The Majestic Mystery of Great Salvation, Part 2
Why we seek for a perfect world?
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”(Matthew 5:3)
Our text begins from the Sermon on the Mount, probably one of the most famous texts of the New Testament in the Bible. Jesus talks about the poverty of spirit. He’s talking spiritual bankruptcy. Theologically, this is about the doctrine of the depravity of man. Man has nothing to offer God that will equal, earn, or merit God’s righteousness. The spiritually poor have a keen sense of their sinfulness and need for God’s grace. So knowing the truth is the most liberating power in the world. “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The poor in spirit are those who feel a deep sense of spiritual destitution and comprehended their nothingness before God. The kingdom of heaven is theirs, because they seek it, and therefore find and abide in it. This poverty of spirit is a prerequisite to acquiring the other beatitudes. Spiritual beggars who have abandoned pride and self-sufficiency and who rely totally on God for support are in a position to inculcate the mournful, meek, hungry, merciful, pure, and peaceful disposition suggested by the other beatitudes" They possess the qualities that are prerequisites for membership in Christ’s kingdom. To be poor in spirit is to acknowledge honestly and with understanding our spiritual poverty—indeed our spiritual bankruptcy—before God. We are sinners and on the strength of our lives deserve nothing but God’s judgment. We have nothing to offer, nothing to plead, nothing with which to buy His favor.
The poor in spirit are an interesting group. They are not simply the physically poor, even though such poverty may contribute to their being poor in spirit. Rather, they are those for whom the Hebrew Bible uses the term humble or lowly in spirit. The Kingdom of Heaven is the domain over which God is acknowledged as king. The poor in spirit, with their humble attitude to following the way of Righteousness, are those who belong in such a kingdom and so are promised it.
God is perfect in righteousness. Because of this, "He has built in us a restless yearning for the kind of perfect world that can only be found in a perfect rule. He has given us a glimpse of the perfection of his creation. But it is only a glimpse; we cannot see into the future or comprehend everything. So we must trust Him now and do his work on earth." Therefore the key to excellence of life is to be centered on God’s principles. We’re not in control; God is in control. We’re arrogant when we think we are in control. Yes, we may control our actions, but not the consequences of our actions. Those are controlled by God’s eternal laws. You can make your own choice, because God has given you free will. But He has also given you a specific, custom-fitted plan for your lives. His plan for your life is different than His plan for mine. In this exciting journey, you will learn to see life from a different perspective. No matter what your circumstances, God can gather up the broken pieces and random elements of your life and form them into a beautiful mosaic—making you a useful vessel for His glory.
Our Spiritual journey begins with the humble recognition that we are spiritually bankrupted and poor that God’s purpose ultimately governs. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”(Matthew 5:3) God has a plan and a purpose for each person on the planet. The human sense of purpose is a powerful one. And the need to know and be in that purpose is one of the deepest longings of the human heart. Whether prompted by success or despair, by a gaze at the night sky or a conversation with a friend, the question that has anguished all men through all time has become ours as well. What is the purpose of my existence? It is something every heart is seeking. If not answered, none can rest.
The great search is on! Multitudes are seeking a perfect world in fame and fortune, in pleasure and power, in education and knowledge, in human relationships and marriage. They desire to fill their heads with knowledge and their purses with wealth, but their souls remain empty. Others are seeking to escape the realities of life with drugs or alcohol, but the peace they seek eludes them. All their seeking only takes them in a vicious circle of frustrations and futility. They are still empty and lonely, still in a troubled world with a troubled mind. We are all daily seekers of inner peace, joy and happiness. Many search among outward and tangible things, but neglect to look within and the ultimate reality. They are afraid of what they may discover. They would like to blame a troubled world for their troubled minds, but the cure must begin within their own hearts.
The universe will unfold and become clear when we seek truth without prejudice. Knowledge is not a destination, but a journey. Our quest for the meaning of life comprises a speculative question with apprehension about our existence, its purpose and significance. Philosophers, theologians, and scientist have long sought to understand the meaning and ultimate purpose of life. With a few exceptions, psychologists have sidestepped these critical human issues.
