June 4, 2017 (Proverbs 26:12)

“Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Prov 26:12). Continuing on last week’s theme, there is virtually no possibility of one being able to follow Jesus as a disciple when a person is confident in his own ideas and depends upon his self-sufficiency. When Jesus initially began an instruction class for His disciples, He sat down on a mountainside and began to teach that known as the Sermon on the Mount. It is a revelation of God’s principles for righteousness by which all believers are to live through faith in Jesus Christ and by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. This discourse on the mountainside begins with a series of statements known as beatitudes that describe a heart and soul aligned with that illustrated by the life of Jesus Himself. The very first of these is in stark contrast to that of being wise in one’s own eyes, namely, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).  The kingdom of heaven as is referred to here is the authority and power of God invading planet earth which finds itself under the sway of the evil one Satan. This kingdom was first manifested through the Son of God by the power of Holy Spirit, and since His return to heaven has been manifested by the same Holy Spirit through those whose lives are submitted to the rule of Christ. Being poor in spirit describes those who recognize and accept their poverty and utter bankruptcy in terms of ability to deal with life in a manner that satisfies the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Rather than being wise in their own eyes, such persons are humbled by recognition that only by the grace of God and power of the Holy Spirit can they achieve any semblance of a godly life. Such an attitude is essential for Christ-likeness, and its absence in many professing believers is cause for the common failure of such persons to reflect the character of Christ and be witnesses to His saving grace.