Lowly & Poor

'A Lowly Spirit

“It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud” (Prov.16.19)

“He who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor” (Prov. 29.23).

“And also with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble” (Is. 57.15).

Lowliness is not a looking down on one’s self; rather is it a not looking at one’s self at all.

As soon as a believer’s spirit becomes haughty he is liable to fall. Humility is not only Godward but is manward as well. A lowly spirit is demonstrated when one associates with the poor. It is this spirit alone which does not despise any who are created by God. God’s presence and glory is manifested in the life of the spiritually humble. A lowly person is a teachable person, easily entreated and open to explanation. Many of our spirits are too arrogant: they can teach others but can never themselves be taught. Many possess a stubborn spirit: they stick to their opinions even if they realize they are wrong. Many are too hard in spirit to listen to an explanation for a misunderstanding. Only the humble have the capacity to bear and forbear. God needs a lowly man to express His virtue. How can a proud man hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and then cooperate with God? No trace of pride should be found in our spirit: tenderness, delicacy, flexibility—these shall be the norm. A tiny bit of harshness in the inner man may hinder fellowship with the Lord, for this certainly is most unlike Him. To walk with the Lord the spirit must be lowly, forever waiting on Him and offering no resistance to Him.

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. '

The Spiritual Man - by Watchman Nee

Broken Spirit

Our world today seems to be all about fixing broken spirits. Fix those who are broken down in any way. It sounds marvelous, but it is incomprehensible in reality as long as we live in this sin-filled world. A lot of people don't believe this, a lot don't believe in the Bible in its entirety. People love to pick and choose the parts they want to believe and ignore or refute the rest. They'll explain away the things that are contrary to their desired beliefs.

When we encounter hard truths it is so easy to talk our way around them, pad them to our desired comfort level and leave it at that. But to face hard truths, to accept hard truths this is a much harder thing to do and according to God's word few are going to be able to do it. Is it any wonder many will read the following and reject it outright because it calls for sacrifice that they aren't in any way willing to make.

For those who read the following and comprehend the truth of it, most importantly the truth in GOD'S WORD, they will submit fully to God and His will -only by the power of the Holy Spirit, through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Of our own we can do NOTHING other than choose to submit to the only One who can do ALL things and through Him we will do all things.

Php_4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

The Spiritual Man- by Watchman Nee

'A Broken Spirit

Psa 51:17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

A broken spirit is one which trembles before God. Some Christians do not sense any uneasiness in their inner man after they have sinned. A healthy spirit will be broken before God—as was David’s—upon once having sinned. It is not difficult to restore to God those who have a broken spirit.

An Afflicted Spirit

“But to this man will I look: to the afflicted and contrite in spirit, and who trembleth at my word” (Is. 66.2 Darby).

Isa 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. (KJV)

The spirit with which God is delighted is an afflicted one because it reverences Him and trembles at His Word.

Our spirit must be kept in continual reverential fear of the Lord

All self-reliance and self-conceit must be shattered; the Word of God must be accepted as the sole guide. The believer must possess within him a holy fear: he must have absolutely no confidence in himself: he must be as one whose spirit is so stricken that he dare not raise his head but humbly follows the command of God.

A hard and haughty spirit always impedes the way of obedience.

But when the cross is working deeply a believer comes to know himself. He realizes how undependable are his ideas, feelings and desires. Hence he dare not trust himself but trembles in all matters, acknowledging that except he be sustained by the power of God he shall unquestionably fail.

We must never be independent of God.

The moment our spirit ceases to tremble before Him at that precise moment it declares its independence from Him. Except we sense our helplessness we shall never trust in God. A spirit which trembles before Him shields one from defeat and helps him to truly apprehend God. '

A Repentant Spirit

Psa_34:18  The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Psa_51:17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Isa_57:15  For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Isa_66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Excerpt - The Spiritual Man by Watchman Nee

'A contrite inner life helps one to confess instantly and to not hide those little points others have noticed in him as being unlike the Lord. God saves those who possess a contrite spirit; others He cannot save for it requires contrition to know His mind. People who cover their faults and excuse themselves do not have a repentant spirit; hence God cannot save them to the uttermost. How we need a spirit susceptible to the correction both of the Holy Spirit and of man, a spirit willing to concede to having lived below par. And then we shall daily experience the salvation of the Lord.'

Mat_9:13  But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Mar_2:17  When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Luk_3:3  And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins

2Co 7:8  For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. 

2Co 7:9  Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 

2Co 7:10  For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 

 2Pe_3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

A sound mind... no fear.

A sound mind.

How many people today believe they have a sound mind? Seriously. We've become so caught up in the world and its ways, a world ruled by evil, that very few people believe they have a sound mind. Do we even know anyone with a sound mind? This world is filled with damaged people. Damaged emotionally, mentally, and some even physically.

