I want to share with you eight keys attitudes for revival. I confess up front that this list is not original with me. I got it from the greatest revivalist who ever lived. He shared these insights at the beginning of his Sermon on the Mount. We often refer to these eight attitudes of heart as the Beatitudes.
OVERVIEW OF THE BEATITUDES
How do we posture ourselves to receive more of God? What heart attitudes attract the presence of God? How do we draw near to God in a way that he draws near to us? The promise in James 4:8 is: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”i
The Bible is full of instruction on how to do that. When the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines in 1 Samuel 5, they drew near to God by drawing near to the Ark which represented God’s presence. But the result was judgment, not blessing.ii What would have happened to an Old Testament Jew who brashly walked into the Holy of Holies? He would have instantly died.
There is a right way and a wrong way to approach God. I have illustrated this with a couple of extreme cases. Certainly, we must come to God through the blood of Jesus. Christ alone gives the only acceptable access to God.iii But Christians may fail to enjoy intimacy with God simply because they do not understand how God’s kingdom operates. For example, “God resists the proud” (James 4:6). If we do not humble ourselves before God, we hinder our intimacy with God. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps. 111:10). Without a deep regard for who God is, it is impossible to live close to him.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us how to walk with God and be blessed. In the Beatitudes he announces the attitudes of heart that attract the blessings of God. He declares to us the way God’s kingdom operates in contrast to the way the world operates. We must be careful about looking to the world for guidance on how to live our lives. Christ’s kingdom and the world’s kingdom operate out of entirely different principles and values. The world tells you to assert your will on others, and you will gain what you want. Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5). The world tells you that popularity is an indication of blessing. The man who can tickle the ears and attract the favor of many is blessed. But Jesus says, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets” (Luke 6:26). Jesus says, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake” (Matt. 5:11). The principles of God’s kingdom seem paradoxical; they seem upside down because we have been so influenced by the god of this world.iv In truth, the values and principles of the world are upside down. In the Beatitudes Jesus sets thing right side up.
The Beatitudes are not telling us how to get saved. Jesus is declaring how those who are saved will operate under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Applications of these principles can be made evangelistically. For example, a person must humble himself and ask for God’s mercy in order to be saved. He must recognize his own moral bankruptcy and become as a little child (Mark 10:15). In that sense, he must be “poor in spirit” in his approach to God. The Pharisees of Jesus’s day refused to do that and did not enter into Christ’s kingdom. No one can enter the kingdom of God based on their own moral excellence. But we cannot develop the characteristics stated in the Beatitudes in order to be saved. Only the Holy Spirit can make us pure in heart. Only the Holy Spirit can develop compassion in our character so that we are truly merciful like Christ. Isaiah 64:6 says, “we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags.” Jesus did not give the Beatitudes so that we could gain heaven by our good works. He is declaring how believers are to operate in the kingdom. The new birth is a necessary prerequisite for living this way. We must receive a new nature through faith in Christ before we are able to function according to the Beatitudes. “You must be born again.”v
But once we have entered into God’s kingdom through the new birth, we are to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in the development of our character. Philippians 2:12-13 presents both sides of this coin. “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” The divine side is stated in verse 13: “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Without that, progress is impossible. It is God working in us that makes sanctification possible. But God calls on us to cooperate with his will.vi “Without faith it is impossible to please [God].”vii So Philippians 2:12 states the human side of the coin this way: “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” God is working in us, as Christians, the qualities of character described in the Beatitudes. We are to cooperate with that process. That’s why we are studying the Beatitudes today. We want to know how God’s kingdom functions so that we can operate accordingly.
FIRST BEATITUDE: POOR IN SPIRIT
With those foundational thoughts, let’s read Matthew 5:1- 3. “And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Instead of “blessed,” the Living Bible says “fortunate” or “happy.” That is not incorrect, but our concept of happiness is generally more superficial than what Jesus had in mind. We know from the overall revelation of God’s favor that this goes deeper than happy feelings and circumstances. This blessedness is rooted and grounded in the life of God at a higher plain.viii It includes joy and peace that exceeds the world’s understanding of what it means to be blessed. It is a favored state of spiritual prosperity that only God can give. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”ix
The verb in the last phrase is in the present tense. It’s not that you will attain “the kingdom of heaven” if you will be “poor in spirit.” One evidence that you are participating in “the kingdom of heaven” is this attitude of humility and dependence on God.x
What does it mean to be “poor in spirit”? The word translated “poor” does indicate financial poverty. If it were not qualified with the phrase “in spirit,” we might think it is simply talking about poor people. But I have known may poor people who are not “poor in spirit.” They have just as much pride and self-sufficiency as the wealthy. And some people with material wealth are “poor in spirit.”
