In Matthew 5, Jesus began His three-chapter sermon with what is usually called “The Beatitudes.” In verse 3, Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
The “poor in spirit” are those who are humble in spirit. Therefore, they are sorry for their sin and willing to repent. They know that without Christ in their lives, they are poverty stricken spiritually. People with this attitude are anxious to obey God so they may have forgiveness of their sins.
Those who have gone to foreign countries to visit a mission field will tell of the excitement among many of the people concerning salvation. In places like Mexico, Nicaragua, India, Africa and many other foreign countries, people will crowd around someone willing to speak to them about Christ and the forgiveness He provides. When someone is willing to give them a Bible to own and read, tears of gratitude and joy are frequently seen.
These are people that know how little they have in this world. Many of these have developed a great desire to learn about Christ and how to be saved from their sins. Since there is little to trust in so far as the physical needs of this world are concerned, many are eager to place their trust in God who is able to save their soul in eternity.
Therefore, these will be anxious to obey the Lord’s command and be baptized into Christ so that they may be saved from their sins (1 Peter 3:21; Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:27). Such an attitude changes people from being poverty stricken in their spiritual need of forgiveness, to the spiritual richness of salvation they receive in Christ Jesus (Colossians 1:13, 14).
This attitude reminds us of another of the Beatitudes. Jesus stated in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” This describes someone whose greatest desire is to please God. This “hunger and thirst” that Jesus speaks of depicts someone who is starving with hunger and desperate in his thirst.
They have an intense desire to be certain they obey God properly. They will not be satisfied until they do. Such an attitude will find a person searching diligently through the Scriptures so that their understanding of what they must do to have salvation in Christ will be certain. No man-made way will do.
A Bible example of this kind of attitude is found in Acts 17. Here we find Paul preaching in the city of Berea. Even though Paul was an apostle of Christ, these people wanted everything He taught to be verified by the written Scriptures. Verse 11 tells us, “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.”
This hunger and thirst for righteousness would continue to lead them in faithfully following the Lord’s teaching. This spiritual attitude should guide us today in how we will live, serve and worship. We too must insist on being guided by what is written in the Bible, instead of an opinion someone else has on the subject.
Did you ever wonder why we don’t see as much of this kind of excitement and determination in our own country? In America, many people are too busy or too unconcerned to consider their soul’s great need.
Frequently our freedoms and possessions have caused us to think about “our own greatness,” instead of considering our greatest need. There is no greater need for mankind than the forgiveness of our sins.
Each of us should be cautious not to become caught up in the attitudes of many in our nation. Attitudes like “me,” “now,” “entitled” and “rights,” causes God to no longer be important to us. Such attitudes will cause us to be separated from God forever.
Let’s remember that Jesus said the kingdom of heaven belongs to people who recognize their “poverty of spirit,” and their great need for God. They “hunger and thirst after righteousness,” and diligently seek God’s will. These do not want to miss heaven.
What does your spiritual attitude reveal? Do you find yourself recognizing your spiritual need so that you are willing to humble yourself before God in obedience? Have you seen that without Christ in your life you are still poverty stricken spiritually?
Are you hungering and thirsting for righteousness in your life so that your greatest desire is to please God as you obey His word (Mark 16:16), live daily for Him (Revelation 2:10), and worship Him according to His teachings (John 4:24)? Or do you still find yourself more interested in the things of this world than the things of God?
