Now in these Beatitudes, we have
in every one of them, and I'm going to take each one individually,
because I think it's important that we understand exactly what's
being said here. But let me give you, by way of
introduction, we have what I call the three phases of God's grace. And in each Beatitude, the first
phase is blessed. And we talked about that last
week. To be blessed is to be graced of God. To be blessed,
that's how the Christian life begins. Blessed of God. And that's how it starts. This
is the ground of it all. We're blessed of God. Sovereignly
blessed. Blessed before the foundation
of the world. The scripture teaches, Ephesians chapter 1 and verse
3 says, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
who have blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly
places in Christ and then it goes down through Ephesians one
showing how all that took place before the foundation of the
world in the everlasting covenant of grace and that's that's how
we are even before we know we're born in sin we're born naturally
enemies of God as far as his way of salvation is concerned
but even before we know it we're blessed of God It's sovereign
grace, and it's based on the righteousness of Christ. David
said, blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not a name.
So we have the blessings of electing grace. We have the blessing of
justification before God. Our sins imputed to Christ, charged
to him. His righteousness imputed to
us. We have the blessings of redemption. Christ died for our
sins on the cross. He put away our sins. He paid the debt in full. Justice
is satisfied. and then we have the blessings
of spiritual life now that's what these be attitudes are going
to see in the second phase the first favorite phase is the ground
that's god's sovereign work electing grace justifying grace redeeming
grace on the cross of christ and that's the ground of it all
we're blessed were graced of god the second phase has to do
with spiritual life given by the Holy Spirit in the new birth,
which establishes the character and the attitude of those whom
God chose, whom He justified, and whom Christ redeemed. Christ sends forth His Spirit
to give life, and so the second phase would be, for example,
in verse 3, poor in spirit. That's the character. That's
the evidence of one who's been blessed. And then the third phase
is the reward. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
That's the reward of God's grace. Now, none of this is earned.
You might as well mark that down. None of this is deserved by the
sinner. It is all of grace. So when we
talk about the three phases of grace, it's grace, grace, grace. You understand that? And I always
use this example, you know, there's people in this congregation this
morning who have been saved by the grace of God, who've been
regenerated, born again for years. And we all know that if God right
now, this second, gave us what we've earned or deserved, it
would be eternal death. We don't earn or deserve any
of it. So the reward here is the reward of grace. It's not
what you earn. It's not like you're not a mercenary.
You're a willing, loving, bond slave of Christ. Well, with that
in mind, consider this. What he's describing here are
the citizens of the kingdom of heaven. Am I a citizen? of God's kingdom. And you can
ask that in so many different ways. Am I one of God's elect?
Am I one whom Christ redeemed? Have I been born again? Am I
a believer? All of that. Well, here's what
he says. Look at verse 3. Blessed are
the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Who
are the poor in spirit? Now, there's one thing that we
have to keep a distinction concerning on this blessedness of those
who are poor in spirit. you have to distinguish between
what we call spiritual poverty and poverty of spirit. Spiritual
poverty and poverty of spirit. He doesn't say blessed are those
who are in spiritual poverty. He says blessed are those who
are in poverty of spirit, poor in spirit. Now why is that a
valid distinction? Well, every person who has fallen
in Adam and born dead in trespasses and sins is spiritually poor. Every one of them. All of us. All have sinned and come short
of the glory of God. There's not one person born of
Adam, fallen in Adam, born of Adam, who has a righteousness
that answers the demands of God's law and justice. There's none
righteous, no not one. There's not a person fallen in
Adam, born of Adam, born dead in trespass, who can work righteousness. We don't have by nature the goodness
that it takes to save us. And that's what spiritual poverty
is. By deeds of law shall no flesh be justified. Now you take
a person who is trying to be moral, trying to be responsible,
trying to be charitable, trying to be considerate. That's okay. But if that person thinks that
that'll recommend them unto God, that that'll save them or contribute
to making them righteous before God, what's going on there? I often use it this way. Have
you ever in your life, have you ever thought you had money in
the bank that you didn't have? That's the problem, see. It's like a person who thought,
you take a person who's spiritually bankrupt, or who's financially
rather, that's the illustration I'm using. Take a person who's
financially bankrupt, even has a negative balance in their bank
account, but they are convinced in their mind that they've got
a million dollars there. That's the problem with man.
