Nothing for Everything

Nothing for Everything Matt 5:3 Poor in Spirit

All the other beatitudes that Jesus mentions are built upon the result of this one. We cannot be filled until we are empty. Conviction always precedes conversion. The gospel of Christ condemns before it releases. (Jones) Inevitably what prevents people from entering the kingdom is pride. And at the very start, pride must be broken. Pride means you put confidence in your personal achievement, personal morality, personal religion, personal goodness. You are unwilling to acknowledge the fact that the best that you can do is filthy rags. The only way, then, to come into God’s kingdom, the only way to come to blessing, the only way to be genuinely happy, truly happy both in time and eternity is to confess your own unworthiness, your own utter inability to please God, your own incapacity to meet God’s standard. (MacArthur) The first principle of entrance into the kingdom is to recognize that you can’t enter, you’re not capable.

The Reality of the Believer’s Poverty Blessed are the poor

Every believer is poor spiritually. Poor Gk “ptochos – means spiritual poverty, bankruptcy, inadequacy, without means of support, hopeless, A beggar dependant on others, not a poor person trying to make ends meet (Luke 5:8)

Two terms express the meaning of poverty in the NT:

Destitute – Pauper- one who has at least meager resources to exist based in circumstances (Ex the widow at the temple with the mite)

Dependent – beggar – one who is totally dependent on others. Classical Greek describes this ptōchos as one who is reduced to beggary, who crouches, unwilling to lift his eyes, pleading alms and moving about in wretched conditions, says one lexicon. It’s a beggar, somebody with no wealth, no influence, no position, no honor, no respect, in some cases possessing nothing but the ragged clothes they wear, a real beggar here. It is being so poor and so destitute and so unskilled, your poverty is so deep and you are so unable that all you can do is beg. You don’t have the capability to work. You don’t have the skill to work. So you’re totally dependent on the gifts of others. Everything comes to you from an outside source, that’s ptōchos. You have no resource, no talent, no skill, no craft, no trade, nothing. (Ex. Lazarus the beggar) Of the two Greek words which are used to describe poverty, the one used here is the most dire and destitute. Literally, the root means to crouch or cower. This man’s poverty has beaten him to his knees. So Jesus is saying, “Blessed are the beggars in spirit. Blessed are the spiritually bankrupt. Blessed are the spiritually destitute. Blessed are the spiritual paupers. Blessed are those who cringe and cower because they have nothing to offer. Blessed are those who, before the high and exalted and holy God, realize their state of bankruptcy.” (Luke 18:10) (MacArthur)

The Realm of the Believer’s Poverty In spirit

The term here doesn’t refer to physical poverty by spiritual poverty – a poverty of the soul. It is to recognize our total spiritual destitution and complete dependence on God (MacArthur) People who are “poor in spirit” are those who are humble before God. They realize that they have nothing in this life that they can contribute to receiving the kingdom of heaven. They have afflicted their souls, meaning that they have humbled themselves and repented with deep contrition; and they have come to the king as helpless and hopeless sinners. There is no arrogance in them, no self-righteousness, no self-sufficiency. They are free from their own pretensions, and therefore they are free for God. Everyone who wishes to enter the kingdom must be “spiritually poor,” for salvation is a gift from God. (Allen Ross) It is the opposite of that haughty, self-assertive and self-sufficient disposition which the world so much admires and praises. To be poor in spirit is to realize that I have nothing, am nothing, and have need of everything (AW Pink) It is the complete absence of pride, . . . of self assurance and self reliance. It means a consciousness that we are nothing in the presence of God. It is nothing that we can produce; it is nothing that we can do ourselves. (Martin Lloyd Jones) Paul lists all his accomplishments then calls them all rubbish for the sake of knowing Christ (Phil 3:4-7). The hymn writer agrees when he writes: Nothing in my had I bring, simply t the cross I cling. Poverty in spirit is characterized by the sense of powerlessness in ourselves spiritual bankruptcy and helplessness before God, a mora uncleanness before God, personal unworthiness before God and if there is to be any life or joy od usefulness, it will have to be all of God and all of grace. (Piper).

