The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"Poor and Rich"
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God" (Matthew 5:3).
The poor in spirit are those who recognize their utter dependence on the living God for "life and breath and all things" (Acts 17:25).
"What hast thou that thou didst not receive?" (I Corinthians 4:7).
Because we must work and apply ourselves to survive and thrive in the world, and even more, because of sin's deception, the notion that we are self-generating and perpetuating entities easily fools us into ignoring our needy nature. Only the revelation of God by His Spirit, His Word, His people, and His personal working in our lives overcomes the temptation to perceive ourselves as independently wealthy. The "poor in spirit" have recognized and accepted the truth about God and themselves, acknowledging that they are needy supplicants rather than proud sovereigns. "My soul shall make her boast in the Lord, the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad" (Psalm 34:2).
Salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ begins our journey in the light of God's supply and our need. By receiving the freest gift ever given, purchased by the doings of Another, we set our feet on the path of righteousness that ever shines with the truth that "my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). We work. We do. We act. We do so, however, in the recognition and confession that we live from God and by God. "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him" (I John 4:9). We are "weak in Him" as the dependent party in the relationship, or "poor in spirit." But we also seek to be "strong in the Lord and in the power of His might" as motivated, led, and empowered by Him (II Corinthians 13:4; Ephesians 6:10). In this sense, "the riches of His grace" fill and fulfill our spirits whereby we live as both paupers and kings.
We came to the Lord Jesus, confessing that we had nothing whereby we might save ourselves and could do nothing of ourselves to find deliverance from sin. "Poor in spirit." Thereby, the riches of the King and His kingdom became the treasure of our hearts. "The unsearchable riches of Christ" (Ephesians 3:8). Both realities must be known and affirmed within our spirits empty and bereft apart from the Lord Jesus, but full and abounding with Him.
"I am poor and needy."
(Psalm 40:17)
"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich."
(II Corinthians 8:9)
Weekly Memory Verse
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
(I Corinthians 2:12)
7328
No comments:
Post a Comment