Poor in Spirit
The Poor in Spirit Be-Attitude is God’s expectation of His Children to have an attitude to counter Pride and personal independence. This attitude was called for in Isaiah 57:15:
The high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in that high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I refresh the humble and give new courage to those with repentant hearts.
We acquire it through what James 4:7-10 calls for:
So humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you hypocrites. 9Let there be tears for the wrong things you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 _ When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor.
How can you draw near to God? James gives five ways: (1) Humble yourselves before God (4:7). Yield to his authority and will, commit your life to him and his control, and be willing to follow him. (2) Resist the Devil (4:7). Don’t allow Satan to entice and tempt you. (3) Wash your hands … and purify your hearts (that is, lead a pure life) (4:8). Be cleansed from sin, replacing your desire to sin with your desire to experience God’s purity. (4) Let there be sorrow and deep grief for your sins (4:9). Don’t be afraid to express deep heartfelt sorrow for what you have done. (5) Bow down before the Lord, and he will lift you up (4:10; 1 Peter 5:6).
Although God and the Devil are at war, we don’t have to wait until the end to see who will win. God has already defeated Satan (Revelation 12:10-12), and when Christ returns, the Devil and all he stands for will be eliminated forever (Revelation 20:10-15). Satan is here now, however, and he is trying to win us over to his evil cause. With the Holy Spirit’s power, we can resist the Devil, and he will flee from us.
Bowing before the Lord means recognizing that our worth comes from God alone. To be humble involves leaning on his power and his guidance, and not going our own independent way. Although we do not deserve God’s favor, he wants to lift us up and give us worth and dignity, despite our human shortcomings.
If we do this, we will acquire the kingdom of heaven.
The Poor in Spirit Be-Attitude is God’s expectation of His Children to have an attitude to counter Pride and personal independence. This attitude was called for in Isaiah 57:15:
The high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in that high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I refresh the humble and give new courage to those with repentant hearts.
We acquire it through what James 4:7-10 calls for:
So humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you hypocrites. 9Let there be tears for the wrong things you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 _ When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor.
How can you draw near to God? James gives five ways: (1) Humble yourselves before God (4:7). Yield to his authority and will, commit your life to him and his control, and be willing to follow him. (2) Resist the Devil (4:7). Don’t allow Satan to entice and tempt you. (3) Wash your hands … and purify your hearts (that is, lead a pure life) (4:8). Be cleansed from sin, replacing your desire to sin with your desire to experience God’s purity. (4) Let there be sorrow and deep grief for your sins (4:9). Don’t be afraid to express deep heartfelt sorrow for what you have done. (5) Bow down before the Lord, and he will lift you up (4:10; 1 Peter 5:6).
Although God and the Devil are at war, we don’t have to wait until the end to see who will win. God has already defeated Satan (Revelation 12:10-12), and when Christ returns, the Devil and all he stands for will be eliminated forever (Revelation 20:10-15). Satan is here now, however, and he is trying to win us over to his evil cause. With the Holy Spirit’s power, we can resist the Devil, and he will flee from us.
Bowing before the Lord means recognizing that our worth comes from God alone. To be humble involves leaning on his power and his guidance, and not going our own independent way. Although we do not deserve God’s favor, he wants to lift us up and give us worth and dignity, despite our human shortcomings.
If we do this, we will acquire the kingdom of heaven.