Know Your Place!

The Greeks of antiquity admonished us to "know thyself," while Sun Tzu wrote in The Art of War, to know your enemy.  In the church, it's vital to know our spiritual gifts and we can only find them out by venturing out of our comfort zone and becoming a servant of the church body because the purpose of the gift is to sanctify and bless the body of Christ--we're saved to become blessings,  This even means doing things that we may even think are not our gift!  We may have to put up with subordination and following and submitting to authority, but this is not a form of inferiority but obedience which even Christ did to the Father and humbled Himself to become our servant. Note that Christ did the servile act of foot-washing to teach that we should deem no service for the Lord's sake as "beneath" us or not what we are gifted to do or not even spiritual enough to do as that it is something the deacons or elders should do.  

The Bible tells us to know God and the Lord, and even the Bible and by corollary, know sound teaching. This all shows that our faith is more about knowing than about doing. In other words, religion always says "Do!" while Christ says "Know!"He said, "This is eternal life, to know [God] and Jesus Christ whom [He] has sent."  In other words, we don't need another "to-do" list!  We also may know that we are saved and even the will of God!  But I want to write about knowing where we belong and our place, for it's offensive to be out of place or to usurp authority or assume power where one doesn't deserve it. There's nothing more annoying for a parent for a child to not know his place or to speak inappropriately when he should know better. I'm assuming that we know what we are doing, are spiritually inclined, have a measure of maturity, and can apply what we know to what we do, which is common wisdom; putting knowledge into action. 

In other words, we know and learn (and we are all on a learning curve) by doing and practicing what we know: translating our creeds into deeds (being a people of God zealous of good works).  But to do the right thing and this is an example of leadership, we must know sound doctrine and get our thinking straightened out, including having a Christian worldview unaffected by the Secular Humanism so prevalent and rampant in academia. Even believers can become brainwashed by the human viewpoint.  Knowing is the first step to feeling good about yourself: know right, think right, act right, and then feel right. As we know, the divine order is:  fact, faith, feeling! We must not get the cart before the horse or depend on our feelings for direction in life.   

We have an objective, absolute, and trustworthy source to rely on (the Bible as our plumb line) and put faith in as truth and knowing that God is the final Arbiter of Truth.  Remember, the better we know our gift and place in the church, the more opportunity we will have for good works and to be oriented to the vision and mission of the church and to navigate ourselves within the body and interact with others. Learn not to stand on the sidelines but stand up for what you believe and dare to be like Daniel who defied the king when he prayed. 

In conclusion, let me add that servants don't ever start out at the top but work their way up!  The best leaders have first been followers first and know the ropes of dedication and faithfulness.  Remember the words of Mother Teresa: "God doesn't call us to success, but to faithfulness." Leave the success to God!  But God but that doesn't mean we don't expect great things from God attempt great things from God?  This means our ministry our outreach isn't measured by the human standards of a numbers game.   Soli Deo Gloria! 

The Heart Of A Servant

Jesus is our Exemplar and we should learn to emulate His lifestyle and follow in His steps.  "Jesus came not to be served, but to serve and give His life a ransom for all" (cf. Mark 10:45).  We are no better than Him and are obliged to do no less.  He raised the bar on ethics by His example and incentive.  When asked who would be the greatest, He said the one who is the servant of all and humbles himself like a child (cf. Matt. 18:3).  To be child-like in faith, not childish, that is.

Therefore, we are all called into the ministry in a sense because He used the word diakonos, deacon or servant in Koine. We have the ministry of reconciliation as Paul put it. This is a dog-eat-dog world where only the strong seem to survive but we are called to minister to the down and out and reach out to the untouchables, riff-raff, and so-called scum for the Lord's sake. The trouble with this world according to Lily Tomlin is that even if you win the rat-race, you're still a rat!

But we don't want a world of the survival of the fittest or the law of the jungle with no mercy or relief organizations to aid those in need  If only the strong survive, how did they arrive? We must recognize that Christianity is counter-cultural and we stand opposed to the world's way of reckoning, even success has a new meaning.  In God's economy, we're all weak and we are to bear one another's burdens and to comfort those in need.   No one is a rock in need of no one; we're all products of God, our DNA, our nurture, and nature which is sinful.