We've got so incredibly many names for the various problems associated in the mind. We've got medicines that alter our mind's chemistry in order to correct problems going on right there in the brain. We talk about natural means to fix mind problems and so on and so forth.

A sound mind.

What constitute a sound mind? A mind without fear. 

Is your mind free of fear- all fear, the tiniest bit of fear.

Fear has many forms. From fear we get worry, from fear we get all sorts of mind problems. Fear can be the root of many problems that are emotional and mental.  You say you have fear of nothing? Then tell me, do you have any worry at all? You say you have no worries, well do you have concerns?  Ah, you say concerns are normal and natural and all people even with the soundest of minds have concerns. I say, a tiny bit of fear can be equal to what we call concern.

I know many people will argue that it is normal for us to be concerned about things, I would even say it because that's what we've been taught. We are taught that concern and worry are normal so we accept them, and even encourage them. We use the idea of them to placate ourselves so we can tell ourselves we're fine, we're normal, we have a sound mind.  We rebel against the thought that we shouldn't be concerned, worried, upset, because we've completely accepted it as normal.

2Ti 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 

1Jn 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 

Mat_6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Do we listen to any of this? Do we listen to the word of God? Do we believe the word of God?

Or are we tormented in any way? If we are tormented by anything, the least of things then we are allowing fear to reign in us.

Through the Spirit in our spirit may we live in Christ Jesus our Lord and the belief He would have us have of Him.

Gold or Faith?

Gold.

You have just been given a brick of gold.  How do you feel about that brick of gold? Seriously, use your imagination. Someone anonymously gives you a brick of gold- it's all yours to do with as you please. So you take that gold brick and you put it away somewhere safe to contemplate the situation. What do you imagine your first thoughts of that gold will be? How much it's worth, what you can do with the money you might get from it, these are logical thoughts for someone who has suddenly received something of such great worth. Would you forget about it? Would you not think about it? Would you ignore the fact that you have a brick of gold in your possession? Seriously, would you completely go on as if you didn't have that gold?

I know many people live in different situations, but me in my own situation can't imagine forgetting I have a gold brick in my possession. That gold would be very important to me.

We know that people do a lot of things when money comes into play. Some ruin their lives over the possession of money. Others think nothing of ruining other people's lives over money.

The point I’m trying to make here is money is important but only in its proper place. There are many things more important than money. And yes, I'm speaking as a person who isn't poor. I'm not rich, but I'm not poor. Some might say that it is easy for me to say something like that because I'm not poor, but it's not easy for me to say that because I'm not poor, it's easy for me to say this because it's the truth- God's truth.

One of the things more important than money is- the TRIAL OF OUR FAITH. 

Notice please, I didn't say faith in and of itself, I said - TRIAL OF OUR FAITH.  I'm not belittling faith by saying that, I'm saying the Bible says this--

1Pe_1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold…

The trial of our faith.

What is the trial of our faith?

1Pe 4:13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 

1Pe 4:14  If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. 

1Pe 4:15  But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. 

1Pe 4:16  Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. 

The trial of our faith is…  suffering as Christ suffered.

Being reproached for the name of Christ.

Psa 66:10  For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. 

Psa 66:11  Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. 

Psa 66:12  Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place. 

Being brought into the net.

Affliction laid upon us.

Men ruling over us.

Fire and water trials.

Think about it for a moment… we are tried in many different ways, and we are tried to God's glory. We can't comprehend WHY, we may only feel the horrors of the trial without having understanding.

So often you hear people exclaim- how could God let such an awful thing happen to this or that person, and there is no answer other than He has His reasons and we will trust in those reasons without comprehension. That isn't an answer that is good enough for a lot of people. They want to blame God for the awful trials they undergo or others undergo, they don't want to trust in God because the trials are too horrific. It is a trial of faith for sure- all the awful things we go through and the trial of our faith is more precious than anything else. Our trial of faith is truly having our belief in the love of our God tested to the furthest way possible.

Please, Father in Heaven, please keep us during the trial of our faith no matter what form it takes and how severely we are tried. Please be our hope, our strength, our sound mind, please be for us all we cannot be on our own.

All through Jesus Christ our Lord may we be YOURS!

Amen.

The Spirit with our spirit.

Rom_8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God

God, the Holy Spirit, will bear witness with OUR spirit that we ARE the children of God.  The Holy Spirit and our spirit, one bearing witness to the other. That doesn't read, the Spirit itself bears witness with our minds… that doesn't read, the Spirit itself bears witness with our bodies.  What it does read is the Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit. 