Thomas Watson shares reasons we need to be poor in spirit: 1 Till we are poor in spirit we are not capable of receiving grace. He who is swollen with an opinion of self-excellency and self-sufficiency, is not fit for Christ. He is full already. If the hand be full of pebbles, it cannot receive gold. The glass is first emptied before you pour in wine. God first empties a man of himself, before he pours in the precious wine of his grace. None but the poor in spirit are within Christ’s commission. ‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted’ (Isaiah 61:1), that is, such as are broken in the sense of their unworthiness.2. Till we are poor in spirit, Christ is never precious. Before we see our own wants, we never see Christ’s worth. Poverty of spirit is salt and seasoning, the sauce which makes Christ relish sweet to the soul. Mercy is most welcome to the poor in spirit. He who sees himself clad in filthy rags (Zech 3:4,5), what will he give for change of raiment, the righteousness of Christ! What will he give to have the fair mitre of salvation set upon his head! When a man sees himself almost wounded to death, how precious will the balm of Christ’s blood be to him! When he sees himself deep in arrears with God and is so far from paying the debt that he cannot sum up the debt, how glad would he be of a surety! ‘The pearl of price’ is only precious to the poor in spirit. He that wants bread and is ready to starve, will have it whatever it cost. He will lay his garment to pledge; bread he must have, or he is undone. So, to him that is poor in spirit, that sees his want of Christ, how precious is a Savior! Christ is Christ and grace is grace to him! He will do anything for the bread of life. Therefore, will God have the soul thus qualified, to raise the price of his market, to enhance the value and estimate of the Lord Jesus.3 Till we are poor in spirit we cannot go to heaven. ‘Theirs is the kingdom of heaven’. This tune and prepares us for heaven. By nature, a man is big with self-confidence, and the gate of heaven is so strait that he cannot enter. Now poverty of spirit lessens the soul; it pares off its superfluity, and now he is fit to enter in at the ’strait gate’. The great cable cannot go through the eye of the needle, but let it be untwisted and made into small threads, and then it may. Poverty of spirit untwists the great cable. It makes a man little in his own eyes and now an entrance shall be made unto him, ‘richly into the everlasting Kingdom’ (2 Peter 1:11). Through this temple of poverty, we must go in to the temple of glory. (Thomas Watson)

The Road of the Believer’s Poverty

Total emptiness can also be called humility. Jones suggests that you do not look to yourself or try to do thongs yourself, the way to become poor in spirit is to look at the Scriptures, look at the savior, and learn from the saints. (Jones) Three things to do to become poor in spirit: Three things to do to become poor in Spirit

Look Upon God rather then yourself, Let go of those things that gratify the flesh

Long for true Humility and dependence on God (James 4:10)

The Results of the Believer’s Poverty For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven “Theirs” is in the Greek in the sense of theirs alone, nobody else’s, barring all others who approach God, except those with a beggar’s heart. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven, theirs is - not will be, theirs is. So whatever it is, it’s present, here and now. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven now. Heaven is really the same as God. You have interchangeably the phrase “the kingdom of heaven,” “the kingdom of God” used in the New Testament. The kingdom of heaven is just another way of referring to God and also to refer to the rule of Christ. Christ is the King over God’s kingdom. (Mac Arthur)

People of the kingdom- theirs- those who are poor in spirit There is no one in the kingdom who is not poor in spirit. It is the fundamental characteristic of the Christian and the citizens of heaven (Jones)

Principle of the Kingdom – the kingdom of Heaven Three aspects: 1) Heavenly in its local - Reign and rule of Christ in God’s people; 2) Here not just later – Relationship of Jesus with God’s people; 3) Hereafter –Residence of God’s people