When George Whitefield saw a condemned man go to the gallows, he said, "There but for the grace of God, go I."   Paul reiterated this by saying, "I am what I am by the grace of God (cf. 1 Cor. 15:10).  We are to have the same humility and not see ourselves as an elite in this world but as the recipients of grace that we don't deserve.  God shed His grace on us!  When we've been touched by grace and it's changed our lives, we want to pass it on and spread the word because this is what makes our faith and God unique from all other religions.

Our success is not how many servants we have, but how many we serve!  We serve by virtue of having a spiritual gift and venturing out of our comfort zone to serve (and this is how we discover it) We need to make an impact and not just an impression.  (Our righteousness is God's gift to us! per Isaiah 45:24; Hosea 14:8; Rom. 15:18)  That is, it's not so easy to make a difference for Christ.  And the only happy people are those who've learned to serve, according to Albert Schweitzer, and this is the right mindset for us as well.  As Bob Dylan said, "You've gotta serve somebody."

The servant is in a win-win situation with God because the reward is not only in the doing itself, having its own reward, but in the receiving of a great and precious reward that won't fade away.  We're in a no-lose situation!  The emphasis is on our deeds, not our confession, because there are many nominal Christians or ones who are believers in name only paying lip service, and we are to live out our faith by giving it away and showing it to the world via our deeds, letting our light shine.

We must recognize Jesus being humble enough to become one of us, getting down and dirty with us, to identify with our issues and problems, even experiencing the O.J.T. of real life, Reality 101. Jesus feels our pain and relates to us, having been "tempted in all ways like us, yet without sin" (cf. Heb. 4:15).  Jesus has been there and done that, thank God!   So John the Baptist summed it up very well: "He must increase, but I must decrease" (cf. John 1:29).  We see this interpreted as being that the way up is down in God's economy!   Soli Deo Gloria!

The Blessed Life

In heaven, "blessing and honor and glory and dominion" will belong to the One seated on the throne and the Lamb forever!  It will be our final destination to "enter into the joy of the Lord" when we enter the presence of the Lord in glory.  But blessing is a difficult and troublesome word to translate from the Hebrew or Greek.  We might think of it as "happiness," but also one of fulfillment and inner joy.  Mother, now canonized, Teresa said, "True holiness consists in doing the will of God with a smile."  C. S. Lewis said, "Joy is the serious business of heaven," and we will all find our joy there and be blessed beyond measure.

Our blessings come from the ultimate source of blessing and all good things (cf. James 1:17)--God.  Man is on a frantic search for happiness or fulfillment in this life and will substitute anything but God's provision to bring him momentary thrills or an escape.  "There is no peace for the wicked." (cf. Isaiah 48:22; 57:21).   Materialism, wisdom, success, knowledge, sex, fame, power, and riches all fail to satisfy the soul according to Solomon, who tried them all.

The purpose of saying we are blessed instead of lucky or fortunate is that we attribute our welfare to God and are thanking Him.  How God measures blessing or happiness in His economy differs from the norms of this world.  The Beatitudes show the way to true blessing and this is in contradistinction to the ways of the world.  Christianity is countercultural!  The truly blessed people are those who have found God, know Him, and let Him use them to be a channel of blessing to others.  Those who bless others are the most blessed!  Let us not so seek to be blessed as to bless! John the Baptist is the epitome of success in God's economy; he realized that the way up is down!  that pride comes before a fall and that humility comes before promotion:  "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30, HCSB, emphasis added), 

Happiness is not the chasing of pots at ends of mythical rainbows, but something granted by the Spirit for our obedience and submission to His will; "But none of these things move me" (cf. Acts 20:24). It is not some will-o'-the-wisp either.   The whole world is on a made quest for happiness but it eludes them without knowing God.  Only Jesus can give us the "abundant life" He promised; "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full" (John 15:11, KJV).  We are to first seek God and His righteousness, then it will be added (cf. Matt. 6:33).

What are we really looking for then?  Not some religious high or some momentary experience we can ride the rest of our lives, but to find purpose, meaning, and fulfillment in life.  The question should be: Are we getting what we want and expect out of our lives?  Are we satisfied and content?  Paul said that he had learned the secret of contentment in all situations (cf. Phil. 4:13) and that is something we can all relate to (he was under arrest when he wrote that). We will have Happiness with a capital H when we learn to abide in Christ.  This is one of the great commands of salvation:  come to Me; follow Me; abide in Me; know Me. love Me.  We must abide in Christ and show much fruit to glorify God, that's the secret right there:  living for something bigger than ourselves and that will outlast us, our calling from God to let Him use us for His glory.

