The blessedness of spiritual poverty

By Arthur Pink and others.

(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
 

Matthew 5:3, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven."

What is poverty of spirit? It is the opposite of that haughty, self-assertive, and self-sufficient disposition that the world so much desires and praises. To be poor in spirit, is to realize that I have nothing, I am nothing, I can do nothing--to please the holy God.

Poverty of spirit is evident in a person, when he is brought into the dust before God, to acknowledge his utter helplessness. It is the first experiential evidence of a Divine work of grace within the soul, and corresponds to the initial awakening of the prodigal son in the far country, when he "began to be in need." (Luke 15:14)

The world calls the strong, the self-sufficient, and the self-reliant "blessed." But the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Glory, pronounces a paradox--true blessedness belongs only to the poor in spirit! These are those who see themselves as utterly destitute sinners before God. They have been stripped of all self-righteousness and self-sufficiency, standing before their Maker with empty hands, knowing they have nothing to offer God but their sin and need.

To be "poor in spirit" is to humble one's self under the mighty hand of God. It is to see our sin, our guilt, our defilement, and our utter inability to save ourselves. It is to cry out with the tax collector, "God, have mercy on me, the sinner!" (Luke 18:13). It is to confess, like Isaiah, "Woe is me, for I am undone! For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord almighty!" (Isaiah 6:5). Such a condition is not something we naturally seek, for in our pride, we all claim some worthiness before God.

But the Holy Spirit opens our blind eyes to see the depth of our depravity, and the height of God's holiness. This poverty of spirit is the first mark of all who enter Christ's kingdom, for only when a soul understands the depth of it's depravity and inability to save itself, will it seek Christ's salvation.

And what is the promise? "For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven." Christ Himself is their portion. They have entered into . . . .
  the riches of His grace,
  the fullness of His love,
  and the blessedness of His eternal kingdom.
While the proud and self-sufficient are sent away empty, the poor in spirit are filled with the riches of divine mercy.

Oh, what comfort this brings to the soul who feels utterly unworthy before God! Take heart, dear believer--your poverty is your riches, for Christ has become your all! The more we see of our spiritual bankruptcy, the more we treasure His abundant grace. The deeper our sense of need, the sweeter is the sufficiency of our Savior. He is near to the lowly, and He exalts the humble.

Hence, let us daily live in this blessed poverty, knowing that our sufficiency is in Christ alone. Let us not boast in our own goodness, but in the grace of God, who has given us a priceless inheritance in His everlasting kingdom. The world may pity those who are poor in spirit, but God calls them blessed!

"Lord, empty me of pride, of self-reliance, and of any thought that I can stand before You in my own merit. Make me ever more poor in spirit, that I may be rich in Christ. Thank You that the kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who realize that they are un-deserving, ill-deserving, and Hell-deserving sinners. Keep me humble before You, and let my heart always rest in the sufficiency of Your grace."

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You may want to listen to Anne Steele's Christ-centered hymn, "O Lovely Source of True Delight."