Presence of the Kingdom is – the indwelling presence of Jesus. We have kingdom blessing now. We have kingdom grace, we have kingdom mercy, we have kingdom peace, we have kingdom joy, we have kingdom wisdom because we’re subjects of the King. We have kingdom sovereignty; that is, the sovereign King takes care of His subjects. We have kingdom comfort for the times of sorrow. We have kingdom wisdom dispensed to us through the manual of the kingdom, which is the Word of the living God. All spiritual blessings of the kingdom are ours, the promise of glorification, the promise of sanctification until we reach glorification, the promise that everything is going to work together for good because we’re subjects of the King. Everything that is ours in Christ constitutes kingdom blessing. Those who are in the kingdom have a deep-down contentment because everything that matters eternally is settled. They are in the kingdom. They have kingdom peace, kingdom grace, kingdom mercy, kingdom power, kingdom truth and kingdom wisdom. It will be fully manifested later when this body of flesh is taken away, but for now we have guarantee though the presence of the Spirit. Kingdom now and kingdom later (Eph 1:13-14) We currently possess everything that really matters Eternally. It is unassailable, untouchable because I’m in the kingdom and the King takes care of me. I’m not just the subject of the King, I’m the King’s child, son of the King. And out of the vast treasure of the King’s resources, He takes care of me and He takes care of you because we’re in His kingdom, but nobody came in until they recognized their spiritual bankruptcy. (Mac Arthur).

The reflection on the Believer’s Poverty

Thomas Watson suggests two exhortations:

Those outside the kingdom: There is a kingdom to be had, a kingdom so enameled and bespangled with glory? Oh then, do not by your folly make yourselves incapable of this preferment. Do not for the satisfying of a base lust forfeit a kingdom. Do not drink away a kingdom. Do not for the lap of pleasure lose the crown of life. If men, before they committed a sin, would but sit down and rationally consider whether the present gain and sweetness in sin would countervail the loss of a kingdom, I believe it would put them into a cold sweat, and give some check to their unbridled affections. Jacob took Esau by the heel. Look not upon the smiling face of sin, but ‘take it by the heel’. Look at the end of it. It will deprive you of a kingdom, and can anything make amends for that loss? O, is it not madness, for the unfruitful works of darkness (Ephesians 5:11), to lose a kingdom? How will the devil at the last day reproach and laugh at men, that they should be so stupidly sottish as for a rattle to forgo a crown! Like those Indians who for pictures and glass beads will part with their gold. Surely it will much contribute to the vexation of the damned to think how foolishly they missed of a kingdom.

Those in the kingdom

Work to advance the Kingdom: Do all the service you can for God while you live. ‘Spend and be spent.’ The reward is honorable. The thoughts of a kingdom should add wings to prayer, and fire to zeal. ‘What honor and dignity has been done to Mordecai?’ says King Ahasuerus (Esther 6:3). Inquire what has been done for God? What love have you shown to his name? What zeal for his glory? Where is the head of that Goliath lust you have slain for his sake? Methinks we should sometimes go aside into our closets and weep to consider how little work we have done for God. What a vast disproportion is there between our service and our reward! What is all our weeping and fasting compared to a kingdom! Oh improve all your interest for God. Make seasons of grace, opportunities for service. (Watson)

Walk worthy of this kingdom: (1 Thess 2:12) Live as kings. Let the majesty of holiness appear in your faces. (Acts 6:15) When we shine in zeal, humility, gravity, this beautifies and honors us in the eyes of others, and makes us look as those who are heirs apparent to a crown. (Watson)

Thomas Watson in his book Beatitudes gives seven principles to apply to see if you are poor in spirit:

· Are you weaned of self? Ps 131:2

· Are you focused on Christ? Ps 17:15

· Do you see the good in others?

· Do you intercede in prayer? A beggar is always begging!

· Do you follow Christ on His terms? A long besieged castle will surrender under any terms to save their lives.

· Do you Praise and thank God in and for all things?

Here is comfort to the people of God in case of poverty. God has provided them a kingdom: ‘Theirs is the kingdom of heaven’. A child of God is often so low in the world that he has not a foot of land to inherit. He is poor in purse as well as in spirit. But here is a fountain of consolation opened. The poorest saint who has lost all his golden fleece is heir to a kingdom, a kingdom which excels all the kingdoms and principalities of the world, more than pearl or diamond excels brass. It is peerless and endless. The hope of a kingdom, says Basil, should carry a Christian with courage and cheerfulness through all his afflictions. And it is a saying of Luther, ‘The sea of God’s mercy, overflowing in spiritual blessings, should drown all the sufferings of this life’. What though you go now in rags? You shall have your white robes. What though you have only bread and water? You shall feast it when you come into the kingdom. Here you drink the water of tears, but shortly you shall drink the wine of paradise. Be comforted with the thoughts of a kingdom. (Watson)