Suppose your life calling was to be a basketball coach and you had the opportunity to be on the Duke coaching staff under Mike Krzyewski? Do you think you would be satisfied to merely have your name on the game roster as a coach, and show up to games? Or would you devote yourself to learning every single thing you could about Krzyewski and pattern nearly every aspect of your coaching life after him?
Becoming a Christian has never been about merely putting your name on a statement that says, “I admit my sin and trust Jesus Christ to be the atoning sacrifice for my sin,” and then showing up to church. It has always been about being a CHRIST-FOLLOWER, i.e. a disciple of Jesus. The Greek word for disciple (MATHATES) means “learner.” It is the word from which we get mathematics. In Jesus day, it referred to a specific kind of learner—one who patterned his life after that of his master.
As you plan your week, Jesus wants you to remember that being his follower means striving to BE LIKE HIM. He is the second Adam, the Adam who, when tempted, did NOT sin. Jesus has come to show us a picture of restored humanity—what humans were to be like before they were corrupted by sin. When any person comes to faith in Christ, God immediately fills him with the Holy Spirit who begins this life-long restoration project. As Paul says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor 5:17). Only Christ has the power to redeem us from the power and penalty of sin, i.e. restore us, his fallen creation, to complete godliness. Although complete restoration to holiness will not happen before we die or Christ returns, we are to be ambassadors of Christ’s kingdom—showing the world Christ’s power to redeem mankind from sin’s corruption.
Matthew 5-7 is Jesus’ portrait of the new humanity—of the life lived in accord with his kingdom of righteousness. He begins with eight heart attitudes that are the beginning point for becoming LIKE CHRIST. Consider the first of these: Blessed are the poor in spirit for the kingdom of heaven is theirs (Matt 5:3). To be poor in spirit is to exhibit the humility that comes from recognizing my own complete lack of status, rights, righteousness, spiritual strength, moral power, intellectual understanding as I stand before God. It is the opposite of self-reliance, pride, and even self-preoccupation.
Observe the contrast below between the “poor in spirit” attitude of kingdom people (KP) and the values of the world (W).
1. W: Their reliance is upon THEMSELVES.
KP: Rely upon God to supply their needs.
2. W: Believe their good deeds earn them a place in heaven.
KP: Believe their sins are way too evil to be made up for by good deeds.
3. W: Try to muster up confidence IN THEMSELVES.
KP: Are confident, not fearful, but confident that God will provide their need.
4. W: Self-centered. The most important person in their universe is THEM.
KP: See themselves as servants. “Be servants to one another in love” Gal 5:13.
5. W: Subtly seek to impress others (exalting themselves).
KP: Exalt others. “counting others more significant than themselves” Phil 2:4.
6. W: Fear losing respect by admitting weakness or having to depend on others.
KP: Fear isolation, knowing that “two are better than one." Eccl 4:9
7. W: Accuse God of being unfair or unloving, thinking they accurately see reality.
KP: Humbly recognize their own lack of mental horsepower to judge God.
8. W: Excuse their offenses against others by blaming them.
KP: Take responsibility, seeking forgiveness for their 10% in a conflict.
9. W: Find that success opens the door to overconfidence.
KP: Success never blinds them to the truth that they could fall any second.
10 W: Shape their lives around THEIR PERSONAL FULFILLMENT.
KP: Believe they were created for GOD’S GLORY and PURPOSE.
Questions to Consider
1. Which part of Christ-likeness do you feel best about showing to others this past week? (Of course, it was imperfect. It does not have to be perfect to please him!)
2. Which of the above 10 aspects of being poor in spirit do you need to pursue this week? Ask God to help you live out this aspect of humility in the days ahead (and get ready to see him answer).
Resources:
Click here to see the full 2 Corinthian text on being new creatures and ambassadors
Click here to see the eight core kingdom attitudes known as the Beatitudes.
