Meekness - Transition of Natural to Spiritual Man

      Reward in heaven is for those with a change in attitude; their nature has been modified. "Nature" is the fundamental traits of people, and is manifested in their attitudes. Before regeneration, men (and women) are like the natural man and natural woman in that  "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1Cor 2:14).
     The natural man operates without the Spirit of God. God's precepts are foolishness to the natural man. The natural man is proud and arrogant, and will only bow to God in derision. In contrast to the natural man, Hosea refers to "the spiritual man" (Hosea 9:7) who was considered a mad man. The spiritual man has a spirit of meekness which can come and go (Gal 6:1).
      "Regeneration" is the transformation from natural man to spiritual man. The very natures of the "beasts" transforms from prideful to meekness. The old creature becomes as new. (2 Cor 5:17). Paul compared the old creature with the old nature. The old man lives for the flesh: "The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like. (Gal 5:19-21). 
     In contrast to that is the new creature with a new attitude who exhibits: "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. (Gal 5:22-23). If "Christians" do not exhibit the characteristics of the spiritual man, then his or her transformation is in question. The idea of an "iniquitous Christian" is double-mindedness. Sure, Christians do sin, but if they continue in sin without sincere repentance they take grace cheaply (Rom 6:1). That is likely where Deitrich Bonnhoeffer got the idea of "cheap grace," which is perhaps a haughty person role-playing meekness. Continuing in sin is haughtiness, and is the nature of the "natural man."
     Regeneration was known in patriarchal times. Isaiah, using different words, knew that the nature of people change:

15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. 20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. 21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. (Isa 15,20-21).

     Isaiah called regeneration a "revival of the heart." The heart is a metaphor for a change in attitude - to one of loving kindness. The characteristics of those is contrition; they have an humble spirit. Regeneration is to revive the spirit of the humble.
     Jesus said, "You must be born again." (John 3:7). Rebirth is regeneration; not back to the innocence of infancy but to the Designer's intent when he first generated Adam and Eve. Their natures were "spiritual man" and "spiritual woman" since Adam was created with the Spirit of God and the appearance of Jesus. (Gen 1:26-27).
     Adam and Eve soon degenerated. Their arrogance "as gods" provided new knowledge: in addition to "good" they came to know "evil." Their nature went virtuousness to one of depravity. To regenerate mankind, virtue flows from Jesus (Mark 5:30).
     On the Cross, to heal the nations, Jesus's blood and water for salvation resulted in an extreme loss of virtue; he asked, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mat 27:46) because he felt so drained of virtue. Jesus took the depravity away and replaced it with virtue. The spiritual man is the virtuous man, and his attitude is one of meekness - serving others rather than himself, and serving Jesus - the flesh of God - rather than his own flesh!
     The transformation from natural man to spiritual man is partaking of "the divine nature." It is returning to the genesis of mankind. Adam was created with a divine nature as he was generated in the very image of God. When the natural man is born again, his divine nature returns. Jesus re-imbues the cleansed soul with his own virtue - the Holy Ghost. Peter described that transformation well:

3According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Pet 1:3-4)

     Virtue and divinity are interdependent; those with divine natures have virtue, and those who are virtuous exhibit the nature of the Divine. Men can be identified by their natures. Is it themselves they serve or others and God? Servitude, not attitude, is the characteristic of the spiritual man. They exhibit meekness when they consider themselves lesser than others and certainly God. 

     "Self-esteem" is not the Way to salvation but a barrier. Christ-esteem is the Way to salvation. There is a huge reward for meekness, diminishing oneself and elevating God! "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth" (Mat 5:5).  The concept of meekness is imperative for the reward. "Blessed" is becoming like the Divine. Scripture calls that "glorification" and that is reward in Heaven with a renewed spirit and a new incorruptible flesh. "Blessed" is returning to the genesis of mankind.

      God prepared a place for mankind. It was in the Garden of Eden. That's where spiritual man resided. The re-genesis (regeneration) of natural man is a return to Paradise. How will the meek inherit the earth and why would God do that? Because in the end, the natural earth (the physical) and the spiritual earth (Heaven) will be "snatched down" - a sort of inverse rapture:

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (Rev 21:1:2).

      That is the "Earth" which the meek shall inherit. As children of Eve and God, the Garden is the inheritance for those who God has "adopted" by emancipating them from the Devil. (Ephes 1:5). The natural man belongs to Satan, and the spiritual or divine man to God! The arrogant man belongs to the Serpent and the meek man to Jesus! The eternal home of the meek man is the Earth. How is that possible? The Earth will experience a re-genesis as is written in Revelation.
     Meekness is an identifiable trait of regenerated people. When I see Christians as the center of attention, I question their nature. When I write this, I question my own nature! Am I elevating myself or God? Am I diminishing myself to meekness or is this arrogance to make it appear that my nature is of the divine? Mankind's nature is the problem; Jesus's nature is the solution! Jesus served us all by dying in our place. Meekness is our salvation; to accept that we can't save ourselves but Jesus did, is meekness.