The Only Pathway
To True Happiness

Chapter 1

Happy are the poor in spirit
for theirs is the kingdom of God.
Matthew 5:3

Representing our attitude towards our spiritual standing. 

Typical Confession: Father, I am well acquainted with the chief of sinners - for I am he. I realise that there is nothing good in me and that my "heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." Jeremiah 17:9 KJV. With shamefacedness I accept that upon me rests the guilt of crucifying your Son. (DA745)

`Do you ask what it means to be poor in spirit? . . . To be poor in spirit means that we feel our deficiency and need because we have sinned and come short of the glory of God.' (ST05-09-92.2)

In the following prayer of repentance, King David portrays the typical `poor in spirit' attitude:

`I recognize my faults; I am always conscious of my sins. I have sinned against you - only against you - and done what you consider evil. So you are right in judging me; you are justified in condemning me. I have been evil from the time I was born, from the day of my birth I have been sinful.' (Psalm 51:3-5 TEV)

The question we need to ask is whether David was confessing his sinfulness from a no-hope situation? Does such confession leave us wallowing in the deepest pits of hopelessness and despair? Not at all, for the good news of the kingdom is exceedingly good news, but it is only good news for those who realize that they are sinful. As Jesus Himself stated, . . . 

`Happy are they . . . who recognize their spiritual poverty, and feel their need of redemption.' (DA299-300)

In fact, contrary to worldly opinion, a true perception of our sinfulness actually opens the windows of heaven to us, for in a strictly spiritual economy, . . .

`Poverty of spirit signifies wealth to be supplied by the riches of the grace of God.' (WM176-7)

Realizing these things, therefore, we should find it easy to accept that . . .

`The sense of need, the recognition of our poverty and sin, is the very first condition of acceptance with God.' (COL152)

In fact, the good news tells us that the moment we fall on our knees in humble repentance, and we confess our great need, we are granted access to infinite power, infinite wisdom and infinite resources, for we have the promise that . . .

`From the soul that feels his need, nothing is withheld. He has unrestricted access to Him in whom all fullness dwells.' (DA300)

How grateful we should be, therefore, knowing that in order to gain access to God's kingdom of grace, . . .

• we do not have to pretend to be what we are not;

• we do not have to conceal anything; either from ourselves or from God;

• we do not have to fear a confrontation with our real selves;

• we do not have to be fainthearted about confessing our sins;

• we do not have to make believe that we are all right, when deep down inside we know that we are all wrong.

In fact, no matter who we are, and no matter what our past, we can find reassurance and comfort knowing that . . .

`When we begin to realize that we are sinners, and fall on the Rock to be broken, the everlasting arms are placed about us, and we are brought close to the heart of Jesus.' (1SM327-8)

This means that our confession of our sinfulness is the key that opens to us the great door of blessing and opportunity.

`How mistaken,' therefore, `are those who imagine that confession of sin will detract from their dignity, and lessen their influence among their fellow men.' (1SM327)

Clearly, there is simply no good reason why we should hesitate to confess that we are fallen, especially when we appreciate that . . .

`The Son of God stooped to uplift the fallen.' (AA472)

This being the case, we will understand that it is a particularly high moment in our lives when we realize how low we have fallen. It might even be argued that spiritual life cannot flourish until we understand that . . .

`Through sin the whole human organism is deranged, the mind is perverted, the imagination corrupted [and that] sin has degraded the faculties of the soul.' (8T312)

In truth, the sooner we realize that . . .

`We all, like sheep, have gone astray, [and that] each of us has turned to his own way, . . .' (Isaiah 53:6)

 . . . the sooner we will be accepted into the kingdom, the sooner we will feel the warmth of God's tender embrace, and the sooner he can begin His redeeming work.

For our own sakes, therefore, we simply must discard with every fragment of self-satisfaction and self confidence and invite the Lord to open our eyes so that we may see ourselves as we really are. This is of vital importance for . . .

`The grace and righteousness of Christ will not avail for him who . . . thinks he is reasonably good, who is contented with his own condition.' (1SM328)

This is not because God does not offer His grace to the self-satisfied, but simply because . . .

