The Poor in Spirit

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 5:3

To be poor in spirit is to have a humble opinion of ourselves; to be sensible that we are sinners, and have no righteousness of our own; to be willing to be saved only by the rich grace and mercy of God; to be willing to be where God places us, to bear what he lays on us, to go where he bids us, and to die when he commands; to be willing to be in his hands, and to feel that we deserve no favor from him. It is opposed to pride, and vanity, and ambition.

– Albert Barnes, 1798-1870, Barnes Notes

The Nature of Grace

But by the grace of God I am what I am. – 1 Corinthians 15:10

1. Grace is God acting freely, according to His own nature as Love; with no promises or
obligations to fulfill; and acting of course, righteously—in view of the cross.

2. Grace, therefore, is uncaused in the recipient: its cause lies wholly in
the GIVER, in GOD.

3. Grace, also is sovereign. Not having debts to pay, or fulfilled conditions on man’s
part to wait for, it can act toward whom, and how, it pleases. It can, and does, often,
place the worst deservers in the highest favors.

4. Grace cannot act where there is either desert or ability: Grace does not help–it
is absolute, it does all.

5. There being no cause in the creature why Grace should be shown, the creature must be brought off from trying to give cause to God for His Grace.

6. The discovery by the creature that he is truly the object of Divine grace, works the utmost humility: for the receiver of grace is brought to know his own absolute unworthiness, and his complete inability to attain worthiness: yet he finds himself blessed,—on another principle, outside of himself!

7. Therefore, flesh has no place in the plan of Grace. This is the great reason why Grace is hated by the proud natural mind of man. But for this very reason, the true believer rejoices!! For he knows that “in him, that is, in his flesh, is no good thing”; and yet he finds God glad to bless him, just as he is!

– William Newell, Romans, Verse by Verse