Matthew 5:3-4 (NIV)
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."
Most have heard of the Beatitudes – "attitudes" for "be"ing – from Christ's Sermon on the Mount. In this sermon, Jesus offers nine blessings to those who approach the kingdom of God according to these attitudes.
The first of these blessings come to the one poor in spirit and mourning. To these people, Jesus promises the kingdom of heaven. These are the ones who receive comfort in this life.
I've always believed that these first two attitudes relate to the condition of the heart. They challenge me to ask, "Am I one who sees the ugliness of my own sin the way God sees it." Can I say that I cry out in my heart over the lost condition of my life apart from God? God only brings these blessings when I look upon my heart in this same way.
Even as believers, we need to remain burdened over sin's continuous assault on our lives, for these attitudes toward sin should last a life-time. Every day, we need to be sensitive towards the pain we bring upon our Lord through sin. For when we're most sensitive, then we are most thankful to our Lord for our undeserved salvation.
I've always been intrigued with David, one whom was after God's own heart. You'll remember that David was known to ask the Lord to search his heart. This was a check of his attitudes. I think we need a lot more of that. We need to cry out to the Spirit to show us our sins, driving us to be poor in spirit, and to mourn over our sins.
Those who inherit the kingdom and receive God's comfort are those who are poor in spirit and cry out over sin.
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