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Poor in spirit
Deborah-Leigh:
Great quote Gina...
Like...a bird doesn't sing because it's got an answer. A bird sings because it's got a song... ~ :)
Keep singing Lady!
onelovedread:
Maybe being poor in spirit also means that we recognize that we can do nothing good without God who created in us Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Perhaps, when we come to realize that we are saved by grace and not of our own efforts, when we come to realize that there is nothing good in our fleshly selves unless God empowers us through His Spirit, and that we can do nothing of ourselves, maybe then we will see how destitute we truly are. Could that be what it means to be poor in spirit?
Kat:
Hi gk,
Mat 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
I think the key to understanding this Scripture is what Jesus meant by the "poor in spirit." What is this "spirit" He speaks of? Well Paul explains this to us in 1 Corinthians when he talks of "the spirit of man" and "the spirit of the world."
1Co 2:11 For who among men knows the things of a man except the spirit of man within him? So also no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.
v. 12 But we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit from God, so that we might know the things that are freely given to us by God.
v. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
v. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
When you think about that Jesus is speaking of the carnal/fleshly spirit of man and this world, you can understand why He says those poor/destitute/lacking in that will be the kingdom.
John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
mercy, peace and love
Kat
GaryK:
These responses are all good and rich. And they’re all appreciated. No doubt, it’s good for a man to know these words you’ve all reminded.
Ray devoted 4 books to the matter of free-will, one subject, 4 books. To borrow from Ray, “must be important”. And then if that wasn’t enough he devoted 1 book to one subject, the beast. Is it possible to live these words you’ve all written here without first meeting the beast? I say no. And I don’t mean just agreeing with Ray in a way like “yep, you’re right Ray, I can see where I’m a beast”. Is it possible to have that poor spirit and diminish the self-righteousness without first meeting the beast?
I don’t think so.
But how many of us have said, and say, yes, respond with the right verses and words, but haven’t actually……really….. met the beast?
I haven't, and I know it. And I'm scared to death of it.
But if you have, then good for you, it's your leadership that makes the difference. But without it, how are we any better than the church we all skulk at when they’re preaching their hollow messages? I don’t see any difference. I think a man has to muster up the courage to get down in the trenches and see the beast before he can even begin to understand what ‘poor in spirit’ really is. I think Paul did just that. So did Job. So did many others of old-time. So did David:
Psalm 13
Psalm 13[a]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
I’m still inclined to accept that no-one can live a ‘poor spirit’ without first experiencing a spiritual drought of enormous, colossal devastation. It’s not healthy, but it’s advantageous in the longest run. I still have the tendency to believe that none of these verses will take their home in a man’s heart until that man recognizes there is a beast, has met the beast, looked him straight in the eyes and come to realize, inside, deep down in the soul of that man that that beast is much more wicked than first thought, much more powerful and can defeat easily that man’s best of intentions, and craftier than any wisdom in words that the man has learned and can repeat at will. In other words, when a man (or woman) realizes there’s nothing in this world that’s worthwhile, just like Solomon says, and just wants to lay down and curl up into a tight un-born baby wad and go to sleep for a long time, for no other reason than to experience true rest, I think only then can one realize how truly spiritually helpless one is. I’ll bet it's humbling. And I think it’s then that a man realizes he can’t get there on his own and he must call out for help to the only possible one that can give the help, to open the cell door of that spiritual prison Ray talks on.
Sorry, I don’t mean to preach, not my intention. Just letting out a little bit of heart here, that’s all. Hope you don't mind.
Gina:
It sounds like you've met the beast or you wouldn't be terrified of him. But then I thought -- wait a minute -- are we supposed to be dwelling on that or the One who is greater? Greater is He Who is in you than he who is in the world. It's good to have a healthy estimation of ourselves, but I thought we were supposed to be thinking/dwelling/meditating on:
Philippians 4:8
...whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].
It's hard to do, that's for sure. I hear, practice makes perfect. ;)
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