Any person who comes before God pleading his own merits or meeting
certain conditions, that person is spiritually poor, but they're
not poor in spirit. They don't realize that they
have nothing to recommend them unto God. And so when he says,
blessed are the poor in spirit, what's he talking about? He's
talking about those who have been humbled brought down by
the Spirit of God to know that all of their supposed riches
are actually nothing. Now look over at Philippians
chapter 3 and you'll see a grand example of that. Look at Philippians
chapter 3. And what you see here is an example
of faith in Christ and repentance of dead works. And look at verse three of Philippians
chapter three. Paul writes in Philippians three
in verse three, for we are the circumcision, now he's talking
about circumcision of the heart there, that's the new birth,
regeneration. Now what are the evidences of
the new birth? We worship God in the spirit,
and we rejoice or have confidence in Christ Jesus and have no confidence
in the flesh. The flesh there being an emblem
or a metaphor for the works of men and women. We don't have
any confidence there. Now, verse four, though I might
also have confidence in the flesh, if any other man thinketh that
he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more. And here's
what Paul's saying there. If you think that you could be
saved Be righteous, be cleansed, be accepted with God based upon
what you do or what you decide or what you think. He said, I
can go more with you. I can outdo you. And here's what
he says. He says in verse 5, circumcise
the eighth day. Now each thing that he mentions
there were things that he thought recommended him unto God. He
thought these were spiritual riches, in other words, before
he was converted, before he was brought down and humbled. He
thought being circumcised the eighth day recommended him unto
God, contributed to his salvation, contributed to his righteousness.
Well, didn't God say that that was the day that the male infants
were to be circumcised? Yes, but not for salvation. Not to make him righteous. It
was a physical token, a physical sign of their connection with
Abraham. That's all it was. That was it. And so he goes on. He's mentioning what he thought
were riches. He says, circumcised the eighth
day of the stock of Israel. I'm an Israelite, you see. Their
physical connection with Abraham. Of the tribe of Benjamin, an
honored tribe. A Hebrew of Hebrews, a full-blooded
Hebrew, Touching the law of Pharisee, that's one who went above and
beyond the call of duty. Concerning zeal, persecuting
the church. And though he was so zealous, he persecuted that
which he thought was heresy. All right? Now those in his mind,
before he was converted, before he was brought down to see his
sin and his depravity, his need of grace, before that, he thought
that was his bank account, you might say, spiritually. But listen
to what happened. He says in verse 7, but what
things were gained to me, those I counted lost for Christ. That
which I had in the profit column before I was converted, now I
put in the loss column because I've seen something. that the
Holy Spirit has shown me. Look at verse 8. Yea, doubtless
I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I've suffered the loss of all
things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ. See he went from being rich in
his own mind to being poor in spirit. That's what poor in spirit
means. You know This blessedness, this
poverty, this being poor in spirit and all that, it's not based
on feelings. It's not even based upon things
that we go through in life. You know, I know people, for
example, that in their personality, they are very humble people when
it comes to dealing with other people. Humble before men, but
not before God. Look at Romans chapter 9. Romans chapter 9. Look at verse 31 of Romans chapter
9. Here he's describing unbelieving
Israel. Romans 9 31. But Israel, which
followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law
of righteousness, wherefore or why? Because they sought it not
by faith. Now, what is it to seek righteousness
by faith? It's to seek it in Christ. But
as it were by the works of the law. There's their riches. There's
their supposed riches. I can be righteous by my works
of the law, and God will accept that. God will save me. God will
be pleased with me. That is false riches. That did
not make them righteous. They stumbled at the stumbling
stone. That's Christ, who's the only righteousness that we have
before God, the only riches. The Bible speaks of the riches
of God's grace, which are to be found in one person, the Lord
Jesus Christ, and in one act, his God forbid that I should
glory save in the cross. Now, Look at verse 1 of chapter
10. You can read the whole thing.
Well, let's read the whole thing. He said, They stumbled at the
stumbling stone, as it is written, verse 33, Behold, I lay in Zion
a stumbling stone, a rock of offense, and whosoever believeth
on him shall not be ashamed. You know, if you ever got in
a situation where you thought you had money in the bank, how
did you feel when you found out you didn't? Pretty ashamed, didn't
you? That's a bad feeling, isn't it?
And so that's what this shame is. Think about, well, in the
Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 7, don't turn there, we're gonna
go on in Romans 10 here. Think about those who stood before
Christ in Matthew 7, 21. Lord, haven't we preached in
your name? There's my riches, you say. Haven't
we cast out demons? There's another one of my riches. Haven't we done many wonderful
works? Only to hear him say, depart
from me, you that work in it. You think you're rich, but you're
spiritually bankrupt. You think you're righteous, but
you're not. You think you're saved, but you're
not. You see that? They were ashamed. Well, look at Romans 10.1. Brethren,
my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they
might be saved. I bear them record, they have
a zeal of God. They're religiously zealous.
