everstill

Poor In Spirit
“Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matt. 5.3).

The poor in spirit views himself as possessing nothing. A believer’s peril lies in his having too many things in his spirit. Only the poor in spirit can be humble. How often the experience, growth and progress of a Christian become such precious matters to him that he loses his lowliness. The most treacherous of all dangers for a saint is to meditate on what he appropriates and to pay attention to what he has experienced. Sometimes he engages in this unconsciously. What, then, is the meaning of being poor? Poor bespeaks having nothing. If one endlessly reflects upon the deep experience which he has passed through, it soon shall be debased to a commodity of his spirit and hence become a snare. An emptied spirit enables a person to lose himself in God whereas a wealthy spirit renders him self-centered. Full salvation delivers a believer out of himself and into God. Should a Christian retain something for himself his spirit immediately shall turn inward, unable to break out and be merged in God.

We reckon therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Romans 3.28.
The concepts towards the law in today’s church are of two opposite kinds:

(1) People are saved by grace and not by keeping the law; but to attain sanctification we must keep the law.

(2) Again, people are saved by grace and not by keeping the law; and hence we need not keep the law after we are saved, though we do keep the commandment of grace.

The latter concept is correct. The gist of the Letter to the Romans is that no sinner can be justified by the works of the law; while the theme of the Letter to the Galatians is that no saved person can be sanctified by the works of the law.

These two letters have sufficiently proven that neither justification nor sanctification comes by the works of the law.

The 7 Words Jesus Spoke on the Cross

On the cross, our Lord spoke seven words, which were: (1) “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”—forgive on the basis of atonement; (2) “To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise”—the teaching out of redemption; (3) “Behold, thy mother,” Jesus had said to John—signifying that all who are born of God become one family, and this is due to the work of redemption; (4) “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”—He who knew no sin was made sin for us; (5) “I thirst”—for the wrath of God was on Him; (6) “It is finished”—He cried with a loud voice that it was done, indicating by this that the work of redemption was finished; and (7) “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit”—He gave up or dismissed his spirit, which meant that though men could crucify Him they themselves could not put Him to death. He himself gave up His own life.

The veil is now rent; otherwise, no man could ever draw near to God. Man of old could enter into the holy place, but never the holiest of all except for the high priest who in type represented the Great High Priest (Jesus) who was to come. It is God who has rent the veil; thus the way to God is opened. Because Christ died, I now can live. Because He lives, I may enter into glory.