About a year into the Lord’s earthly ministry, He laid down the foundational teaching upon which His doctrine and church would be built. These fundamental planks are referred to as the beatitudes. Some have rightly said it—the be-attitudes to be a Christian.
It is quite interesting and informative to see where the Lord began. The very first be-attitude has all to do with obedience and faithful service. First among all: “blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven” (Matt. 5:3). It was not placed there by accident or chance. God has always demanded a broken spirit (Psalm 51:17). Real obedience will not, cannot, take place without humbling one’s heart before God. James offers very important exhortation along this line when he wrote “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up” (James 4:10). No picking oneself up by his/her own boot straps, God does the lifting in His kingdom. When one realizes the mighty power of God, then it should be understood that humbling under the “mighty Hand” of God is expected—understood (I Pet. 5:6). It is not a giving up of strength but bringing strength under the control of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Horses are amazing animals with incredible strength. When breaking a horse you are doing what God’s word should do to the good and honest heart. The horse once broken now channels its incredible strength through obedience of discipline to do great things. The same should be true for the Christian—all strength is under God’s control, who can do great things through you. He also removes worry in this process, because your cares are cast upon Him who will care for you (I Pet. 5:7). Might be very revealing to some who as Christians worry all the time?
When you start at the beginning, a good conscience should be the result (Acts 23:1). It certainly is included in the obedient act of water baptism (I Pet. 3:21). It’s not just getting wet, but the humble response of obedience to God, “the answer of a good conscience toward God.” This response comes from a broken heart desirous of serving God wholeheartedly, and a soul longing to be free indeed (Matt. 22:37; John 8:36). All should be engaged in devotion to God—heart, soul, mind. This is the first and great commandment Jesus said.
Fundamental to salvation is a “poor spirit.” A spirit that says, “speak Lord thy servant heareth, command and I will obey.” Where do the “I know it says that, but…” attitudes fit into this picture? They don’t! A humble servant does not say such things. Here is a great problem—sometimes the Lord can’t get a word in edgewise. If first things are placed first, not only will the Lord’s word be heard and followed, but great things will result in His kingdom and to His glory.
-David Hill, President of Tennessee Bible College
