Blessed are the poor in spirit: for their's is the kingdom of heaven. We must become poor, before we become rich in Christ Jesus. Whatsoever does not spring from Faith is sin. Are the things we think and do agreeable to the Spirit and words of God? Whatever it may be that you spend your time thinking and doing each day, without Faith, it is not pleasing to God. Our motive and intent must be the will of Christ and for the glory of Christ. The Holy Spirit must help us in heart-searching and self-examination. Are we humble and contrite, or proud and self-sufficient?
We must learn to despise the world's frowns. The world today is deceived by cunningly devised spells, enslaved by fashion, eaten up with vanity and frivolity. Greedy worldlings are seeking the empty enjoyments of this present life. Are you enjoying the Lord's smile and presence? You cannot serve God and mammon. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. We cannot be Christ's disciples and enjoy the fellowship of the ungodly. We must go unto Jesus without the camp and abide there with Him. Consider your ways today.
A poor and contrite spirit trembles at God's words; this is where God dwells every day. The Holy Spirit must be our Creator, Teacher, Illuminator, Comforter, Strengthener, Helper, Preserver. The poor in spirit are destitute of all merit, have nothing to rely upon of their own, emptied clean out and bankrupt spiritually, and devoid of strength. Salvation must be all of divine Grace from first to last, top to bottom. I know nothing as I ought to know, and I am willing to sit in the lowest seat in the lowest grade of Jesus' school, and be taught by Him as a little child. Weak, wretched, miserable, poor, blind, hopeless, helpless, lost - this is how we must come to Jesus' school.
I value Christ in me and His relationship and fellowship above all things. I want no better company than Christ Jesus Himself. Contrition of heart is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, and my hope only comes from the Son of God.
A poor heart has plenty of room for Christ. The dry desert blossoms abundantly as the rose, and the thirsty land and parched ground of our heart becomes springs of water when Jesus sends His Spirit into our hearts. The poor in spirit are willing to pick up crumbs from under Christ's table. The contrite spirit feels his sins and begins to hate them, eschews his evil desires, departs from evil, mourns when he rebels against God and grieves the Holy Spirit. Divine Mercy delights to visit human misery. I appeal only to God's mercy. He that feels the evil of his sins will value free forgiveness the very most. I value my personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ above anything in this life. No one loves Christ more that the man who hates his sins. I have stripped myself of all my self-righteous pretensions and long only for Christ's robe of Righteousness which He has freely provided me.
The contrite spirit is cast down at times, doubting and fearing and despairing. But be of good cheer, God will come and dwell with you. The contrite spirit trembles at God's words: you believe His words to be true, the holy Law condemns you, and you feel you deserve hell, wrath, judgment, and eternal damnation. You tremble at the Gospel, because your sins nailed the Savior to the cross. You tremble that you have rejected God's Son, spurned His love, and neglected His Precious Blood. You tremble that you might miss eternal life by misunderstanding the Gospel, and not live for God in the right spirit and intent. Please don't slight, correct, or trivialize the words of God. Tremble that you have abused God's grace and sinned against such a gracious God.
The deadly disease of Sin laughs at man's religious medicines. Turn your eyes now to Christ on the Cross, and trust only to His Person and Blood. Salvation and Eternal Life is not found in any other but the Crucified and Risen Redeemer of Calvary. There is life for a look at the Crucified Creator, there is Life at this moment for you; then look sinner with all your heart and soul, look unto JESUS and be saved, look unto Him who was nailed to the tree, and loved your soul to death. It is not your tears, repentance, or prayers that save you, but the Precious Blood alone that atones for the soul. Rely only on Him then who shed His Blood, believe on Him at once, and the entire weight of your iniquities will roll off your soul. Have you seen the anguish of Jesus' soul on the cross? Have you heard the distress of His cries on the cross? The terrors of wrath Jesus endured for you; please don't put off His pardon any longer.
By Jesus' stripes we are are healed, so do not try to improve the Remedy for Sin with your own human goodness, which is actually badness in God's sight. There remains nothing at all to be done by you. Take life everlasting from Jesus Himself at once; He offers this to you freely. He was the bearer of your sins, all your guilt was laid on Him, and from His pierced hands, feet and side the sin-cleansing blood flowed freely. Through His Precious Blood, your sin debt was fully paid. Free grace, great mercy, abundant pardon, amazing liberty, complete victory and full salvation is available at the Cross today.
May God's Spirit visit your heart and mind today, and lead you to trust in Christ Jesus, for Jesus' sake. God delights to be gracious to your soul; do not rest today until you have trusted your soul eternally into Jesus' hands.
