As Having Nothing, Yet Possessing Everything

2Cor 6:10

Jesus started His ministry on the Mount of Olives by saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3). This scripture has always puzzled me. What does it mean to be “poor in spirit”? Author A.W. Tozer sheds light on its true meaning in his book ‘The Pursuit of God’.

Pastor Tozer explains that when God created mankind, He provided all that humanity would ever require: shelter, sustenance, protection, so that man would lack nothing. In the book of Genesis, all of these were simply called “things”. They were made for man to use, they were made to be external and subservient to man. However, in the heart of man, God had reserved a place for Himself, a shrine-like where only God was worthy to live. God lived in the heart of man, and without, were a thousand gifts which God had showered upon him.

But sin disrupted this arrangement. With God forcibly removed from the hearts of man because He could no longer coexist with sin, man’s moral compass was taken over by selfish desire for material possessions. “Things” were allowed to enter and take over man’s heart. Without God, man lacked peace within his heart. Instead, the moral thoughts of man became overruled by aggressive and stubborn usurpers which fought for first place on the throne of the heart.

The struggle to possess more things is one of the greater ills of humanity. The words “my” and “mine” may seem insignificant on paper, but their passionate use in the inner-man is very significant of the true nature of the Adamic man. This desire for things is found worldwide and is rooted deep in the heart of man. Man’s inner desire is to covet things with a passion in order to fill his deep hunger for the genuine and real need of man: love, true love, the immovable and immutable love that was lost when he rebelled against his Creator and chose his own way. God’s gifts now take the place of God Himself as man tries to find peace through philosophy, psychology, and even religions of all sorts. This obsession with possessions plagues man’s heart, leaving man searching for meaning in vain pursuits.

The natural course of God’s purpose is disrupted when we allow our inner self to reign on the throne of our hearts. This inner self, characterized by possessiveness, self-centeredness, and a desire for gain and profit, is our enemy within. If we allow it to thrive, we lose everything. However, by eliminating this root, we can remove the enemy within. Jesus recognized this problem and offered a solution: denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following him. By doing so, we can preserve everything and gain eternal life. “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me, for whoever would save his (self) life will lose it, but whoever loses his (self) life for my sake will find it (life eternal).” (Mat 16:24-25).

To give up all things is to be “poor in spirit”, and those who do so are blessed and possess the kingdom of heaven. They are therefore no longer slaves to the tyranny and addiction of “things” possessing them, allowing them to possess all things. This principle is not just a suggestion but a core teaching of Jesus. By seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, we can have all these “things“ added unto us.

This principle is one that has to be taken seriously. Jesus made a point of enumerating all of the needs of men when saying, “Why do you worry about what you will eat and what you will drink or what you will wear? Rather, seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all those “things” will be added on to you.” Therefore, we must recognize that possessions and material things do not bring true happiness. To bring God back to the throne of our hearts, we must seek the kingdom of God above all things.

Have you ever had something that you hold so dearly that it takes the place of God in your heart? It could be a relationship, a stubborn plan, or a desire for possessions that becomes equal to an addiction. It’s deeply rooted in your thoughts and actions, and it hinders you from seeing God clearly. It is a perversion of the heart that dethrones God.

Abraham faced this test with his son Isaac. God asked him to sacrifice his only son to ensure that Abraham’s heart belonged to God. Abraham passed the test, and God was pleased that he feared Him above all else. God said, “For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son.” (Gen 22:12). 

God wants us to put Him first in our lives, on the throne of our hearts. This is why Christ came, to re-establish God in our inner selves and to bring the kingdom of God back on earth in the heart of man.

Many stories in the Old Testament illustrate this truth, such as Job’s unwavering trust in God above all else. Through that lesson, Job regained all of his possessions, but he possessed nothing because God was first on the throne of his heart.

As a disciple of Christ, we cannot miss learning this lesson. And it cannot remain a philosophy taught to the mind only, but learned thoroughly through the school of renunciation, till the addiction of possession is far gone from the heart, so that we will seek first the King and His kingdom. Let us examine our hearts and identify what takes the place of God. Let us make a commitment of the heart to forsake all for Christ’s sake.

The old curse, which represents our stubborn attachment to possessions, will not leave our hearts easily with a simple command. It must be deliberately uprooted like a bitter root of corruption. We must forcefully remove it, in the same manner as Jesus forcibly expelled the money changers from the Temple –as an illustration of those “worldly things” that fill the inner shrine in the heart of man.

If we should pursue God, the test of renunciation must be the door to greater intimacy with God. Our future will be conditioned by the choice we make in this regard; to force the soul to align itself with the righteousness of Christ that we may gain His salvation and His freedom from the addiction of things. (To that effect, there’s now in the cinemas an important movie put together by Pastor Greg Locke called “Come Out In Jesus’ Name” https://youtu.be/9wNiqbyOUFM)

Every condition and limitation of our soul, every supposition and demand has to be submitted to the test of renunciation in order to choose the Creator’s righteousness. We must choose to ultimately trust God. Our cowardly heart will not give up its grips on the “things of the world” willingly. It is a painful process to part with these things, but still those glittery “things” must be replaced by the real and true light of God’s righteousness.

Poor in spirit, yet possessing the kingdom of God.