Text: Mt 5: 3
Date: Aug 9, 2020
Place: SGBC, NJ
Thursday we looked at the subject of assurance. Our true assurance is objective assurance, certainty
in the object of our faith. In Christ all
our blessings and all our covenant promises are sure. But when we think of assurance, we tend to
think of subjective assurance: certainty in heart, in feeling, in spirit. While I thought on this it came to my mind
what our Redeemer taught us, he said,
Matthew 5: 3: Blessed are the poor in spirit: for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Subject: The Blessing of Poverty
Proposition: Christ is here describing a very
small remnant who know what they really are in themselves before God.
I only want to
deal with verse 3 but let’s read the whole passage so we hear how Christ
describes those who are truly blessed. This
is not how believers ought to be or how we become as time goes by—this is what
every regenerated, sanctified child of God.
Matthew 5: 3: Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven. 4: Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be
comforted. 5: Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6:
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for
they shall be filled. 7: Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain
mercy. 8: Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9: Blessed
are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 10: Blessed
are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven. 11: Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and
persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for
my sake. 12: Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in
heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Matthew 5: 3: Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
Divisions: 1)
The Persons; 2) Their Privilege 3) Their Portion
THE PERSONS—the poor in spirit
Note this is poor “in spirit.” According to God’s purpose and predestination
the majority of those God saves are poor in worldly possessions.
1 Corinthians 1: 26: For ye see your
calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty,
not many noble, are called: 27: But God hath chosen the foolish things
of the world to confound the wise;…
James 2: 5: Hearken, my beloved brethren, hath not God
chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which He
hath promised to them that love Him!”
But if we be poor in worldly things, it is ok because God
ordained it and brought it to pass
1 Samuel 2: 7: The LORD maketh poor…
Christ came
from the riches of glory and became poor.
He walked this earth having nothing.
While he did so our Savior cared for and identified himself with the
poor and needy and lowly.
2 Corinthians 8: 9: 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 made rich.
He called out poor fishermen and spent his days with
them. Christ owned no land and had no
place to lay his head. He warned about
the riches of this world.
Likewise, the apostle Paul was rich in worldly
possessions before conversion. Afterward,
he became poor for the gospel’s sake. He
described his state as “troubled, persecuted, cast down, poor, and having
nothing.” Yet, the believer in Christ is
"poor, yet making many rich. Having nothing, and yet possessing all
things."
Still, a sinner can be poor in worldly possession yet think
himself rich in spirit. Fact is, all
are poor in spirit but not all know it.
The majority think themselves rich, increased and in need of nothing. The rich in spirit thinks himself powerful in
will, wise in the knowledge of God, strong in faith, full of good works,
triumphing over his sin and excelling over others in holiness. He can point out the sins in others but does
not see his own sins ten-fold more in himself.
Among naturally, religious men and women you will not find “poverty of
spirit” but the opposite—rich in estimation of self.
Christ declares the blessed are “poor in spirit.” What is that?
It is to see yourself as nothing but a destitute sinner in need of God’s
mercy every hour of every day: not only in doctrine but in truth, not only in truth
but in act, not only in act but in heart.
If spiritually, you are nothing, having nothing and can do nothing then
you are poor in spirit. Are you flat broke
spiritually? Bankrupt spiritually? In debt spiritually? Are
you possessed of total inability?
That is poverty of spirit! The
word also means “blessed are the beggars.”
The poor in spirit believe on Christ because the Holy
Spirit has come and made you see you are poor.
No one knows poverty of spirit until Christ gives them life and faith to
know it. So the poor in spirit believe
on Christ. True beggars look to Christ
alone for complete redemption from the curse of the law. Their only righteousness and only holiness is
Christ. But apart from Christ giving and
sustaining faith in them they cannot believe.
They see themselves more unbelieving than believing. They are constantly begging for Christ to
give them more faith
The poor in spirit know what it is to be assaulted by
Satan and by their old sinful nature every day, every hour. They are no match for either one. They have no ability to save themselves from
either. The poor in spirit weep because
their love toward Christ is so cold and faint, while Christ’s love toward them
is so great and boundless
When Christ sat at the table and said, “One of you
will betray me tonight?” Poverty of spirit said, “Lord is it I?” Judas was the last to ask that question. He was surprised it was him. But the believer with true poverty of spirit
would not be surprised because he sees what a sinner he is. Poverty of spirit says if the Lord does not
save me then I will not be saved. If I
am not found in his righteousness alone then I certainly have none to offer. None of my works commend me to God, only
Christ and his finished work!
We make a
mistake looking for this grand feeling of assurance in our own spirits. No doubt, God will make you know his everlasting
arms are underneath you. But to be poor
in spirit is to be thankful that all spiritual blessings are IN CHRIST—I want
my blessings in Christ’s hand, not mine.
It is be thankful Christ is the Author and Finisher of faith rather than
the quality or quantify of my little mustard seed. Poverty of spirit is to be thankful Christ is
the Wisdom and Power of God because have none apart from him. It is to be thankful that “if my heart
condemns me, God is greater than my heart.”
