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Transcript 130C — Blessed are the Poor in Spirit [Mt 5:3]
CALLER: I have a question about Matthew 5:3, where it says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." I would like you to explain that, and I'd like the answer on the air please.
HC: All right. Fine. The question that is raised is the matter of Matthew 5:3. In Matthew 5:3 we read, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." What does God mean by "Blessed are the poor in spirit"?
You see, in Psalm 51 we read, "A broken and a contrite heart I will not despise." Before we are saved, and this is true of natural man wherever we find him, natural man is very proud in his spirit. He really thinks that he is in control of his life. He really thinks that he is the master of his fate, the captain of his soul. Whether he's a rich man or a poor man, whether he's an intelligent man or a less intelligent man, whether he's young or old, whatever it is, there is a natural pride that is part of man's nature, so that in his spirit he is actually arrogant against God. He doesn't recognize God at all. He really believes that he is in control.
Only when we realize the sad truth about ourselves, that we are not so great after all, as a matter of fact, we are in deep and terrible trouble with God, we are spiritually bankrupt, we are under the wrath of God, we've messed everything up, every action we've ever taken has been sinful and this has only loaded on the guilt and increased the penalty that we must pay, namely, that the wages of sin is death, and so we are really in terrible trouble, and so our spirit has been broken, we are poor in spirit, there is no self-pride anymore, do we come penitently to God. We come humbly before God and sue for His mercy. We beseech Him, "Oh God, have mercy on me. I'm a sinner."
Only when we actually come to that state of mind in our life, in one person it is more real in its expression in his life than in another. But ultimately everyone who is born again must come to that realization, that he is spiritually bankrupt. And only when we come to this are we going to be on the threshold of salvation. And here is the promise: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."
The Kingdom of Heaven is that wonderful wonderful kingdom that we enter when we are saved. Our homeland is Heaven when we are born again. And the entrance into Heaven is not on our merit, not by our worthiness, not because we are justly proud of anything that we are. Our entrance into Heaven is because we have become totally aware and have recognized and have admitted the sad fact that we are bankrupt, that we are in terrible trouble with God, and we are ready to throw ourselves on His mercy.