Blessed
Matthew 5:3 - Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
These words of the Lord Jesus Christ are the opening sentence of the beatitudes and indeed of the whole sermon on the mount (Ch.5-7). They state that we must recognize our spiritual bankruptcy before God in order to seek His forgiveness through receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. 1 Corinthians 15 states that 'Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, was buried and rose again the third day according to the scriptures'. The scriptures are the Old Testament prophesies made over the centuries.
Romans 3:23 says, 'All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.' And Romans 6:23 states, 'the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord'. Note the difference between wages which we deserve and the gift of God which we do not deserve. I am glad that my salvation depends on Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection!
(Originally printed in the church bulletin Feb 22, 2015.)