Riches of the Kingdom
(week 06/07)
Olubi Johnson
Matthew. 5:3(NKJV): “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Here, the Lord Jesus tells us that it is those that are poor in spirit that shall inherit the Kingdom of heaven.
What does it mean to be poor in spirit?
To be poor in spirit means to accept the fact that your level of spiritual knowledge, understanding and wisdom and power is very small compared to what Jesus had and manifested as a man on the earth.
This acceptance will then motivate you to become rich in spirit and pay the price it takes to do so.
Colossians 1:27(NIV): To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossians 2:2-3(NIV): 2 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
In fact, it is entering the Kingdom: manifesting the total dominion of God over sin, sickness, poverty and ignorance, that is the evidence that you are rich in spirit.
This is why it is the poor in spirit that inherit the Kingdom, because once you enter the Kingdom you will no longer be poor in spirit.
Entering the Kingdom is not just being born-again. It starts with being born-again but it entails experiencing the total dominion of God’s nature and character in your spirit, soul and body:
1 Thessalonians 5:23(NKJV): Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You enter this experience by overcoming much tribulation (the opposition Satan brings to hinder from gaining this experience), which is why Paul said, to disciples who were already born-again, in
Acts 14:21-22(NKJV): 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” .
As at today, the whole church is poor spiritually, when we consider Jesus as a standard and not ourselves.
2 Corintians. 10:12(NKJV): For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
Relative to another we may be rich spiritually, but when we use Jesus as the standard we come to realise we are poor in spirit and we are motivated to be rich and enter the Kingdom.
In fact, the early 1st. century church was richer spiritually than the church today: they had and demonstrated more knowledge, understanding, wisdom and power of the Kingdom than we do today. This is because Jesus taught them for 40 days after His resurrection things concerning the Kingdom (Acts 1.3): this knowledge enabled them to experience and demonstrate the Kingdom to their generation. However, while the principles of this knowledge are recorded in the New Testament scriptures the details are hidden in the Old Testament prophetic scriptures and were shared by the early apostles by word of mouth to their disciples:
2 John 12(NIV): I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.
3 John 13-14(NIV): 13 I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.
Now this detailed knowledge died with the early apostles and that is why the Kingdom of God was no longer experienced or demonstrated to any significant degree 2 or 3 generations after the death of the early apostles.
However, God’s purpose for the church is that the glory of the latter house shall be greater than that of the former so the Holy Spirit is now breaking the seals on the Old Testament prophetic scriptures to reveal to our generation the riches of the Kingdom so that we can experience and demonstrate the Kingdom of God to our generation in a greater way than the early church did to their generation.
Haggai. 2:9(NKJV): The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of hosts.”
John 16:12-13(NIV): 12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
So it is crucial now to recognize you are poor in spirit and so desire to be rich in spirit.
In our article next week we will see how to be rich in spirit by getting the riches of the Kingdom.