I know people who are real zealous in religion, even so-called Christianity. They're sincere, dedicated. But here's the point. Is that
what makes you rich? In God's sight? What he said
in verse three, he said, I bet they have a zeal of God, but
not according to knowledge, for they being ignorant of God's
righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness,
there's their riches, have not submitted themselves unto the
righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the
law for righteousness to everyone that believes it. Those who are
poor in spirit are those who have submitted by the power and
grace of God to the Christ who is our only righteousness. As
long as a sinner believes that salvation is conditioned on him
or herself, they're not poor in spirit. I think I've got in
here a reference to Revelation 3 and verse 17. You remember
in Revelation 2 and 3 where John was told to write the letter,
the Revelation, to the seven churches? Well, one of the seven
churches, the last one, was the church at Laodicea. Listen to
what Christ told John to write to the church at Laodicea in
Revelation 3, 17. And this was a church who had
totally forsook the gospel. They claimed to be Christian.
But they totally forsook the gospel. And listen to what he
says in Revelation 3.17. He says, Because thou sayest,
I am rich, and increased with goods, plenty of money, plenty
of people, all of them, and have need of nothing. And knowest
not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind,
and naked. That's the point I'm making. They were spiritually bankrupt,
poverty-stricken, but they didn't know it. They thought they were
rich and increased with goods and had need of nothing. And
that's spiritual pride. You see, that's self-righteousness
that keeps sinners from coming to Christ and submitting to Him
as the Lord their righteousness. You know, Christ, in Matthew
chapter 11, He made the statement, you know,
when He was talking about those who had rejected the gospel.
And He makes this statement, He said, He said in verse 25,
At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father,
Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from
the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Now, who are the wise and the
prudent? He's talking about people who
are wise and prudent, means they know what to do, in their own
eyes. I know how, I know the way of
salvation, I don't need to talk to you, that kind of thing. You
know, I don't need to hear all that, you know. You know, I've
done step one, two, and three. I've prayed the sinner's prayer,
I've been baptized. They're wise and prudent in their
own eyes. But reveal them unto babes. Now, what is the significance
of a babe? You're talking about the ones
in the ICU. I'll tell you something about
every baby. Listen, when you come to the
metaphors of the Bible, be careful. A lot of people go crazy on these
things. They say, well, we're just like
babies. We don't know nothing. We don't know how to talk all
that. No, that's not what it's talking about. Here's the issue
that he's making about babes, a spiritual babe, that's poor
in spirit. A baby is totally dependent upon mom and dad for
its physical life. That's the issue there. You take
that baby and put it out on some, what's it gonna do? It's gonna
die. Everything that that baby needs for physical life has to
be given to it. Doesn't earn it. Now you may
say, well it deserves it because in our realm it does. But see,
we're sinners before God. So we don't deserve anything
he gives us. But we certainly don't earn it. When you're made
poor in spirit, you're a spiritual babe. You realize that everything
necessary for salvation, you're totally dependent upon God in
his grace through Christ. Totally dependent. Every phase
of it. I'm not dependent upon me for
anything or you for anything. God uses instruments, but we're
totally dependent upon Him. Well, there in Revelation 3,
He talked about them being rich and all of that, but they're
poor. To be poor in spirit is one who's
been brought by the Holy Spirit to know that he has nothing to
recommend himself unto God. But over in Revelation chapter
3 there where he mentioned this, and I want you to turn to Isaiah
55. Find Isaiah 55. I want to make
a point here. When he addressed the church
at Laodicea, When he addressed the church
at Laodicea, he said, you think you're rich, but you're not.
You're destitute. That's just in your mind, that's
self-righteousness. Well, in verse 18 of Revelation
3, listen to how he instructed the people of Laodicea, and then
I want to make the point of Isaiah 55. Now listen to this. Here's
what he says. I counsel thee, this is what
Christ, through John, is saying to the church at Laodicea. Here's
the counsel of God. He said, I counsel thee to buy
of me gold tried, tested in the fire, that thou mayest be rich,
and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame
of thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve
that thou mayest see. So he says, what you need to
do is buy gold tried in the fire. You need to have the white raiment.