Every culture has some kind of religion, and all faiths dealt with the question of salvation and the meaning and relevance of life. Humanity’s search for an answer to this question is one of the main reasons that people are drawn to religion. The different religions have their own views on the meaning of life and salvation. The answers, although different from religion to religion, give people’s lives purpose, meaning, relevance and hope. Life meaning is important for psychological and physical health and well-being. This is one of the most powerful reasons people come to religion is to find salvation from sin.
Researchers have only recently looked at the presence of life meaning and the search for life meaning as separate constructs. When we probe more into this we ask questions: "Who am i?" Why am i here?" "What is my role in this universe?" Is there any meaning in our existence? What happens when we die? It’s undoubtedly a human characteristic we don’t share with other animals. We possess the ability to reflect on our own thinking — and we get frustrated by our failure to understand. Our brains are programmed to see patterns — our unique ability to plan ahead and cooperate and search for causes has increased our species’ chances of survival. Since our brains have these features, it follows that we ponder over the meaning of life and other complex issues.” Whether one is an atheist, theist, agnostic or a smart mix of all three, these are haunting questions we`ve been asking since long. Some try to find answers while others remain unruffled. The reason why some are undisturbed by these questions is that the answers to these questions are various and they involve drawing from philosophy, theology, ideology and spirituality.
The Greek philosopher Socrates made this statement: "Oh that someone would arise, man or god, to show us God." In the minds of scholars, here’s one of the greatest philosophers who ever lived; and yet he, himself, had beating in his own breast—and he admitted it—oh that god could come in a man and show the world god in human form.
Plato, who was one of the great students of Socrates, said, "Unless a god man comes to us and reveals to us the Supreme Being, there is no help or hope." What am I saying? I am saying I don’t care who you are, I don’t care what nation it is, I do not care what generation it is, there beats in man a desire to see God in flesh. Again, Plato said, "The world will never be set right." Now please listen. Plato did not know about what he was talking, but he almost hit the nail on the head. "The world will never be set right until the perfect man arises who will be persecuted, buffeted, and tied to a stake and so bring a new righteousness." That’s Plato talking. he was searching for something for which all men have searched.
Now please take note. Plato did not know about what he was talking, but he almost hit the nail on the head. Bible says “But your sinful acts have alienated you from your God; your sins have caused him to reject you and not listen to your prayers “(Isaiah 59:2). “But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”(Romans 5:8) One of the greatest truths Prophet Jonah reveals in the scripture is that “Salvation and deliverance belong to the Lord!” (Jonah 2:9b.AMP)
David, the ancient Jewish king , best framed the question in its universal relevance when he addressed it to God:“When I see Your heavens, the works of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is mortal man, that You remember him, And the son of man, that You visit him?”
David’s son and successor to the throne, Solomon, received valuable wisdom regarding his father’s question. Although he could not answer it, he elegantly identified its source: "God," he wrote in the poem Ecclesiastes, "has placed eternity in men’s hearts." Understanding eternity to be "a divinely implanted sense of a purpose," Solomon’s statement sheds much light on this mysterious purpose which we are seeking: a God who implants a sense of purpose within man must Himself be a God of purpose. In other words, Solomon’s discovery implies what we have always sensed to be true but may not have had words to express: God has an eternal purpose.
What the restlessness in God’s heart moved Him to do is almost beyond our power to fathom: God created man as the unique one with whom He would fulfill His purpose. God made us in His image and according to His likeness, similar to Him in every respect. For example, God is love, which is why we have a virtue called love; God is perfect, so we have an aspiration for perfection; God is just, so we have a sense of right and justice. In fact, every one of our positive attributes is a reflection of who and what God is.
But the similarity does not stop there. Perhaps our chief similarity to God is His very own sense of purpose which He duplicated in us at the time of our creation. Because He needs us for the fulfillment of His eternal purpose, He created in us a matching need for satisfaction which can only be met when His purpose is accomplished. Thus, by virtue of our creation by God, we cannot be satisfied until He fulfills His purpose. Is it any wonder that despite our accomplishments, education, entertainment, pleasure, and even religion, we are left empty and seeking? These things do not fulfill God’s purpose; hence neither can they satisfy us. By replicating in man His own sense of purpose and need for satisfaction, God took a momentous step in fulfilling His eternal purpose.