`He who feels whole, who thinks that he is reasonably good, and is contented with his condition, does not seek to become a partaker of the grace and righteousness of Christ.' (MB7)

Thus we are reminded that our golden hope, and our only hope, is to echo the attitude of the hymn writer:

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

To all who have this `poor in spirit' attitude, the gates of the kingdom stand ajar, for the kingdom of grace belongs to such as these. In truth, provided he confesses his sinfulness, and he accepts God's provision for His sinfulness, the spiritual pauper will gain an entrance to the kingdom, while the spiritually proud will be found standing in oblivious self-sufficiency outside the gates of the kingdom. It cannot be otherwise because . . .

`While pride, variance, and strife for supremacy are cherished, the heart cannot enter into fellowship with Christ.' (DA650)

This is not because Jesus does not desire to fellowship with the proud of heart, but because . . .

`Pride feels no need, and so it closes the heart against Christ and the infinite blessings He came to give.' (MB7)

We must conclude, therefore, that of all the tragedies in this world, perhaps none is so great as the proud, `rich . . . and do not need a thing' Laodicean attitude, for such an attitude is the sure guarantee that we are standing beyond the borders of the kingdom.

This is why Jesus gave us the assurance that . . .

`It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a [spiritually] rich man to enter the kingdom of God.' (Mark 10:25)

That there is a deeper meaning to this warning is evidenced by the fact that there will most certainly be people in heaven who were financially rich on earth, but in that kingdom that can only be entered by the poor in spirit, there will not be one who is spiritually `rich.'

This is why those who recognize their poverty of spirit may rejoice in the knowledge that the kingdom of grace, which is the stepping stone to the kingdom of glory, is the exclusive domain of sinners who are acutely aware of their sinfulness and of their absolute need of a gracious Saviour.

Yes, the kingdom of grace is a very strange kingdom indeed for it is comprised of what some might consider to be `a mottly bunch' - especially in that they were granted access to the kingdom, not because of their spiritual prowess, but because they understood and were willing to acknowledge that they were perfectly lost and perfectly in need of a perfect Savior and Substitute.

Thus we can better appreciate why John was inspired to remind us that . . .

`If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and there is no truth in us . . . If we say that we have not sinned, we make a liar out of God, and His word is not in us.' `But if we confess our sins to God, He will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing.' (1 John 1:8-10, 9 TEV)

Smooth Sermons

In the light of our rather strange passport to the kingdom, one which is stamped with the words, `Defiled and Sinful,' we realize that one of the nicest things that can happen to us is for a minister or a friend to tactfully and kindly bring us to an awareness of our true condition - for only such an awareness will give us access to the kingdom, to enable us to appropriate the powers of heaven, to fit us to receive the blessings, and help us more fully to appreciate what Jesus means to us, what He has done for us, and how totally dependent on Him we are.

As we have repeatedly discussed, the mirror that gives us a true reflection of ourselves is God's law - which is a perfect reflection of God's character.

Looking into the moral mirror - God's holy law - man sees himself a sinner, . . . he sees his defects of character, and is convicted of his state of evil, his hopeless doom under the just penalty of the law. He sees himself just as he is, spotted, defiled, and condemned. (1SM321, 213)

This is why it is a primary function of God's ministers continually to lift up the law. This will keep us aware of our lost condition, so that we may be saved; it will constantly remind us of our fallen state, so that we may rise; and it will sensitize and agitate the conscience and drive us to the great Physician, so that we may be healed.

Thus the plan of God is to keep His law ever before our eyes, that we might be kept aware of the true state of our hearts, and that we might never forget our total dependence on Jesus.

`God's plan is not to send messengers who will please and flatter sinners; He delivers no messages of peace to lull the unsanctified into carnal security. Instead, He lays heavy burdens upon the conscience of the wrongdoer and pierces his soul with sharp arrows of conviction.' (PK435)

But does God lay these heavy burdens upon our conscience as a form of punishment? Does He pierce our souls with the sharp arrows of conviction in order to wound us? No! He has ordained that the straight truths must be preached so that we can appreciate our sinfulness and gain access to His kingdom - there to find the forgiveness, the comfort, the warmth and the rest that our guilty souls so desperately need.

