POVERTY OF SPIRIT

 8 27 12 A Poverty of Spirit        

Don’t forget to pray. 

Scripture:  1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)  The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The following is an interesting e-mail received from Mike Evans of the "Jerusalem Prayer Team." 

He wrote:  Many years ago in Rome, Mother Teresa prayed with me for the children of Jerusalem. I said to her, “It must be difficult living in Calcutta, one of the poorest cities in the world, and with such terrible suffering.” She looked at me with sparkling eyes and said, “Where? Calcutta?” She said, “I don’t live there.” I was amazed when she said, “I live in the city of joy, but I’m going to the poorest country in the world tomorrow—America. It suffers from a poverty of spirit. Pray for me.” 

Note:  When you think of America what comes to your mind? The freedoms that we enjoy, the high standard of living, the wonderful medical care, land of opportunity. I doubt if you or I had been asked what is the poorest country in the world, the one suffering from the greatest poverty of spirit, we would not have guessed the United States of America. But when you stop and think about the statement made by Mother Teresa, looking at the things going on around us, examining the state of our nation and the state of the Church, she may not be wrong in her judgment. So, how about it? Do you think America suffers from a poverty of spirit?  

First of all what does “poverty of spirit” mean? I take it to mean the spiritual condition of its people. After all a tree, a river, mountains, cities, for that matter anything that is not human cannot possess a spirit. So if America has a poverty (lack of, deficiency, shortage) of spirit it would be a reference to the spiritual condition of those who are its citizens. But what gauge do we use to reach our conclusions? There’s only one gauge to use…the Bible. It’s the only book or source available to mankind that reveals what it means to be spiritual or non-spiritual, growing strong in the spirit or becoming weak in the spirit; flourishing spiritually or being spiritually impoverished. It’s the only book that reveals the source of our spirituality if we are in fact spiritual beings.

How does the Bible describe a spiritual or non-spiritual man or woman?  

The Bible normally divides humanity into three categories.

Category 1. The lost or unsaved: Those who do not have a personal relationship with Christ and have not been spiritually renewed, transformed or “born again” (Jn 3:3-7).  An individual who has not been born again is still controlled by his natural instincts, resistant to God’s call and openly in conflict with anything that has to do with God. They live according to the dictates of the flesh, setting their minds on the things of the flesh rather than the things of the Spirit. They are carnally minded and enemies of God, attempting to have all references to God removed from society. There is absolutely nothing they do in their carnal state that is pleasing to God and if they remain carnal in their thinking they will be eternally separated for God and his righteousness when they die.(Ro 8:5-8).

Category 2. The redeemed or saved: This is the individual who has accepted God's forgiveness made available to them through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, God’s Son. They are spiritually renewed ( born again) through their personal faith placed in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Because they have been born again they are a new creation in Christ, indwelt and empowered by the Spirit of God. As new creations in Christ, they are spiritually minded rather than worldly minded. They not only understand the truths of God’s Word they want to live out His Word becoming like Christ.  (Ro 8:9-11).  They willingly put to death the old man or woman, choosing to live by the Holy Spirit’s guidance (Ro 8:4-17; Gal 5:16-26).  They want to live in such a way as to glorify God in their witness and testimony, serving Christ and relying on him to empower them and enabling them to resist ungodly and destructive desires and the influence of sin (Ro 8:13-14).

Category 3. The carnal christian: This group consists of individuals who confessed Christ but continue to follow the ways of the world while claiming to be Christian. This group may marginally follow Christ but their lifestyle reflects the ways of the world more than those of Christ. This characteristic is clearly seen in their unwillingness to submit their will to God’s will. As an old saying goes: “If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you.” They try to live with one foot in heaven and the other in the world. They are trying to serve two masters, God and Satan. Their lives are characterizes by compromise. They think they are in control of their lives but in reality they are allowing Satan to sit on the throne of their hearts and mistakenly think that their worldly, progressive views are acceptable and approved by Christ. They think calling themselves a Christian and attending church will result in their being approved by God and at death they will go to heaven. God knows your heart. The Bible is very clear about how you are to live as a true believer. (Ro 8:12-14).

Warnings to worldly or carnal Christians:

(a) Worldly Christians must realize that they are in danger of losing their faith if they are unwilling to turn from all that displeases God (Ro 6:14-16; 1 Cor 6:9-10; 2 Cor 11:3; Gal 6:7-9; Ja 1:12-16)  

(b) They must learn from the tragic example of the Israelites, whom God destroyed because of their rebellion against him (1Cor 10:5-12).

(c) They must understand that it is impossible to fully participate in God’s plans and purposes while giving in to the influences of Satan, the world and their own sinful nature (Mt 6:24; 1Cor 10:21).

(d) They must separate and walk in a different path than those in the world (2Cor 6:14-18). By accepting the help and power of the Holy Spirit, they can purify themselves “from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (2Cor 7:1). (Fire Bible)

Word from the Lord:  Beloved, don’t be deceived. I will not be mocked. No one will make a fool of me. Men will reap what they sow. There are many who claim to be a part of my family, to be born again, filled with my Holy Spirit, but they bear the fruit of ungodliness, evidence of their fallen sinful nature. They are fooling themselves and showing disrespect for me. They have willingly allowed themselves to be deceived in this way but my Word is clear: such people will not receive eternal life. They will reap what they sow and the fruit of the carnal Christian’s life is death and destruction (Gal 5: 19-21).

  

Did the Lord speak to you today?  Why not write it down and claim it for His Glory. 

Prayer:  What do you need to pray to the Lord today? Listen to your heart. He loves you!