Note the earlier quoted verse “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; “(Ecclesiastes 3:11) this means we are never going to be satisfied with earthly pleasures and pursuits. Because we are created in God’s image, we have a spiritual thirst. We have eternal value and nothing but the eternal God can satisfy us.
What is wrong with the present world?
We live in the most revolutionary period of the world history .Yet chaos stalks the land. Things are falling apart. Moral Values cherished over the centuries are getting eroded. Nations with rich natural resources the poverty of the masses is abysmal. The haves exploit the have- notes in a hundred ingenious ways. Women and the weaker sections of society reel under injustices and handicaps. Corruption is rampant. Mindless violence maims and destroys the precious lives of the innocent. Terrorism become a nightmare to all, anti social activities are on rise. The challenges today are enormous due to economy crisis, persistent poverty, complex social issues, poor infrastructure and weak governance; these problems are well known but not well understood.
As our minds are bombarded day after day with news of wars, oppression, famine, violent crimes and crisis upon crisis it is no wonder that we are prone to sit and utter one simple question of hopelessness, this being what is wrong with the world? The better question is what isn’t wrong with the world? Does anyone have any idea how messed up the world is, and that it’s our entire fault? Global warming, an unnatural disaster on the rise because we humans like to pollute the very air we breathe, and destroy the ozone layer as a result. It could be said that somewhere along the path people started losing their way. It would be difficult to pinpoint exactly when this started to happen. When one looks back through the pages of history, and if it were to be believed, there is a great deal of evidence available to show just how lost humanity has been and for how long.
British author Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874 - 1936)) has been called the “prince of paradox.” He was known for his insightful views on many issues. Time magazine observed of his writing style: “Whenever possible Chesterton made his points with popular sayings, proverbs, allegories—first carefully turning them inside out.” His prolific and diverse output included journalism, philosophy, poetry, biography, Christian apologetics, fantasy and detective fiction. The Times newspaper once had asked a number of authors to write on the topic: “What’s wrong with the world?” Chesterton’s answer at that time was the shortest of those submitted – he simply wrote.
Dear London Times,
I am.
Sincerely Yours,
G. K. Chesterton.
He was not joking. As a prominent writer, his answer was very theological. The problem of this world will never be addressed in full until we come to understand in our minds, hearts, and soul that the problem lies first and foremost within us.
It is clear from the books, newspapers, television, Internet and the media all around the world that there is plenty to complain about. Is there a nation anywhere in the world where some faction of the population does not complain about its government? We live in a world of tremendous uncertainty and anxiety. Christ warned that as the end times were upon us that there would be times of "perplexity" on the earth and distress of nations. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 says “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people” Perplexities are problems or challenges for which there seems to be no logical answer or solution. We are truly living in an age where the pages of bible prophecy are literally being fulfilled before our very eyes....and in the news! It all brings us to a concrete fact and reality— the helplessness and hopelessness of the mankind. The holy Bible says In Jeremiah 17:9 "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?”(NIT)
The Lord’s encounter with a Samaritan woman is a wonderful example of His loving response to hurting individuals. It was a providential appointment with the Messiah. Jesus initiated conversation by asking for a drink of water. His goal was to help the woman recognize her greatest need of Salvation & the forgiveness of her sins: His direct approach surprised her & opened the door for a dialogue that would change her life forever. She had spent her life trying to find love and acceptance in all the wrong places. Christ offered her the living water the only thing that would quench her spiritual and emotional thirst. God’s hand reaching out to us in love, offering what will truly satisfy. Only Christ can fill our empty souls for eternity and provide for our essential emotional needs. This world is filled with wells that promise to provide love, acceptance, and self-worth but never fully satisfy. When your soul is empty and the well runs dry, look for Jesus. He has a divine appointment scheduled with you, and He will quench your thirst with His Spirit—if you let Him.
