Yeah, I've been gone for two-and-a-half days, and it's been a learning process. Jesus wants all ya'll to see that process now.
If you've been pursing intimacy with God through biblical literacy, you know what Paul says about me. True, he says it about you and everyone else God has chosen, but it's important for you to understand that I Corinthians 1:26-29 is about me today. Paul writes, "For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God."
Given that, and given that I have to repeat a key Scripture from Friday, did I mislead you with Friday's post, "What You See"? Am I being led by the Holy Spirit or not?
If I'm not, you know the kind of trouble I'm in if you've been following along -- and the kind of trouble you're in if you've been agreeing. If I am being led, Jesus says, "whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin." If I question whether I'm being led -- without having that big knot in my stomach -- Jesus reminds me of that Scripture in Mark 3:29. Legitimate doubt may manifest differently to you, but you need to start paying attention to those kinds of nagging feelings, and praying to decipher them.
So, let's look at Matthew 7:28-29 from a different angle. "And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes."
If, like me, you're the eternal student, you live for the realization that your understanding of some elusive point has jelled, and you can finally expound on that point with some confidence. If I'm there at all today, it is through the grace of Jesus Christ, Who will be your teacher -- I mean, come and teach you in person, no kidding -- if you ask Him.
The knowledge that Jesus has given me over two-and-a-half days is knowledge I've been pursuing since "Hipster for Christ," where I quoted I Corinthians 9:19-23, "For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings."
Cute, but how do we walk that tightrope and stay true to Christ? I didn't have an answer then, but Jesus has certainly brought me a lot closer.
"But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, 'Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.' But Peter said to him, 'May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.'" (Acts 8:9, 18-23)
Duh!
We all understand that salvation is a free gift, and that we're filled with the Holy Spirit if we accept that gift.
But do we understand how often we seek the feeling of being Spirit-filled by buying things and experiences ("If I have these clothes or this instrument, if I do this activity or go to this event, if I attract these people, I'll feel amazing")? Do we understand that, in the course of becoming "all things to all people" as Paul puts it, we can become bogged down in the process and, consequently, not save anyone?
"Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it." (Luke 11:43-44)
In this distortion of Christianity, the purpose of saving souls has become twisted into the goal of getting others to acknowledge us. We have lost sight of our true goal, "Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Romans 14:13-17)
Paul is talking to a group of folks who are still trying to understand that they won't be struck dead if they bring shrimp fried rice to next Sunday's potluck. Here's what he's talking about: "It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." (Romans 14:21-23)
So, I have to give up listening to Bill Monroe (character issues, you know), watching Justified (such language!), and shopping somewhere besides thrift stores (because, hey, money belongs to God, and we're supposed to be humble)?
Yeah, that kind of "reasoning" gives me a pain, too.
Sigh.
Even so, if some person we're shepherding is offended, or perhaps seduced, by those things, we'll have to dial it down for the next little while. After all, "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other." (Matthew 6:24a)
It also serves to remind ourselves that these people invariably have a distorted view of how Christians should behave because of how most of 'em in the public eye do behave.
Still, these are developmental issues. We were all infants in Christ once, and no one does the Gospel any good by refusing to grow up. In I Corinthians 5:9-13, Paul says something that should help nervous or misinformed new converts grow in understanding, "I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside."
Backlash is not synonymous with balance and, yes, I've said that before. What I really learned this weekend is that when we focus on those superficial issues, we pull our focus away from the Kingdom, and always to our detriment.
"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:25-33, emphasis mine)
Folks, Jesus is talking about more than where our next meal is coming from. He's talking about focusing so intently on where we're eating, what we're drinking, and who we're wearing that we forget to pursue righteousness (clean our own house) and work for the Kingdom (minister to others).
As Solomon shows us how to keep our balance in Proverbs 4:23-27, "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil."
Here's Special Consensus with "Lord, Show Me the Righteous Pathway"
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