Jesus is talking about a mindset, an attitude of heart. An absence of self-sufficiency accompanied by a dependence upon God. The NLT captures the meaning by emphasizing one’s sense of need toward God: “God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.” To be “poor in spirit” is to live in humble dependence on God. It stands in contrast to pride and self-sufficiency.
Jesus taught us what it means to be “poor in spirit” through some of the parables/stories that he told. Seeing this mindset in action in contrast to its opposite illuminates our understanding of what it is and what it looks like in our own lives. Let’s take the time to read a couple of those, and simple let the story itself instruct us.
In Luke 18:9-14 Jesus illustrated “poor in spirit” when he told the story of the publican and Pharisee praying at the temple.
“Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men — extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Which of these two men were “poor in spirit”? Which of these two men is “blessed” by God? The kingdom of God is given to those who will bow before God in sincere humility.
We see a similar contrast in the story of Simon the Pharisee and the woman who washed Jesus’s feel with her tears. We find that story in Luke 7:36-48.
“Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat. 37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner." 40 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." So he said, "Teacher, say it." 41 "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?" 43 Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."And He said to him, "You have rightly judged." 44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." 48 Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
The poor in spirit realize the debt of love they owe to the Lord. They do not sit in arrogance judging others. They do not posture themselves as an equal with Christ. They bow in humility expressing gratitude for God’s mercy and grace.
Paul used Christ’s example to admonish Christ to be “poor in spirit.” Notice in Philippians 2:5-6, there is a decision for us to embrace this attitude of humility. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant.” Those who are not “poor in spirit” are self-promoting. Their concern is their own reputation. The “poor in spirit” are concerned with doing the will of the Father and the glory of God. The “poor in spirit” will bow before others and wash their feet.xi They would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than dwell in the tents of the wicked (Ps. 84:10).
The church world is often surprised by where revival breaks out. When Philip told Nathaniel about the move of God in Galilee through Jesus, Nathaniel’s response was: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” That’s not where Nathaniel expected God to move. That’s not how Nathaniel expected God to move. And it was not taking place where Nathaniel thought it would happen.xii Philip’s response to Nathaniel is priceless: come see for yourself (John 1:46).
At the beginning of the twentieth century, God advanced the Pentecostal Revival through an uneducated, one-eyed black preacher named William Seymour. With all the sophisticated reverends in America, why did God choose this most unlikely of all candidates. I want to suggest to you that God found a man who was “poor in spirit.” The place God did this was in a “horse stable on Azusa Street” on the wrong side of the tracks.xiii The river of God runs in the valleys, not on the mountain peaks.
This year God is moving in universities across America. There is an element of sovereignty in the fact that this move is focused on the young generation. God’s thoughts are to “all generations” (Ps. 33:11). It is so wonderful to see the college students experience the glory of God the way we have. God’s heart is moved with compassion toward a generation that has been targeted by Satan like no other. The individuals touched by this renewal may not be the ones that we think are most qualified. They may not dress the way we expect them to dress. They may not worship the way we expect them to worship. But God looks upon the heart.xiv He looks for those who are “poor in spirit” and blesses them with his presence. The grace of God always flows to the low places.
So how do we get in on what God is doing today? It must begin with this condition of heart that Jesus refers to as “poor in spirit.” One of the dangers we face when living for the Lord for a long time is a subtle development of spiritual pride. We have walked faithfully with the Lord; we have served him and served others; we have denied ourselves at times; we have fought a few battles and endured a few trials for his name’s sake. If we’re not careful to give God the glory for that, we can easily develop an entitlement mentality. The church at Ephesus left their first love. The church at Laodicea began to say in their hearts, “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing.” Remember, the opposite of “poor in spirit” is self-sufficiency, self-righteousness, and self-promotion. Jesus’s correction to the Laodiceans was, you “do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:17). We must diligently guard against the subtle dangers of spiritual pride. We must continually humble ourselves under the might hand of God (1 Pet. 5:6).
The Apostle James told the Christians of his day, “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Based on that principle, he admonished them in verse 10: “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” Grace represents the favor of God. That favor comes to us through the active influence and operation of the Holy Spirit.xv Divine enablement comes to those who know their own insufficiency. Grace flows to the low places, so bow low and receive. The byword of the Welch Revival was “Bend me, Lord; Bend me.” They discovered the blessedness of being “poor in spirit.” If you think you deserve revival, you will not have it. If you feel your deep need for God, then he can work in your midst.
One characteristic of revival is the weighty manifestation of God’s presence.xvi Isaiah 57:15 declares the relationship between humility, God’s presence, and revival. “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” The haughty are not revived. The self-righteous are not revived. The broken and contrite are revived in the presence of the Holy One.
How do we humble ourselves? How do we nurture this quality of being “poor in spirit”? The answer to that lies in practical obedience to biblical directives. Here are a few examples.
