I believe the poor in spirit are blessed because it is only when we see ourselves as nothing that we can completely lean on Christ. He is everything and we are nothing. How could we ever compare ourselves to God, the One Who made us?
Matthew 5:2-4 "2 and He began to teach them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.…"
It is only through a crushed spirit over our sinfulness that God will change us into a new creation.
Those who think they are good and deserve salvation cannot be saved, God will not bother saving anyone who thinks they can know as much as God.
Those who are proud will not be broken over their sinfulness, in fact, they will flaunt themselves as deserving of salvation, an abomination to God.
Those who have been broken, crushed in the original language, over the realization that they are unworthy of God's love can repent becoming born-again.
No one can work hard enough to be good to deserve salvation. Working hard thinking they can do it is pride and worthy of hell.
Remember, God will not save someone who think they can get to heaven by their own efforts. These people are headed for hell until they become broken, contrite (meaning crushed), only then will God cleanse them from their sin and make them into a new creation.
2 Corinthians 5:17
"17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."
When this happens God begins His work in us, He gets all the glory all the time.
Ephesians 2:10
"10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Letting go of pride in self is the most blessed thing we can do, it is submitting to God so that He will change us. If we think we have changed ourselves then we will not be born again.
Don't miss this blessing by elevating yourself to the level of a god through self-exaltation, it only earns you hell.
