Blessed are the poor in spirit

Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3 ESV) What did He try to tell us?

From the world's standard, most of us know that Jesus is the most unusual teacher.  We will never understand His teaching until we have leadership from The Holy Spirit studying His Word (the Bible).  Then we are able to follow His teaching. 

Since at age of 13, I have had the experience of walking with God; I understand my own guilt and helplessness.  I realize my own emptiness.  Only by God’s grace I was able to find everything in His kingdom.  His kingdom is everything good.

Being poor in spirit implies that we forsake our old habits of our minds, of our appetites and of our tendencies.  We realize that alone, we are at end of our rope. Only after forsaking all these old habits for the Christ, we look up to Jesus for His help.  At that point, we are ready to start our new life on the path He directs.

Faith in God is wonderful experience for everyone.  One thing we must not overlook is God’s grace.  I used to think that I was saved by my very own faith in Jesus.  This would make me responsible for my own salvation, but this is not what the Bible is telling us.  Ephesians 2:8 clearly said, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,” (Ephesians 2:8 ESV). The salvation is a gift of His grace only.  We are responsible to accept His offering and keep following His path.

Why you ask, are the poor in spirit are blessed????

It is because the kingdom of God is within them.  This is God’s grace for us.  Jesus already said, …"theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  (Matt. 5:3 ESV)

We, as Christians still walking on the earth, struggle.  We may sometimes feel hopeless, but God assures us that He is still with us.

We have learned how blessed it is to trust Christ.  We should not seek our own strength.  As we become weak, then God strengthens us.  Christ is all we need, and we need nothing in ourselves.  We have them all in Christ.  This is how God blesses us.

Be poor in spirit is to be rich in faith as we forsake ourselves for Christ.

It is easy to see what Paul meant when he said "When I am weak, then am I strong." Paul you know had a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet him.   He was at first very uneasy with it, and Paul begged the Lord three times that it might be removed, (2 Corinthians 12:8 NCV) but Christ told him, “My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, my power is made perfect in you." (2 Corinthians 12:9 NCV) So I am very happy to brag about my weaknesses. Then Christ's power can live in me.  For this reason I am happy when I have weaknesses, insults, hard times, sufferings, and all kinds of troubles for Christ. Because when I am weak, then I am truly strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10 NCV)  It is clear that God's intention was this:  "I shall not remove that thorn. I gave it to keep you under such a pressure of infirmity that you could never forget your dependence upon me." Sometimes, I realize my Deafness has been that same type of pressure.

Paul then gloried in his own infirmity.  Paul gloried in infirmities and tribulations and persecutions, because he had emptied himself before Christ. Christ made Paul's weakness perfect in His strength.  His trials kept alive the sense of his entire dependence upon Christ, and thus prepared him to for all God called Paul to do.