“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matt 5:3 (NIV) Christ-centered living involves humility. Recognizing your spiritual bankruptcy apart from God is imperative for the follower of Christ. You cannot come into the Kingdom of God without acknowledging your utter hopelessness outside of God’s provision. To be poor in spirit is to identify your true condition of lostness and separation from God apart from His divine initiative of salvation. In other words, don’t ever lose sight of where you would be had God not come to your rescue in Christ. To be poor in spirit is to continually recognize your dependency upon God. It is embracing the attitude opposite of self-sufficiency. Our culture rewards those who come across as independent and self-sufficient. In God’s Kingdom economy, He rewards those who place their sufficiency in Christ. Operating in daily dependency upon God is a true mark of the Christ-centered life. As Rick Warren says, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” The standard that Jesus raises in the Beatitudes is that of being selfless. That attitude does not come naturally. To be selfless is to place the needs of others before your own. Selflessness is a fruit of Christ-centered living. “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Eph 4:2 (NIV) “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:10 (NIV) Center your life on Christ and embrace His way of living the victorious life. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Category: Bankrupt
“Looking at his disciples, he said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.’” Luke 6:20 (NIV) Our condition before we came to Christ was that of spiritual bankruptcy. We had nothing to offer God due to our sin nature. Our fallen state disqualified us from the kingdom of God. Our righteousness just did not come close to measuring up to God’s holiness and perfection. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus shared what we call the Beatitudes. Matthew provides the expanded version and Luke gives us the key ingredients of the message Jesus shared. Jesus identified the inner life of a person who is happy. This happiness is a result of recognizing your personal sin and separation from our holy God. The spiritual bankruptcy causes you to look to the One who redeems you from your sin and reconciles you to a right relationship with God. The kingdom of God becomes a reality to you when you acknowledge your sin and turn to Jesus alone for salvation. “As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.’” Romans 3:10-11 (NIV) “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Cor 5:21 (NIV) Are you happy? Are you rightly related to God through a personal relationship with Jesus? His happiness is not connected to circumstances, but to your position in Christ. If you are in Christ, His life flows through you and delivers you from your spiritual bankruptcy. You become His treasured possession! Now that you possess Christ, you can profess Christ and be blessed! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matt 5:3 (NIV) Christ-centered living involves humility. Recognizing your spiritual bankruptcy apart from God is imperative for the follower of Christ. You cannot come into the Kingdom of God without acknowledging your utter hopelessness outside of God’s provision. To be poor in spirit is to identify your true condition of lostness and separation from God apart from His divine initiative of salvation. In other words, don’t ever lose sight of where you would be had God not come to your rescue in Christ. To be poor in spirit is to continually recognize your dependency upon God. It is embracing the attitude opposite of self-sufficiency. Our culture rewards those who come across as independent and self-sufficient. In God’s Kingdom economy, He rewards those who place their sufficiency in Christ. Operating in daily dependency upon God is a true mark of the Christ-centered life. As Rick Warren says, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” The standard that Jesus raises in the Beatitudes is that of being selfless. That attitude does not come naturally. To be selfless is to place the needs of others before your own. Selflessness is a fruit of Christ-centered living. “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Eph 4:2 (NIV) “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:10 (NIV) Center your life on Christ and embrace His way of living the victorious life. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care