Most people equate happiness with happenings or circumstances (this is superficial and depends on outward stimuli).  They don't realize they can be blessed or have inner joy through the trials and tribulations and all manner of adversity--they just bring new opportunities to learn about God and ourselves. We can rise above circumstances and live above the humdrum.  God's answer to happenstance is Providence and when we realize He's in control and fully orchestrates all details in our lives, we are at ease and can rest assured and be content wherever the chips may fall and whenever they are down; i.e., we are down on our "luck" so to speak (though this is an overused misnomer), because we will know that God is with us through it all.   ("And behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go," Gen. 28:15, RSV; cf. Isaiah 41:10).

In summation, Pascal said that our souls are like vacuums that only God can fill, and St. Augustine of Hippo said likewise that we are restless till we find our rest in God--we are made for Him and no substitute will do.   We are called to walk by faith (cf. 2 Cor. 5:7) but this is not some perpetual, religious high nor remembering some existential encounter or experience, but growing in our relationship and fellowship as we become intimate with God.    In closing, I'll quote the Christian student of Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung:  "Emptiness is the primary problem of man."   Soli Deo Gloria!

The Way Up Is Down

"He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30, NASB).
"Humble yourself before the Lord and he will exalt you" (James 4:10, ESV).
NB:  A non-serving Christian is a contradiction in terms, for Christ came to serve (cf. Mark 10:45).  
"... [T]he straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie" (John 1:27, NIV).

In God's economy, the way up is down, so to speak, because humility comes before honor; God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble (cf. 1 Pet. 5:5; James 4:6).  John was inclined to put this into action by demurring to baptize Jesus, saying he wasn't worthy to untie Jesus' sandals, and ultimately said, "He must become greater, I must become less" (John 3:30, NIV).  

Jesus humbled Himself ultimately to the point of death on a cross, but on the eve of the Passover celebration, the Seder, He took a towel to do some foot-washing--demonstrating that nothing should be beneath us if we have a servant's attitude and heart, i.e., menial chores. This can be called the order of the towel whereby we serve one another in the body, for there is no elite in the church but we are all members one of another and family. No one is indispensable in the sense of not being replaceable gift-wise in the body, and we are all necessary for the body to be healthy.

Jesus is the supreme exemplar of servanthood, for He emptied Himself (kenosis in Koine). He took on our infirmities and limitations as man and stood in the gap experiencing our pain in order to be able to sympathize and intercede for us as our High Priest in heaven.  We are exhorted to think of ourselves as Christ thought of Himself--to be of the same mind (cf. Phil. 2:5). Everyone wants to be Number One in the kingdom, but Jesus stated that the first shall be last (cf. Mark 9:35)!  

Greatness in God's economy is not measured by how many people serve you, but by how many you serve!  Real servanthood is when we forget ourselves long enough to lend a helping hand (cf. Phil. 2:4, MSG), and make a difference in the world for the good. No one serves in obscurity, for God sees in secret and will reward us in time.

John Wesley's motto was an example to emulate:  "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can."  Servants make themselves available and see open doors and opportunities to use whatever God has entrusted them to as stewards.  Don't ever say that you are a limited servant and cannot make yourself useful when there's a need: if you see a man in a ditch, pull him out--don't say you don't have the gift of "helps!"   Matt. 10:42 says that even offering a cup of cold water for the sake of the Name will not go unrewarded.  When we've done it to the least of His brethren, we've done it unto the Lord (cf. Matt. 25:40).

In God's economy, it's not how much we can exalt ourselves or play the fool, it's how low we can go, for the kingdom of God goes to the lowest bidders--we must realize our unworthiness.  "... He that humbles himself shall be exalted, "(cf. Matt 23:12).  We ought not to think of ourselves any more highly than we ought (cf. Rom. 12:3).  "Live in harmony with one another.  Do not be proud but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited" (Rom. 12:16). 

