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Scripture Reading: Psa. 51:10b, 12b, 17a; Isa. 57:15; 66:2; 1 Pet. 3:4; Gal. 6:1; 1 Cor. 4:21; Matt. 5:3; Luke 9:55
I. A right spirit — Psa. 51:10b.
II. A willing spirit — v. 12b.
III. A broken spirit — v. 17a.
IV. A contrite and lowly spirit — Isa. 57:15; 66:2.
V. A meek and quiet spirit — 1 Pet. 3:4; Gal. 6:1; 1 Cor. 4:21.
VI. Being poor in spirit — Matt. 5:3.
VII. Knowing of what spirit we are — Luke 9:55.
In the previous lesson we saw that we need to exercise our spirit for godliness. Now we want to see that we need to have a proper spirit.
First, we need to have a right spirit (Psa. 51:10b, KJV). This does not refer to our spirit being right versus being wrong. A right spirit is an upright spirit. This means that it can stand as something constant. Some versions say that this is a steadfast, constant, or firm spirit. A right spirit is a spirit that is immovable, unshakable, standing constantly as something firm and steady.
Psalm 51 is the psalm of David for his repentance. He repented that his spirit was not right. In other words, his spirit did not stand upright constantly. His spirit was not steady, not firm, so he was able to be seduced, or tempted, and he fell. In his repentance he prayed that the Lord would renew a right spirit within him, a constant, firm, steady spirit. In his prayer for restoration he asked the Lord to renew such a spirit within him. We always need a right spirit, which is always steadfast, firm, constant, immovable, and unshakable so that we can never be tempted, seduced, or misled.
Also in Psalm 51 in David’s repentance and confession, he prayed that God would give him a willing spirit (v. 12). David connected the willing spirit with the gladness of salvation. He asked the Lord to restore to him the gladness of salvation and sustain him with a willing spirit. A willing spirit depends upon the gladness of salvation. When we have the gladness of salvation, we spontaneously will have a willing spirit to go along with the Lord. We will have a willing spirit to answer, to obey, what the Lord wants, what the Lord desires, and what the Lord asks of us. This willing spirit always comes from our rejoicing in our salvation. We need the gladness of salvation.
No doubt, in David’s fall he lost the gladness of his salvation. Now he was repenting, so he asked that God would restore to him the gladness of salvation. This means that God would bring him back to the enjoyment of salvation. Then from this enjoyment and this joy, he could have a willing spirit. A willing spirit is an issue of being happy and joyful in the Lord. Romans 14:17 says, “The kingdom of God is...righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” When we have joy in God’s Spirit, our spirit will be willing. We will have a willing spirit to fellowship with the Lord, to worship Him, and to pray. Whatever can please the Lord, we will be happy to do. This means that we have a willing spirit.
In Psalm 51:17a David says that the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. In other words, in God’s eyes a broken spirit is more precious than sacrifices. In the second part of verse 17 David says that God will not despise a broken and a contrite heart. A broken spirit is a spirit that repents, that feels very sorrowful for any sinfulness. In other words, a broken spirit is a repenting spirit.
To be broken means to not be whole. Here it does not mean to be broken into pieces. It means that you do not consider yourself so perfect or complete. If you consider that you are perfect and complete, you would not repent or confess your weaknesses and your failures. When your spirit is repenting, your spirit is broken, contrite, and feeling sorrowful. After sinning, many would not have a broken spirit. Instead, they would have a spirit that is stubbornly whole. Because they feel that they are perfect and complete, they would not repent. They would not confess. We should not be like this. We should have a spirit that is always broken.
Even if we do not feel that we have sinned, we still need a broken spirit. Even if we have not sinned in a great way, we still could be wrong in a small way. In our words, our attitude, our thoughts, our feelings, and our talk with others, many times we are wrong, even unconsciously. So we always need to keep a broken spirit. Do not consider yourself as being whole, complete, and perfect. No one is perfect, so we always need a broken spirit to repent and confess.
A contrite and lowly spirit is very close to a broken spirit. Isaiah 57:15 and 66:2 both indicate the same thing. They indicate that even heaven is not a joyful place to God for His dwelling. God desires to dwell with people who have a contrite and lowly spirit. This is not a small thing. If we are contrite and lowly in our spirit, we are broken in our spirit, and we can enjoy God’s presence. God is then with us and even dwells with us.
If our spirit is proud and we keep ourselves complete, perfect, and whole, being unwilling to repent and confess, we will lose the Lord’s presence. In a certain sense, according to our experience, the Lord’s presence will leave us. So we need a contrite spirit, which is lowly and broken, a repenting spirit to confess our sinfulness. If we are in this kind of spirit, the Lord will be with us and will dwell with us. Isaiah 57:15 and 66:2 are wonderful verses to point out to the saints.
We also need a meek and quiet spirit. First Peter 3:4 says that the hidden man of our heart is a meek and quiet spirit. Galatians 6:1 says that we need to restore a fallen brother in a spirit of meekness. In 1 Corinthians 4:21 Paul asked the Corinthians if they wanted him to come to them with a rod or in love and in a spirit of meekness.
The New Testament mentions the virtue of meekness a number of times. In Matthew 5:5 the Lord said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Based upon this verse we can look into the real meaning of being meek in the New Testament. The world’s way is to fight, to strive, and to defeat others to gain some possession, some inheritance. But the Bible says that if we are going to inherit anything, we have to be meek. To be meek means not to resist the world’s opposition but to suffer it willingly. Regardless of the situation we should be meek, not fighting against others. Meekness means not fighting for ourself. We need a meek and quiet spirit. If we fight for anything, we cannot be quiet. The only way that we can be quiet is to not fight for ourself or seek anything for ourself.
In Matthew 5:3 the Lord said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.” We may say that we need to have a rich spirit, but we should not say that we need to have a poor spirit. This is wrong. If someone has a poor spirit, his spirit is not a right spirit, a proper spirit. Here in Matthew 5:3 to be poor in spirit means that we have nothing preoccupying us. All the Pharisees, the scribes, the priests, and the elders among the Jewish people were not poor in spirit. They were preoccupied. That was the reason the Lord Jesus said that the first blessing is to be poor in spirit. The Pharisees could not participate in the kingdom because they were not poor in their spirit. We always need to be poor in our spirit, not letting our spirit be preoccupied, filled up, with things other than the Lord Himself. We have to empty our spirit, to pour out all the preoccupying items, so that we may be poor in our spirit.
Luke 9 tells us that a certain village of the Samaritans would not receive the Lord and His disciples. So James and John said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” (v. 54). The Lord turned and rebuked them, saying, “You do not know of what kind of spirit you are” (v. 55). We always have to learn to know what kind of spirit we have. In other words, with God and with man we always need a proper spirit. If our spirit is improper, we are through with God. We need to know what condition our spirit is in. The Bible tells us to consider our ways (Hag. 1:7), and we also have to consider our spirit. We should consider not only our outward ways, our outward behavior, and our outward attitude but also our inward spirit. We need a proper spirit.
