70 O Day of Rest and Gladness
84 I Sing the Might Power of God
124 Be Not Dismayed Whate'er Betide
271 Rock of Ages
236 Spirit of God, Descend Upon my Heart
275 Amazing Grace
502 – 4 Unto God Almighty
Scripture
Matthew 5:3
Romans 3:9-26
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 in their paths are ruin and misery,
17 and the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
But Jesus said: blessed are the poor in spirit.
What does poor mean? Is it only financially? Or is it something more? Is it more of a matter of where one puts their rest?
Some believe this means only the financially poor.
Matthew states he is talking about the poor in spirit.
Not the poor spirited but those with a poverty of the spirit. A people in need of trusting something beyond themselves. A people who looks at themselves and realizes their strong need for something beyond themselves.
Lazarus lying at the rich man gate hoping for scraps from the table. This is the poverty of spirit sought after. Matt 16.
Not being able to justify themselves in their own eyes.
Some folks see their sin and say "I will be better. I will be good"
The truly poor in spirit recognize they can't fix themselves. They need God to make it right.
They recognize the only he (God) can make it right.
Kingdom in the Bible talks about a kingship. One who rules and reigns not just a specific location but simply rules. We need to realize our strong need for God. That God must reign in our hearts and lives.
Who will we let Reign.? Christ or sin.?