Caveat:  Do not imitate Diotrephes (cf. 3 John), who loved to be first and lord it over the flock, but be examples of having the mindset of a servant, i.e., of Christ.   A final word to the wise:  He who humbles himself shall be exalted!      Soli Deo Gloria! 

Before Honor Comes Humililty

"Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 18:4, ESV).
"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Prov. 16:8, ESV).
"For by the grace given me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned" (Romans 12:3, ESV).
"Thus says the LORD:  'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth.  For in these things I delight, declares the LORD" (Jer. 9:23-24, ESV).   
"[A]nd submit to each other out of respect for Christ" (Eph. 5:21, CEB).

It is a cliche that when you think you're humble, then you're not!  This is the will-o'-the-wisp of virtues that we strive for but can never attain consciously.  Moses was considered the humblest man on earth in Numbers 12:3 (or should I say "meek?"), and I don't think he knew this or mentioned it. Jesus was confronted by two ambitious disciples who wanted to be Number One or Numero Uno in the kingdom and told them that He who is greatest must become humble like a child.   Diotrephes loved to be the leader (cf. 3 John 9) and was ruining his church.  Even Jesus came not to be served, but to serve (cf. Mark 10:45).  When He did the servile act of foot-washing it showed us that nothing should be beneath us!

The fact is that the way up is down in God's economy the way up is down and we must echo John the Baptist's sentiment:  "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30, ESV).  Jesus also proclaimed that many who are first shall be last (cf. Mark 9:35)!  The idea is not to promote yourself, as Proverbs says, but to let others praise you. and not your own mouth!  James 4:6, ESV, says, "But he gives more grace.  Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." The primary prerequisite to humility, then, is to confess one's pride and go from there!

Humility is an elusive goal but this doesn't eliminate our need to pursue it.  True humility is not having low self-esteem or thinking less of yourself and not thinking it's all about you; however, it's not thinking of yourself at all (knowing it's not all about you), but being teachable--putting others first!  The problem with man is his ego, this brings the opportunity to promote it and elevate it to the place God should hold in our lives.  

We are hard-wired to worship God, but if we don't we will worship someone else, most likely ourselves with an inflated ego to become egotistical.  We abhor someone fixated on himself.  No one likes someone who is arrogant or conceited and humility keeps our ego in check and prevents us from getting a big head--in Paul's case he had a thorn in the flesh to do the job.

There is no place in God's plan for selfish ambition, but we are to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.  Jeremiah 45:5, ESV, says:  "And do you seek great things for yourself?  Seek them not..." (i.e., for our personal gratification or lust).  The issue arises:  "How does one win the humility contest then?"  Jesus said that we must become as humble as a child (being teachable), so I would suggest getting to know children and learn from them (cf. Matt. 19:14, "Suffer the little children to come unto me")--they're evidently humble.  Children are not perfect, or blank slates and without sin, but we can learn from them.  

We must never be self-serving or self-centered!  We should stop tooting our own horns and be promoting of best interests ourselves; if God is blessing you and giving you fruit, it doesn't matter who criticizes you, and if there's no fruit or blessing, it doesn't matter who praises you.  We are all guilty of advertising ourselves or putting our best foot forward and not letting anyone see our so-called dark side that no one sees but God and us.

Being transparent and real and not phony and putting up a facade of being ideal is the goal, for all have fallen short of God's glory!  We cannot confess our sins too much to God, (however, don't keep dredging up old sins that are forgotten by God!).  God deletes our sins from His memory bank, but we need to keep short accounts and confess all known sins as soon as we're convicted to stay in touch and fellowship with Him.  He's all ears, but when we have persistent issues, we should confide in a trusted Christian friend (cf. James 5:16).

Satan's temptation to Eve was to "be as gods."   We can learn a lot of pride by looking at Satan:  Pride or focusing on self rather than Jesus was the first sin (cf. Ezek. 28:17; Isa. 14:14) and what God found in Satan, when "his heart was lifted up,"  and is one of the abominations in God's eyes recorded in Prov. 6:17, and so we must give God the glory and credit for our labors and not think we are anything more than unworthy servants doing God's bidding. 

We should always give praise where praise is due, and credit to whom it's due, not seeking our own well-being, but that of others and looking out for their best interest, not thinking of ourselves any more highly than we ought--but a sober and justified assessment and appraisal of our talents and gifts, valued according to the faith granted us (cf. Rom. 12:3 above).