It is to be thankful “the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal,
THE LORD KNOWETH THEM THAT ARE HIS.” I may
come to time when I don’t know myself, much less him. “But the LORD KNOWETH THEM THAT ARE HIS.”
THEIR
PRIVILEGE—blessed
The word means
“well-off” and “happy.”
Natural man—especially
natural religious man—says, “No!” to this truth; it does not make sense to
sinful flesh. “Blessed are the poor
in spirit?" Natural man says, “No! Blessed are the rich in spirit.” "Blessed are they that mourn?"
Natural man says, “No! Blessed are they
that rejoice.” “Blessed are the meek?”
Natural man says, “No, our will is our own; don’t infringe on my rights.” "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst
after righteousness?" Natural man says, “No! Blessed are they that are
well fed and fat, can point you to their many wonderful works of righteousness!” “Blessed are the merciful?” Natural
man says, “Look how they treated me, you expect me to be merciful? I’m taking vengeance!” “Blessed are the pure in heart, blessed
are the peacemakers?” Natural man
says “Oh, that certainly describes me; I am holier than thou, come not near me,
or I’ll wage war on you.” "Blessed
are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake?" Natural man
says, “No! Blessed are those who are at ease in Zion.” God pronounces woe on
those at ease in Zion!
Believer are you suffering from poverty of spirit. Are you longing for a token of Christ’s
presence? Christ says, “You are blessed!” Christ says you are well-off! Are you mourning over your poverty of spirit,
over your sin, over your unbelief? God declares you are blessed! You shall be comforted! There is great happiness to a believer who
mourns his sin when Christ is his only Comfort!
Are you meek?—lowly, contrite, broken hearted? Christ says you are blessed because you shall
inherit the earth. God says to this man
will I look, the man who is broken and contrite in spirit.
Do you hunger and thirst for Christ your only Righteousness? Christ says “Blessed!” You shall be filled! Only those truly empty are filled by God. Only those truly hungry and thirsty does God
make to delight themselves in fatness in Christ. God feeds you with the gospel of God’s
sovereign electing grace—freely chosen, freely blessed. He feeds you with the word of Christ’
particular redemption, that is, Christ accomplished redemption for all his
chosen people. God feeds you with the
Spirit’s irresistible grace making you will to desire the sincere milk of the
word. Christ says, “You are blessed!” Well off!
The true child of God sees himself poor. Sin is his only possession. He is empty of righteousness in himself. He is tossed and turned by satan’s buffeting. But Christ says that very poverty is the
result of God richly blessing you by his free and sovereign grace. This sinful, self-righteous world does not
see themselves as poor in spirit.
Our poverty of spirit does not change God’s everlasting
covenant of grace but is the result of it.
Poverty of spirit does not affect our interest in the unsearchable
riches of Christ, it is the result of it.
Natural man—no matter how religious—is not poor in spirit and cannot
makes himself poor in spirit! Only those
blessed of God with the true riches that are in Christ are poor in spirit! Christ says to every child of God in poverty
of spirit—"Blessed are the poor in spirit.” How? Listen!
Ephesians 1: 3: Blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly
places in Christ.
Our blessings
are in Christ—in his heart, rather than ours; in his hand, rather than
ours; by his works, rather than ours.
Ephesians 1: 7: In whom we have redemption through his
blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 8: Wherein
he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his
will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Love in our
heart waxes and wanes—but love in God’s heart is everlasting, without
variableness or shadow of turning. The
blessing of eternal life is safe in Christ our Life. The blessing of eternal redemption is safe in
Christ. Look to the object of faith for
assurance, not to your spirit.
Do you know the
sound of this trumpet? Do you rejoice in
it? Is it a joyful sound to you?—"Blessed
is the people that know the joyful sound.”
Remember, Christ was anointed to preach the Gospel—not to the rich
in spirit—but to the poor. Only the poor in spirit hear this sound and rejoice!
Our blessing,
happiness, riches is that “when I am weak, then am I strong for the power of
Christ rests on me.” Our
happiness, our blessing is: free pardon, justification, acceptance with God, unchanging
grace, constant preservation and the hope of glory all flowing from our great
King- Priest. The blessed
happiness of the poor in spirit is knowing I am nothing but Christ is All! Our blessedness is in knowing I am vile,
corrupt, totally depraved but in the person of our great and glorious Head we
are without spot, blemish, or any such thing; perfect, accepted, complete in
Him.
The sinner poor
in spirit—who owns himself to be the helpless sinner he is—is the one blessed of
God. What happiness to have all poverty
in self and all riches in Christ!
THEIR
PORTION— for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Now listen
carefully you who are poor in spirit. Christ says that true spiritual poverty,
rather than disqualify us for what is to come, is instead the earnest and
foretaste of the enjoyment of his enduring, eternal riches—“for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven.” For those
truly poor in spirit, Christ says, “All things are yours…and ye are Christ’s,
and Christ is God’s”—"for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!”
Amen!