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“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:3
The most well-known sermon of Christ is this one found in Matthew 5. In this sermon, Jesus speaks of the true Christian. He gives us a description of the characteristics of a child of God. The theme of the sermon is true happiness. Jesus uses the word "blessed" to mean joy, that great joy that comes from being a child of God and obeying His commandments. Jesus starts by saying "Blessed are the poor in spirit". Why are the poor in spirit blessed or happy? What does He mean by this? In Luke 18 we read about a man that said, "God, be merciful to me a sinner". This man knew he was a sinner, he had nothing to offer God and was poor in spirit.
In the third verse of the hymn Rock of Ages, Augustus M. Toplady writes
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to thee for dress;
Helpless, look to thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Saviour, or I die.
This is the poverty of spirit that Christ is talking about in verse 3. Toplady describes this in a most beautiful way. All I can do is simply cling to thy cross, O God. The Bible says in Romans 3:10, there is none righteous and in verse 12, there is none that does good, no, not even one. What do these poor in spirit people have to be happy about? Jesus says for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The Saviour is the sinner's only hope. God sees the heart of man. He knows who is poor in spirit and who is proud and self-righteous in spirit. The humble sinner who clings to the cross of Christ is the one whose inheritance is in heaven. The poor in spirit is the one who trusts in Christ for salvation, and who depends on Him alone.
Matthew 5:3
The most well-known sermon of Christ is this one found in Matthew 5. In this sermon, Jesus speaks of the true Christian. He gives us a description of the characteristics of a child of God. The theme of the sermon is true happiness. Jesus uses the word "blessed" to mean joy, that great joy that comes from being a child of God and obeying His commandments. Jesus starts by saying "Blessed are the poor in spirit". Why are the poor in spirit blessed or happy? What does He mean by this? In Luke 18 we read about a man that said, "God, be merciful to me a sinner". This man knew he was a sinner, he had nothing to offer God and was poor in spirit.
In the third verse of the hymn Rock of Ages, Augustus M. Toplady writes
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to thee for dress;
Helpless, look to thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Saviour, or I die.
This is the poverty of spirit that Christ is talking about in verse 3. Toplady describes this in a most beautiful way. All I can do is simply cling to thy cross, O God. The Bible says in Romans 3:10, there is none righteous and in verse 12, there is none that does good, no, not even one. What do these poor in spirit people have to be happy about? Jesus says for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The Saviour is the sinner's only hope. God sees the heart of man. He knows who is poor in spirit and who is proud and self-righteous in spirit. The humble sinner who clings to the cross of Christ is the one whose inheritance is in heaven. The poor in spirit is the one who trusts in Christ for salvation, and who depends on Him alone.
