{"id":353,"date":"2013-01-03T14:49:52","date_gmt":"2013-01-03T20:49:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ebcsv.com\/blog\/?p=353"},"modified":"2015-05-21T05:48:08","modified_gmt":"2015-05-21T10:48:08","slug":"annie-annie-are-you-ok-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebcsv.com\/pa\/annie-annie-are-you-ok-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Annie, Annie are you OK"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"annieHow would you rate your spiritual condition?<\/h4>\n

I was talking to a returning college student, who was home for winter break.\u00a0 I asked him what he was learning at school.\u00a0 After a brief conversation about his classes he asked me what I had been learning.\u00a0 I told him, \u201cThe depravity of the human heart.\u201d\u00a0 I could tell that I caught him off guard.\u00a0 That certainly is not the answer he was expecting and he had no idea how to respond to my statement.\u00a0 After a long and awkward pause I explained.\u00a0 We are not ok.\u00a0 How many people in this world think that they are ok?\u00a0 If you asked them if they are a good person how many would say, \u201cSure I am.\u201d\u00a0 That is a blatant lie (at least according to God it is).\u00a0 You may be ok according to your standards but what about God\u2019s standards.\u00a0 Have you ever thought about how you look to Him?\u00a0 The Bible says that even our most righteous acts are like \u201cfilthy rags\u201d (Isaiah 64:4).\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Because God is perfect and there are non who are righteous according to God\u2019s standards.\u00a0 Need I say, this is not good news for you and me.\u00a0 I don\u2019t mean to put a damper on your day but we are all sick and in big trouble from God\u2019s perspective.<\/p>\n

There is good news however…<\/p>\n

Matthew 5:3 says, \u201cBlessed are the poor in Spirit…\u201d\u00a0 This statement doesn\u2019t make sense to us.\u00a0 Happy are those who are poor in Spirit.\u00a0 What does this mean?\u00a0 Does this mean that we should learn self \u2013hate and personal deprecation?\u00a0 No, it simply means coming to grips with your personal spiritual condition.\u00a0 The Greek word for poor in spirit means total poverty, possessing absolutely nothing.\u00a0 What I believe Jesus is saying is, \u201chappy are those who are in poverty with respect to their spirit.\u201d\u00a0 In other words, the only way to find happiness is when you realize that you are not ok and learn to lean on the merciful work of Christ on the cross.<\/p>\n

I believe John Calvin said it best, \u201cThe man poor in spirit is reduced to nothing in himself-and relies on the mercy of God.\u201d\u00a0 How much do you rely on the mercies of God?\u00a0 Or, are you still trying to find happiness through your own filthy rags of righteousness.<\/p>\n

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