NB:  It hurts to be humbled, and so it's always better to humble yourself than be demoted!  Instead of thinking such a high estimate of ourselves, we ought to think more highly of others and see the good in them, while we see faults in us overlooking their faults.  (One giveaway sign for lack of humility is to revolve the world around you and to use the pronoun "I" a lot like Job did in his defense in Job 29, or Paul in Romans 7).  God's looking for real men and women, not ideal ones!

In sum, we are indeed fruit inspectors, but of our fruit!    Soli Deo Gloria!

Contemplating Our Unworthiness

"So a man should examine himself..." (cf. 1 Cor. 11:28).


The key to grace is the right mindset toward God--true humility!  "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (cf. James 4:6).  We are never worthy of God's grace (or it wouldn't be grace, but justice!), but the one qualification for it is to reckon ourselves as unworthy and unfit--just like our salvation.   Grace always goes to the lowest bidders, as it were.

The Lord's Supper is a reminder of our fellowship and longstanding salvation, whereby we renew our commitment and dedication by remembering what it's all about and the price Christ paid on our behalf.  We must see ourselves as great sinners in need of a Great Savior.  We are exhorted by Paul to examine ourselves at communion to take personal inventory of our spiritual life and give ourselves a spiritual checkup to validate our faith and salvation by seeing Christ at work in our lives and person (Christ lives in us by an exchanged, surrendered, relinquished, substituted, inhabited, and obedient life in Christ by virtue of His power--Gal. 2:20). In 2 Cor. 13:5 it says to examine ourselves frequently to see if Christ does indwell us--i.e., whether we are in the faith.  We are to be fruit inspectors of our own fruits and must test ourselves periodically--not others!

The Eucharist (Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper) is to be given to those walking obediently with the Lord in fellowship and not have any known sin to their account, which would render them carnal.  Basically, if we are enjoying a fellowship with God through Christ and discern the body, as Christ admonished, we are ready for communion. If we have repented we are clean, but we may still need a confession to update our walk with Christ.  But this privilege doesn't mean we are qualified to partake of this grace or ordinance laid down by Christ at Maundy Thursday, or at the Last Supper in the Upper Room celebrating the Passover.  The point to ponder is that we are never worthy, but we can prepare our hearts to receive the grace of God by confession (keeping short accounts and admitting sin as soon as we are convicted, which is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit).

In partaking of the communion emblems, we are to "discern the body" and blood of Christ, reckoning that He laid down His life for us and His blood sealed a New Covenant or Testament, making the Old Covenant or Testament obsolete.  Our humility ought to be such that the more unworthy we feel we are, the more we resonate with God's grace and are in a position to receive the ordinance, just like John Bunyan wrote in his testimony Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, and Paul saw himself as the "chief of sinners" likewise (cf. 1 Tim. 1:15).  It is a fact that the closer our walk with Christ, the more aware we are of shortcomings and failures.  Getting close to God makes us all the more aware of our sins, not our success and holiness.  Samuel Rutherford said to "pray for a lively sense of sin, because, the more the sense, the less sin."

We are admonished by Paul to partake of the elements in a worthy manner (that doesn't mean we are worthy per se), but by discerning the body and being in fellowship with no unconfessed, known sin, we are ready for grace.  The Lord's Supper is more than a memorial we do to proclaim the Lord's coming, but also a spiritual exercise and checkup and discipline to make us experience group fellowship and accountability--church isn't just a private affair but we are members one of another.

In the final analysis, it's comforting to know that Christ knew what we were made of before He saved us and loves us despite ourselves, and His acceptance doesn't depend upon our behavior or performance, but totally on His grace. "Salvation is of the LORD" (cf. Jonah 2:9), not from us. There's no place for merit in our salvation, but we are saved, are being saved, and will be saved all by grace alone (sola gratia in Latin), Christ alone is the worthy one and therefore is worshiped or assigned worthiness.     Soli Deo Gloria!

God's Debut

"[W]ho, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:6-8, ESV).  

How should the Son of God make his entree into our domain, but as one of us, so we could readily identify with Him, since we are in the image of God, after all?  If He came as a scholar, monarch, rich man, entertainer, scientist, philosopher, or any privileged, prestigious person we might not think we have had a chance, that the Messiah wasn't for us!  We can all relate to the so-called son of a carpenter, a working-class entrepreneur, and this means ultimately that His salvation is available to all.  "... Peace to those on whom his favor rests," as it is written in Luke 2:10, ESV).

