Matthew 5:3 (NIV) - "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Like the first rung on a ladder we must depend on the teaching of the first beatitude to continue our journey. In this truth, spoken by the Word himself, Jesus declares for all time that no one is saved who believes there is something within him that will make God prefer or accept him. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV) Self-righteousness, moral pride, or vain presumption will frustrates the grace of God! Jesus made this crystal-clear with the account of the tax collector and the Pharisee who went up to the Temple to pray: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18:10-14) We must realize that: The first link between our soul and Christ is not our goodness but our badness; not our merit but our misery; not our standing but our falling.
When we come to God like the tax collector in Luke 18 crying out “Have mercy on me, a sinner.” the grace of God reaches into the darkest recesses of our soul and speaks life. When Jesus said, ‘blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” He was not talking of a future salvation but of a right now salvation. And the kingdom of heaven is ours now! Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:6 that we are seated with Christ in heavenly places now! The reward is not just for a future time but it is for this life and this time. We are the Children of God now. We are overcomers now. We are kings and priests now. We reign with Christ now and exercise authority and power in His name now. Our poverty of spirit, our weakness, is a well of authority and power. Our weakness is his strength, our inability is His opportunity, our poverty is His wealth, our fear is His confidence. We have found the freedom that only the grace of God can bring! Pride made us slaves but those that are poor in spirit have been set free. Free to be full of God, free to be all that He would have us to be, free to filled with His Spirit, free to walk in victory. We reign with Christ now and for all eternity. The kingdom of Heaven is ours!
Like the first rung on a ladder we must depend on the teaching of the first beatitude to continue our journey. In this truth, spoken by the Word himself, Jesus declares for all time that no one is saved who believes there is something within him that will make God prefer or accept him. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV) Self-righteousness, moral pride, or vain presumption will frustrates the grace of God! Jesus made this crystal-clear with the account of the tax collector and the Pharisee who went up to the Temple to pray: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18:10-14) We must realize that: The first link between our soul and Christ is not our goodness but our badness; not our merit but our misery; not our standing but our falling.
When we come to God like the tax collector in Luke 18 crying out “Have mercy on me, a sinner.” the grace of God reaches into the darkest recesses of our soul and speaks life. When Jesus said, ‘blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” He was not talking of a future salvation but of a right now salvation. And the kingdom of heaven is ours now! Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:6 that we are seated with Christ in heavenly places now! The reward is not just for a future time but it is for this life and this time. We are the Children of God now. We are overcomers now. We are kings and priests now. We reign with Christ now and exercise authority and power in His name now. Our poverty of spirit, our weakness, is a well of authority and power. Our weakness is his strength, our inability is His opportunity, our poverty is His wealth, our fear is His confidence. We have found the freedom that only the grace of God can bring! Pride made us slaves but those that are poor in spirit have been set free. Free to be full of God, free to be all that He would have us to be, free to filled with His Spirit, free to walk in victory. We reign with Christ now and for all eternity. The kingdom of Heaven is ours!
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