The Majestic Mystery Of Great Salvation, Part 2

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.