You need the eyes set. What is that gold? Well, the
gold is the symbol for all spiritual riches in Christ. That's what's
gold. Spiritually speaking, it's a
metaphor. All the spiritual riches blessed are those who are poor
in spirit. The blessings and the benefits
of salvation. But why does he say buy? Because
we don't have anything to buy with, do we? We're spiritually
bankrupt. Listen, blessed are the poor
in spirit. Well, what is that? That's a
person who knows that they're poor. Now, if you know you're
poor, what are you going to buy with? You say, well, I have a
few pennies. No. That's what false Christianity
tells you. You're a sinner, but you're not
that bad. You don't have a lot of money, but you got some. No,
there's none righteous, there's none that doeth good. That's
what the script, we are, listen, by nature, we're spiritually
bankrupt. We don't have one thin penny
to offer to God for our salvation. It's like when I teach the doctrine
of imputation, I often use the illustration of a bank account. The bank sends you a letter and
says, you're in arrears. You owe a million dollars. And you go to searching your
assets and you find out you don't have one penny to contribute
to the payment of that debt. You're in a lot of trouble. You're about to go to debtor's
prison. So let's say you run to the bank and you say, I'm
going to throw myself at the mercy of the bank. Well, you know how far that's
going to get you, don't you? Not very far. So you go up to one
of the bank officers and you say, sir, I know I owe a million
dollars, but I don't have one penny to pay that debt. What can I do? Is there anything
I can do? The banker gets the books out. He opens the books. He said, let's find your name
here. Find your name. He says, wait a minute. You don't
owe a million dollars here. That debt's been paid by somebody
else. You know, that's what Christ
did for his people on the cross. He paid my debt in full before
I knew about it. You see, when I was raised in
false religion, what was I trying to do? I was trying to contribute
in some way in order to gain or maintain my salvation. But
I didn't know this, my debt had already been paid. In full. Now, could you imagine the kind
of relief that would come over you if the banker would tell
you something like that? It's paid. So you get up to leave,
and he says, wait a minute, there's more. More, what? Not only did that person pay
your debt of a million dollars, he gave you a million dollars
to the good. You've got a million dollars
credited to your account. That's his righteousness imputed.
That's the riches of grace. If you ever find out who that
person was that paid the debt, what if you found out that he's
somebody that you didn't like or hated or was an enemy to?
That's the way it is with us in Christ, isn't it? That person. Well, what does he mean by gold? Well, look at Isaiah 55. Look
at verse 1. Now, when it comes to spiritual
virtue, power, goodness, righteousness, That's me. I have no money. Come ye buy and eat. How are
you going to buy if you don't have any money? Yea, come buy
wine and milk without money and without price. How do we buy it? We don't buy
it with our money. We don't have any money. But
I'll tell you what, just like the Apostle Paul, We take all
those things that we used to think were riches, and we put
them in the lost column. We thought they were profit.
We put them in the lost column. We're gonna give up all that,
and what we find out is we give up nothing. Because what we've
gained by virtue of the grace of God is Christ and his riches. And again, we didn't deserve
it, we didn't earn it. Everything I have in salvation,
is a gift of God's grace based on the righteousness, the riches
of another, the Lord Jesus Christ. And he says here, verse two,
wherefore, or why do you spend money for that which is not bread?
That's false religion. That's an emblem, a metaphor
for false religion. People spending their money,
they think they're rich, for something that's not even gonna
give life. And your labor for that which satisfieth not. Hearken
diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your
soul delight itself in fatness." Now, fatness in the scripture,
in the Old Testament, is not what we think, you know. Somebody
says, well, I'm fat and I need to go on a diet. No, fatness
in the scripture is health. Being healthy. And so he says
in verse three, incline your ear, come unto me here, and your
soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with
you, even the sure mercies of David. What are the sure mercies
of David? That's the mercy that God gives
his people in Christ. Poor in spirit. You remember
the parable of the Pharisee and the publican? Luke 18, I think
I've got that cited on your lesson. The Pharisee said, I thank God
I'm not like other men. I do this, I do that. There he's
presenting his riches. But he has none. It's all iniquity. And there's that old publican,
that old sinner, beating on his breast. God be merciful to me,
the sinner. That word merciful there in that
passage in Luke 18 is propitious. It means mercy settled, injustice
satisfied. God be merciful to me, the sinner. That's poor in spirit. You see
that? Well, lastly, he says in Matthew
5, theirs is the kingdom of heaven. What does that mean? It means
this. salvation, and all its benefits
earned for them, given to them by Christ, they are full-fledged
citizens of the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven belongs
to them. Salvation. They're full-fledged citizens.
They're not just part citizens. They're not halfway in, halfway
out. There's no purgatory. There's no limbo. Right now,
if you're in Christ, You're not a citizen of this world. You're
a full-fledged citizen of the kingdom of heaven. Every benefit
and blessing of that kingdom belongs to you because of what
Christ did. There's no tears or hierarchy
or degrees of reward. You're not gonna live in the
mansion and me live down by the river in a van. No. It's all,
we're all in Christ. I usually use the example of
the thief on the cross. The thief on the cross was just
as much a full-fledged citizen of the kingdom of heaven as the
Apostle Paul, because neither one of them had anything to recommend
them unto God but the righteousness of God, the grace of God that
reigns through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ
our Lord.