These are not my original ideas. I believe they first came from the heart of God, was then preached tonight from the mouth of my pastor, and is now being transmitted to you tonight all for the glory of God alone.
What is Spiritual Poverty?
What is Spiritual Sorrow?
Jesus said in Matthew 5, “Blessed are the poor in Spirit” and “Blessed are those who mourn”. Why would it be a blessing to be spiritually poor and to mourn. I believe it is a blessing because there are many in this world who have no idea how beggar poor they are and how spiritually bankrupt and dead they are in their sin. They wander aimlessly thinking they can save themselves with their righteousness and good works. And all their goodness only lands them in an eternity of seperation, judgment and punishment in the fires of Hell. It is those who are poor in Spirit who inherit the kingdom of God. Those who have nothing to offer and are beggar poor have to inherit the kingdom because there is nothing they can do or give to deserve it. They are the ones who understand their sin and how totally depraved they are. They are the ones who understand their inability to please God on their own. They are also the ones who cry out to God with spiritual sorrow over their sin and are comforted by God. It is all because God has opened their eyes, hearts, and minds to the truth of their utterly helpless estate that they are able to trust fully in Christ and what he did on the cross for them to secure their righteousness and salvation. Later in the sermon, Jesus tells the disciples: “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will in no way enter the Kingdom of God”. That is a high standard for man to achieve. But Jesus raises the bar later in the sermon when he tells them to be perfect as your father in heaven is perfect. That is an impossible task for man to achieve. But, it is simple for God to achieve. Salvation begins with God and his sovereign grace, and the fruit of that grace is Godly Sorrow over our spiritual poverty, which produces comfort and salvation. Consider the following example of a man who recognized his spiritual poverty and had Godly sorrow:
“1Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. “
Here is a man who was constantly bothered by his sin and understood the gravity of his failure. And because of his Spiritual poverty, he had Godly Sorrow and cried out for God to have mercy on him.
“4Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. “
Even though some might try to cast blame to others or say that God is unjust in his judgments, this man acknowledgeds that he deserves any punishment that God might exact against him (as a matter of fact, he desrves nothing but punishment and judgment from the Holy God of the universe).
“5Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. “
Original Sin and total depravity. Yet and still more evidence that there is none righteous or good but God and God is always just, Holy, and righteous in all his sovereign choices, whether it be a choice for grace and mercy, or whether it be a choice for wrath and punishment.
“6Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. “
The Grace of God to open the hearts of man and bring him to Godly sorrow over his sin, which brings repentance, salvation, comfort, and the inheritance of the Kingdom of God, along with a righteousness that certainly surpasses that of the Scribes and Pharisees, for it is the righteousness of God.
“7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
13Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
15O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
16For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
18Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. 19Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar. “
After God has cleansed us and given us a new heart of love toward God, our reaction to the grace of repentance he has given us is to worship the Lord with Godly sorrow, Godly repentance with a broken and contrite heart. Our lives are all about who God is, what he has done for us by his grace, and about worshipping him as our gracious provider. If he had only shown us the extent of our sin and produced an awareness of our Spiritual poverty, but had not brought us to repentance, it would have been enough. Dienu. God’s Grace and Mercy is sufficient for us. If he had only given us an awareness of our Spiritually Poverty and even brought about Godly Sorrow, but not brought us to repentance, it would have been enough. Dienu. God’s Grace and Mercy is sufficient for us. Or, had he simply left us to our own devices to plunge head first into Hell, it would have been enough. Dienu. God’s Grace and Mercy is sufficient for us.But, all praise and glory be to God alone, he went all the way and gave us an awareness of our Spritual Poverty, which led us to Godly Sorrow, which led us to repentance and faith in Christ alone, and gave us his righteousness which has certainly surpassed that of the scribes and pharisees, becuase it is his righteousness.
Pslams 51
December 29, 2007 at 8:44 am |
This is good, but I would argue that we should not “spiritualize” everything. Luke makes it more simple by letting us know that “blessed are the poor.” Jesus really was speaking to peasants who truly were poor.