We know from all our studying that our spirit and mind are not one and the same. Our mind is a vast storage hold of many aspects. We need our mind and spirit to work together, the spirit in control, the mind subject to the spirit.

It sounds odd doesn't it? We live in a world where talk of spirits might invoke the image of an ethereal being. If we say the spirit is living inside us we can even envision that spirit as a separate entity able to separate from our bodies but this isn't truth, there is no Biblical truth for such belief. The truth is the spirit is a part that forms us just as the soul and flesh and these parts do not separate. These are three parts that make us up and so many people do not believe this, do not know it, and believe that thinking about it is crazy. 

Above we read from God's word- Rom_8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit

To believe we don't have a spirit as a very real active part in us, as real as we believe we have a mind, is to deny God's word.

2Co 1:12  For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward. 

1Jn 4:13  Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 

'God is interested in our spirit. It is there that the new life dwells, there that His Spirit works, there that we fellowship with Him, there that we know His will, there that we receive the revelation of the Holy Spirit, there that we are trained, there that we mature, there that we resist the attacks of the enemy, there that we receive authority to overcome the devil and his army, and there that we secure the power for service.'

The Spiritual Man by Watchman Nee 

Spirit Condition.

We would much rather believe that we do not have any spiritual work to do- than to comprehend the truth- that we have a part to play in our walk with Christ.

You accept Christ as your Savior and then… what happens after your initial acceptance? How do you incorporate your new life in Christ with your everyday life? How do you take Jesus with you into the work place, into school, into your family life?

We have a new life, a spirit life- our Savior told us that we must be born again of water and Spirit. Born anew in baptism and the Holy Spirit, our spirit life is awakened and we need to comprehend its existence, not as something of fantasy and fiction but of reality. We’re going to continue studying the word of God and the book- The Spiritual Man- hoping and praying God grants us only His truth!

'(8) Conditions of the Spirit Let us summarize.

A believer should know every law of the spirit if he desires to live by it.

If he is not vigilant and loses the cooperation of his spirit with God, then he unquestionably has fallen. To discern the particular condition of his inner man is one of the most central laws pertaining to the spirit. All which we have discussed in the chapter are included in this law.

A child of God ought to know what is and what is not the normal condition for his spirit. Since it should have authority over man’s soul and body, occupying the highest position in him and possessing the greatest power, the Christian needs to know if such is the situation in him or not.

He should also recognize whether his spirit, if it has lost its normalcy, did so through war or environment.

The conditions of the spirit may be classified generally into four types:

(a) The spirit is oppressed and is therefore in decline.

(b) The spirit is under compulsion and so is forced into inordinate activity.

(c) The spirit is defiled (2 Cor. 7.1) since it has yielded ground to sin.

(d) The spirit is quiet and firm because it occupies its rightful position.

2Co 7:1  Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 

A Christian should know at least these four different conditions and also understand how to deal with each one if necessary.

Often a person’s spirit sinks and is “pushed aside” through his own carelessness as to the enemy’s assault. During that time he seems to have forfeited his heavenly position together with its brightness and victory and subsequently feels cold and withered. Due to sadness in his spirit or to any one of a number of other reasons, his inner man is cast down and is denied the joy of floating above. When the spirit is oppressed in this fashion it drops below its normal level. At other times it may be coerced into running wild. A person can be so stimulated by his soul that his spirit falls under compulsion and is thereby denied its tranquility. Because of his pursuit of creaturely activities he may develop an “unruly spirit.” Too much laughter as well as many other actions may produce an unmanageable spirit. Protracted war with the enemy can provoke the spirit to become overly active. The saint may find his spirit overstretched to the point where it is powerless to stop. Or the enemy may inject strange joy or other feelings into him to entice his inner man to move beyond the acceptable and right counsel of his mind or will. Whenever anyone is incompetent to guard his spirit, then is he open inevitably to defeat. The spirit on other occasions neither sinks too low nor is elevated too high but is simply defiled. The defilement may be due to its attitude of hardness or unyieldedness; or to sins like pride, jealousy and others; or to the mixing in with the spirit of such soulical functions as natural affection, feeling, thought, and so on.

The spirit needs to be purified from its every defilement (2 Cor. 7.1; 1 John 1.9).

2Co 7:1  Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 

1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

If a Christian wishes to walk after the spirit he has to discern exactly what condition his own is in, whether it is quietly occupying its proper place, has fallen too low, is risen too high, or is simply defiled. He must learn, if required, how to uplift his oppressed spirit so that it measures up to the standard of the Holy Spirit, how to exercise his will to prevent his spirit from becoming overly active or to restore it to its normalcy if it is too active, and how to cleanse his defiled spirit that it may work together with God once again.'

The Spiritual Man by Watchman Nee