I will show mercy to others (Blessed are the Merciful)
In my mourning over sin (Blessed are those who Mourn) I will seek a pure heart (Blessed are the Holy)
In my meekness before God (Blessed are the Meek) I will always seek to make peace (Blessed are the Peace-makers)
In my hungering and thirsting for righteousness (Blessed are those who Hunger and Thirst) I am not unwilling to pay the price of being persecuted for that righteousness (Blessed are the Persecuted).
#1 goes with #5
#2 with #6
#3 with #7
#4 with #8
~~
The first "blessing" is poverty of spirit and genuine humility, seeing the tremendous collateral blessing we will have in the Kingdom.
a. NO Assets
1) Luke simply says in his brief account “blessed are the poor” and many think this just is physical.
2) We might say that 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.
3) It indicates someone who must beg for whatever they have or get.
4) Greek penicros (we get “penny” from this) was for those who were poor and had little.
5) But ptwcos is from root to shrink, back away, cower or cringe like a beggar in an alley
6) Illustration: Lazarus (Luke 16:20) the beggar
b. NO Spiritual Assets
1) They know they are spiritually bankrupt.
2) Without hope
3) No salvation apart from God reaching my soul
4) Illustration: Illumination and regeneration of the holy Spirit, as it is not PHYSICAL poverty, but of anything that is “spiritual” within me
“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
HERE IS A SUMMARY (just finished at Christmas preaching thru them)
In my poverty of spirit seeing my own need for mercy (Blessed are the Poor in Spirit) I will show mercy to others (Blessed are the Merciful)
In my mourning over sin (Blessed are those who Mourn) I will seek a pure heart (Blessed are the Holy)
In my meekness before God (Blessed are the Meek) I will always seek to make peace (Blessed are the Peace-makers)
In my hungering and thirsting for righteousness (Blessed are those who Hunger and Thirst) I am not unwilling to pay the price of being persecuted for that righteousness (Blessed are the Persecuted).
#1 goes with #5
#2 with #6
#3 with #7
#4 with #8
~~
The first "blessing" is poverty of spirit and genuine humility, seeing the tremendous collateral blessing we will have in the Kingdom.
a. NO Assets
1) Luke simply says in his brief account “blessed are the poor” and many think this just is physical.
2) We might say that 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.
3) It indicates someone who must beg for whatever they have or get.
4) Greek penicros (we get “penny” from this) was for those who were poor and had little.
5) But ptwcos is from root to shrink, back away, cower or cringe like a beggar in an alley
6) Illustration: Lazarus (Luke 16:20) the beggar
b. NO Spiritual Assets
1) They know they are spiritually bankrupt.
2) Without hope
3) No salvation apart from God reaching my soul
4) Illustration: Illumination and regeneration of the holy Spirit, as it is not PHYSICAL poverty, but of anything that is “spiritual” within me
“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