Thus we can better appreciate why it is that . . .

`God's ministers must lift up the voice like a trumpet, and show the people their transgressions. The smooth sermons so often preached make no lasting impression. Men are not cut to the heart, because the plain, sharp truths of the word of God are not spoken to them.' (GW149)

There will ever be those who do not appreciate these straight truths, but they will only react in this way because they do not understand the true nature of God's law and the true nature of God's kingdom. Such need to be reminded gently that . . .

`Every warning, reproof, and entreaty in the word of God or through His messengers is a knock at the door of the heart. It is the voice of Jesus asking for entrance.' (DA489, 490)

What a tragedy it is, therefore, when people become offended because their pet sins are made mention of from the pulpit. Little do they realize that they are refusing God's personal, loving invitation to the kingdom. And what a shame it is when ministers fail to mention our pet sins for fear that some might take offense - for by their neglect they are withholding from the flock the passport to the kingdom.

This is why the straight truths are to be voiced aloft, and sin must be called by its right name, for . . .

`The people of God . . . are at ease, believing themselves to be in an exalted condition of spiritual attainments' . . . but do not know that `they are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked . . . They know not that their condition is deplorable in the sight of God.' (3T252-3)

In reality, this situation is so serious that . . .

`Many who profess to be Christians neglect the claims of God, and yet they do not feel that there is anything wrong. They know that the blasphemer, the murderer, the adulterer, deserves punishment; but as for them, they enjoy the services of religion. They love to hear the gospel preached, and therefore they think themselves Christians. . . . Like the Jews, they mistake the enjoyment of their blessings for the use they should make of them.' (COL365)

`Splendid churches, embellished in the most extravagant manner, are erected on popular avenues. The worshippers array themselves in costly and fashionable attire. A high salary is paid for a talented minister to entertain and attract the people. His sermons must not touch popular sins, but be made smooth and pleasing for fashionable ears. Thus fashionable sinners are enrolled on the church records, and fashionable sins are concealed under a pretense of godliness.' (GC386)

As the Lord Himself would tell us . . .

`They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ``Peace, peace,'' they say, when there is no peace.' (Jeremiah 8:11)

Clearly, there is an urgent need for change. Laodicea, and all the world with her, must be made aware of her spiritual vacuum, so that she can appreciate her great need and fall into the arms of her great Saviour.

Let us ever remember, however, that . . .

`The Master's message must be declared in the Master's spirit.' (7T266)

The church's great need does not give license for any one sinner to lay heavy burdens of condemnation upon other sinners. The straight truths are God's legacy to His dearly-loved children, and the purpose of the straight truths is to redeem, not to repel. Truth is not to hurt, or to embarrass, or to help us to try and rise above our fellow man by using truth to push him down. Truth is to help us to see, and to motivate us to flee, not away from Jesus, but into His loving arms.

Thus the heralds of the straight testimony will need to remember that Jesus is the tender Shepherd and that . . .

`It is the assurance of God's love [and not the promise of His wrath] that constrains the sinner to return to God.' (COL202)

`In the presentation of unpopular truth, which involves a heavy cross, preachers should be careful that every word is as God would have it. Their words should never cut. They should present the truth in humility, with the deepest love for souls and an earnest desire for their salvation, and let the truth cut.' (VSS210.1)

Unlike modern-day shepherds, Jesus does not drive the sheep, and surround them with barking dogs in order to frighten them into submission. As was the case with shepherds of old, Jesus knows His sheep and, singing a sweet melody, He walks out ahead of them. His sheep follow Him out of choice because they know His voice and they know that He is a kind Shepherd, One in whom they can place their utmost confidence. They follow Him because they know that they need Him and because they know that He cares for them. This is why Jesus said:

`My sheep listen to my voice, I know them, and they [choose to] follow me.' (John 10:27)

Thus the truth as it is in Jesus must be preached, so that we will realize our need of a Shepherd and appreciate the benefits of following Him, but the message must always be undergirded with the invitation . . . Come, come just as you are, come and learn about the One who took the consequences of your sinfulness upon Himself. Come and learn about Jesus, for . . .

`He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, . . . he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.' (Isaiah 53:4, 5)