Inspirit church2/20/2023 You complain of your spiritual state, rather than boast in it.You are weaned from yourself (Psalm 131:2).How can you tell if you're poor in spirit? Watson offers 7 tests: "Poverty of spirit pares off the soul's superfluity, and now a man is fit to enter in at the gate." "Before we see our own wants, we never see Christ's worth." "If the hand be full of pebbles, it cannot receive gold." Watson also gives 3 reasons why being poor in spirit is important: It means you denounce and part with yourself. It's the basis of all the qualities that follow in the Beatitudes.It means you're completely dependent on Christ's mercy (Luke 18:13 Php 3:9).It means you're aware of your sins and see no goodness in yourself.So, what DOES it mean to be "poor in Spirit?" Here's what Watson says: It's not those who take a vow of poverty.It's not those who are filled with discontentment (Eccl 6:1-2) or who give themselves over to sin easily.It's not those who are spiritually poor and do not know their poverty (Rev 3:17).It's not those who are economically poor, especially if due to foolishness or wickedness.Watson also explains what being "poor in spirit" does NOT mean: All the graces listed are connected like a chain.Christ calls us to grace by promising rewards.What Christ calls us to is the opposite of what the world values.One extreme in life produces the other.Watson starts with some preliminary observations about the Beatitudes: If you want to read the full section, you can use the links above to access it. Since we're focusing on "Poor in Spirit" let me give you a condensed version of what Watson says. You can also download free mp3s of each section if you'd rather listen to them. has a Kindle MOBI, EPUB, and PDF versions.
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