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Question: Recently you gave an explanation of "poor in spirit" to mean that one is "empty of self righteousness." I read all you said and I still don't understand how you came to that conclusion. The Scripture references you gave did not support your answer. My interpretation of the passages you quoted is that "poor in spirit" is one who is sad, weak, dejected, in need of our Savior. I am grateful for your website and learn much from it. I just needed to give another interpretation and to continue to dialogue. Thanks and God bless you for your heart to spread The WORD.

Answer: Thanks for your comments and question again. I could agree with the part of your comments on "poor in spirit" as meaning "in need of our Savior." My reasoning is that if Jesus says they are blessed or happy, "For theirs is the kingdom of heaven." In other words, they have the right attitude to receive heaven (salvation), and what is the attitude that the rest of Jesus' teachings and the rest of Scripture say you have to have in order to go to heaven? Isn't it that you have to be sorry for your sin and repent (turn from it), and then receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?

Look again at what Jesus said about the two men who went down to the temple to pray:

"Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 'Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men-extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18:9-14)

This passage says to me that this man had the right attitude to be saved. You need to realize also that this was in the time before Jesus died on the cross, so now we not only need to have this attitude of "poor in spirit," but we also must receive Christ as our Lord and Savior. ".not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit." (Titus 3:5)

The Pharisee in the story that Jesus told, was trusting in his own good works to be saved, but the tax collector was "poor in his spirit" as you said, "in need of our Savior." If this person were living in our time he would have gone on to believe that Jesus died for his sins and invited Him into his heart. We know that all our good works will not save us. "But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags.(Isaiah 64:6) Or as the New Testament puts it: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

When we come to God we must see our need of salvation, be "poor in spirit," "But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in his forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:21-26) Our study on Romans would be good to look at here, especially the first and second parts, where it goes into the "Need of Salvation," and the "Way of Salvation."

I couldn't end this without quoting this verse also: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23) We need to continue to be grateful after we are saved, realizing that we are saved by the blood of the Lamb. We are only sinners saved by grace, and we need to continue in this attitude our whole life through. We must be "poor in spirit" knowing that it is not our good works, baptism, church membership, etc. that saves us. Paul reminds the Galatians, "But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for 'the just shall live by faith.'" (Galatians 3:11)

I hope this clears it up, but I will close with someone else's view on this incase the way I stated it is not very clear. "Blessed. Happy. A description of a believer's inner condition. When describing a person in God's will, it is virtually equivalent to "saved." Psalm 1 gives an OT picture of the blessed man, who evidences his nature by the things he does. The Beatitudes, also, are not primarily promises to the individual but a description of him. They do not show a man how to be saved, but describe the characteristics manifested by one who is born again. Poor in spirit. Opposite of proud in spirit. Those who have recognized their poverty in spiritual things and have allowed Christ to meet their need have become heirs of the kingdom of heaven. (The Wycliffe Bible Commentary)

Thanks for the comments,

Gary T. Panell

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Keywords: poor in spirit, meek, sad