Grace Extended
Bible Study . . . The Blessing of
Spiritual Poverty
God’s love reaches out to you and when God’s love touches your need, we call it Grace.
"For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God ... "
(Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV)
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.~~Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.~~Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.~~Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.~~Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.~~Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.~~Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
(Matthew 5:3-9 KJV)
Poor in Spirit: Spiritual Insufficiency
That Mourn: Spiritual Heartbrokenness
The Meek: Spiritual Submissiveness
Hunger & Thirst: Spiritual Fervor
The Merciful: Spiritual Compassion
Pure in Heart: Spiritual Perfection
The Peacemakers: Spiritual Posterity
Of the two words used for "blessed," the one Jesus employed in the Sermon on the Mount might also be rendered "happy." Happy or blessed is the one whose heart relationship with Christ results in peace with God and with others. Homer spoke of being blessed (Greek) as a state of inner happiness which is not altered by poverty, weakness, and death. William Barclay says, "Human happiness is something that is dependent on the chances and changes of life, something which life may give and which life may also destroy. The Christ blessedness is completely untouchable and unassailable." (William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Vol. I, p.84)
Psalm 1:1-2; 33:12; 41:l; 106:3; 118:26
The Old Covenant ended with God pronouncing a curse (forthcoming judgment) against those who, professing to know their Lord, refused to walk in obedience to Him. Yet, God promised grace and a way out of spiritual poverty (spiritual insufficiency) through His Son.
Jeremiah 17:5; 48:20; Malachi 2:2; 4:2; Matthew 25:41-45
Grace–Jesus Christ–stepped out of heaven to walk the pathway of man’s existence, and the first word in His first sermon was "Blessed (happy) are the poor in spirit." Oh, the depth of happiness when we follow in His footsteps and become one with Him in spirit. Jesus is the promised King. His kingdom is eternal. It is a present reality. A spiritual blessedness that is unaffected by the sufferings and heartaches experienced in this life.
Isaiah 57:15; Luke 5:8; 18:9-14
The world can win its joys, and the world can equally well lose its joys. A change in fortune, a collapse in health, the failure of a plan . . . even a change in the weather, can take away the fickle joy the world can give. But the Christian has the serene and untouchable joy which comes from walking forever in the company and in the presence of Jesus Christ.
The greatness of the beatitudes is that they are not wistful glimpses of some future beauty . . . they are triumphant shouts of bliss for a permanent joy that nothing in the world can ever take away. (Barclay, pp. 84, 85)
To be "poor in spirit" (spiritually insufficient) is to be positioned to receive grace (God’s blessing). A truly proud person rarely sees himself as he really is. The person with a poor-in-spirit "be-attitude" recognizes the dangers inherent in pride. Pride is a hindrance to spiritual blessings: pride gets between God’s grace and your blessing. Spiritual insufficiency (total reliance on Christ) is just the opposite to self-sufficiency and self-righteousness. To be poor in spirit is to have "a contrite and humble spirit"–to be conscious of one’s own spiritual unworthiness.
2 Cor. 2:4; Isaiah 57:15; Luke 5:1-22; 18:9-14
A young boy in Formosa had a great mountain to climb. Chung was born with a cleft palate and was unable to hear, speak, or smile. One day Mr. Bardfield, a deaf mute, visited Formosa. He saw Chung and felt sorry for him. He took a picture of the boy and returning to his job in the United States, began raising money for medical help. Dr. Vincent Pennisi, a noted plastic surgeon, agreed to perform the series of operations needed. Chung was able to come to America for his miracle: Chung was finally able to smile.