1. Has someone wronged you? Forgive and you will be forgiven? Every conflict is an opportunity to humble yourself. Make the most of those opportunities (Eph. 5:16 NIV).
2. Have you been overlooked and underappreciated? Do not contend for recognition, even when it is deserved. Wait on the Lord to promote you in due time.
3. Have you experienced some success? Give God the glory. Without him you can do nothing. If you succeeded, it was because of his grace. Giving thanks to the Lord keeps it all in perspective.
4. Have you sinned; have you offended someone? We are all work-in-process and we continually come short of the glory of God.xvii So, our daily prayer includes the request, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us.” If that is not a regular part of your prayer life, you do not know the height of God’s standards. We strive for perfection.xviii We do not lower God’s standard or justify our own failure to reach that standard. Instead, we acknowledge our short comings to both God and man.
One of the ways we live in humility is to ask forgiveness when we offend others. James 5:16 instructs believers: “Confess your faults one to another.” It’s less humbling to just confess them to God and ask his forgiveness. But that does not fulfill Jesus’s command in Matthew 5:24 to go to the one you have wronged and make it right. It does not cultivate being “poor in spirit” the way confessing to another person does. We think we have found a shortcut by just acknowledging the fault to God alone, but we have simply shortchanged ourselves of the full benefit to our own character development.
It is instructive that the Asbury Revival broke out when students were confessing their faults to one another. The preacher that gave the sermon that day may have laid a good foundation, but the revival did not come during the preaching. It came as individual honestly and transparently shared their faults with one another, asking for prayer, and repenting of sin. Last Sunday, we found ourselves doing some of that by the leading of the Holy Spirit. I did not know that the service would go that direction when we began sharing with one another. But I believe it was a good step toward the refreshing we desire from the Lord. May God help us lay aside all religious pretense and walk humbly with one another and with the Lord. “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).
We want the kingdom of God. We want to participate in what God is doing in his kingdom. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
DENNOTES:
i All Scripture quotes are from the New King James Version unless indicated otherwise.
ii Cf. 2 Chron. 26:16-21; Acts 5:1-11.
iii See John 10:7-10; Heb. 10:19.
iv Cf. 2 Cor. 4:4. 1 Cor. 2:6-7.
v Cf. John 3:1-8; 2 Cor. 5:17; Col. 1:13.
vi 1 Thess. 4:3 states the will of God: “ For this is the will of God, even your sanctification (KJV). Rom. 8:29 tells us the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to conform us to the image of Christ.
vii Heb. 11:6. Cf. Heb. 4:2; James 2:18.
viii Eternal life is not just everlasting life. Even the wicked exist forever. Eternal life has a quality about it that is characterized by love, joy, peace, etc.
ix In the Gospels the phrase “kingdom of heaven” is referring to the same thing as the phrase “kingdom of God.” It includes what we normally think of as heaven, but it refers to God’s realm of rulership in the present and in the future. That why Jesus’s message in Matthew 4:17 was "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
x In the Beatitudes Jesus is not telling people what they need to do in order to get the kingdom. That would produce a works religion. He is telling them how the kingdom of God operates. Evidence that a person has (or is in) this kingdom (“For theirs is [present tense] the kingdom of heaven).” Cf. Col. 1:13.
xi Cf. John 13:1-17.
xii Philip probably expected this move of God to be in Jerusalem where the religious leaders were conducting their services.
xiii Roberts Liardon, God’s Generals: Why They Succeeded and Why Some Failed (Tulsa, OK: Albury Publishing, 1996), 140.
xiv Cf. 1 Sam. 16:7-13.
xv The Greek word charis is translated “grace” in James 4:6. Strong’s definition (NT: 5485) includes the following emphasis on the active work of the Holy Spirit: “the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls. . . .” We must understand grace as favor asserted by God through the activity of the Holy Spirit. When we only understand it as an abstract concept, we miss something very important. Acts 4:33 illustrates the activity of the Holy Spirit when we are operating under the influence of God’s favor: “And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.”
xvi The Hebrew word kabowd (Strong #3519) in 2 Chron. 7:1-3 carries the idea of weightiness. “We may take as a working hypothesis that ‘weight’ is the central meaning [of the root] of which the other uses are applications.” Willem VanGemerson, gen. ed., New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis, vol. 2 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997) s.v. “3877: kbd” by C. J. Collins, 577. In revival settings, I have sensed the weightiness of God’s presence in the spiritual realm.
xvii In Romans 3:23 hustereo (Strong’s NT:5302) is in the present tense indicating current action. Even as believers we come short of God’s perfection and are in ongoing need of mercy from God and from other people. Cf. Phil. 3:12.
xviii Cf. Matt. 5:48.
