The Poor in Spirit (1)
- How to hold the true blessing to possess the kingdom of heaven
Then, how can we hold perfectly and firmly the true blessing to possess the kingdom of heaven with poor spirit?
Get rid of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life
In 1 John 2:15-16 say, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” There are people who hardly accept the gospel and don’t attend church. Why? Most of them love worldly things. They can’t cast off worldly things but love them. They know they have to cast them off if they come to church because they heard before. Because they can’t cut off worldly things and they can’t get rid of loving the world, that is, because they are rich in heart, they don’t want to accept the gospel and don’t try to come to the church. After all, it is because they don’t have faith.
They will come because they fear of hell if they have faith. It is the reason why our God says, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world.” The more the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life you have, the more you love the world and you are rich in spirit so you will be far away from the blessing of heaven.
- First, the lust of the flesh is the nature wanting to commit a sin
When people have the original sinful nature like laziness, adultery, dissipation, hatred, envy, jealousy, judging, condemnation, and so on, the lust of the flesh come out if those natures meet the environmental condition that matches them. This lust of the flesh will be settled in one’s heart if he continues to commit the works of the flesh by action.
For example, if a man begins to get angry once, twice and more, at another person who annoys him, getting angry will be filled in his heart without knowing and he will become a man of much anger. So, you must not get used to any bad habit and you must get rid of it soon if you have one.
After committing works of flesh repeatedly, that fleshly deed comes to be settled as the lust of the flesh in heart. To get rid of this lust of the flesh, you must cast off the bad habit shown by deeds and fleshly deeds first. While doing it, you must get rid of the lust of the flesh settled in heart by fervent prayer and get rid of evil in original nature one by one. Then, after all, you can be poor in spirit before God.
For example, the one who got anger will be moderate and won’t get angry at the situation he would have been angry before. And then, he should pray fervently to burn the original root of anger in his deep heart.
- Secondly, the lust of the eyes is the nature that the heart is moved by what you see with the eyes and what you hear with the ears
If the one who wants to quit smoking is continually holding a cigarette, smelling it and looking at it, he will think he wants to smoke by the lust of the eyes. This is just like that a man who is making an attack on a city allows the auxiliary troops to enter into the city continually. Just as he has to cut off all the auxiliary troops to take the city faster, you must cut off the origin that makes you sin through the lust of the eyes in order to get rid of sinful nature of loving the world. And to cut off the lust of the eyes, you must not see nor hear nor think it if it’s not the truth. You have to see, hear and act by the truth only. You must get rid of the lust of the eyes that was already settled in you by fervent prayer.
- Thirdly, the pride of life is the nature that you boast of yourself following all pleasures of the world
If a man has the pride of life, he boasts of himself and looks down upon others. Those who have this pride of life cannot easily follow the word of God to be humble, serve, sacrifice and devote themselves because they are rich in spirit.
Next, you must become spiritually little children to possess the kingdom of heaven by being poor in spirit. Matthew 18:3 says, “And said, verily I say unto you, except you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Little children are simple, genuine and not boastful. However, Jesus said this, 2,000 years ago. In these days, this world is full of sins and even children are different from the children of 2,000 years ago.
Some children are still simple, genuine and not boastful but some, although they are little, steal others’ belongings, get easily angry, hate others, envy and get jealous. Many of today’s children are like this. Think of children who are pure, genuine and not boastful or disobedient. They easily believe when their mother teaches good things. They accept the teaching and follow without sticking to their pride or own thought. Likewise, you must obey right after you hear the truth with humble heart. Also, you can possess the kingdom of heaven only when you become spiritually little children who are happy and joyful to see and hear the truth.