Shepherds were considered among the lowest scum of the trades, and many wouldn't even admit it publicly.  This was God's way of upsetting the religious apple cart. But the angels saw humility in these shepherds, who were not the typical thieves, like so many, and were raising lambs for the temple--God saw potential, and this means He saw potential in us, too.  We see Christ as the Good Shepherd in Scripture and God wants us to see the analogy.

No one can say they humbled themselves more than Jesus, who left His throne and gave up the independent use of His authority, and became "one of us" so that we see ourselves in Him, no matter what status we live in:  There is hope for all in Christ!   No one can charge Jesus with being aloof, indifferent, or disinterested, and that He doesn't feel our pains, struggles, and grief!  "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses..." (Heb. 4:15, ESV).  He alone can say, "Been there," to any problem we have!

It is no insignificant fact that the angels chose to appear to shepherds, because they would understand the imagery of Christ being the Lamb of God, and thus our Savior.  The fear of the shepherds upon seeing the vision of angels transformed into joy and as they saw the Babe in the manger, they just knew it was true, as the joy of the Lord filled their hearts.

The given name, Immanuel, is not fortuitous, since God is present fully in Christ as His image or icon, and one felt the presence of God with Him, and in all that He did God was with Him.  As it is written:  "The Spirit bears witness with our spirit" (cf. Romans 8:16).  One job description of the Holy Spirit is to encourage us as our Paraclete or Comforter (in the Greek, entheos, or to put God into something!).  Just as it's written in Zech. 4:6 that it is "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit..."(cf. Zech. 4:6, ESV).  We have the witness of the Holy Spirit in us to be a witness and testimony so that we "just know," like the shepherds "just knew." 

In summation, Jesus humbled Himself (it was voluntary) as a lesson and model for us ("Let this mind be in you"); whereas humility wasn't even considered a virtue before His time! Now being humble is considered a compliment due to Christ. In His humility we see an approachable God, referring to the veil being ripped upon His ignominious death. Seeing Jesus as an underdog (e.g., the son of a carpenter), gives us the courage and hope to identify with--everyone loves an underdog!  

Jesus truly illustrated the truth with His life that the way up is down in God's economy--"Humble yourself before the Lord and he will exalt you"  (James 4:10, ESV).  When He said, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble," He has authority to say it as all authority has been given Him (cf. Matt. 28:18).    Soli Deo Gloria!

Real Humility

"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God"  (Micah 6:8, ESV, italics added). 

"For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; 'I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite"  (Isaiah 57:15, ESV, lowly means humble!).

"Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD:  look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug"  (Isaiah 51:1, ESV, remember your roots and from whence you came!). 

Christ is said to have "emptied Himself" when He became man, which really is another way of saying He laid aside His omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence to take the form of man and relate to us on our terms--such as finding out what tears felt like, or sweat on the brow.  He didn't cease being God the Son, though!  Jesus saw things through the eyes of man for the first time and now He can relate to us as a faithful high priest, tempted in every way as we.  Philippians 2 uses the word kenosis in Greek to mean emptying, but He didn't empty Himself of His deity, but merely restrained the independent use of it and served the purpose of the Father.

Jesus humbled Himself by leaving His throne, to being born in a manger because there was no room at the inn, suffering the humility of a crucifixion between two malefactors.  We must, therefore, keep on eyes on Jesus (cf. Heb. 12:1), as it is said:  look at the world and distressed; look at yourself and be depressed; look at Christ and be at rest ("Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose thoughts are stayed on Thee," says Isa. 26:3).

Humility gets down on its knees and nothing is beneath it, much the way Jesus did in the Upper Room in the servile act of washing His disciples' feet.  John the Baptist said that Jesus must increase, and he must decrease.  "...[He] crowns the humble with victory [salvation]"  (Psalm 149:4, ESV).  He understood that the way up is down in God's economy! "...[A]nd humility comes before honor"  (Prov. 15:33, ESV).   "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you"  (James 4:10, ESV, italics mine).   Jesus was asked who would be the greatest in His kingdom:  He who humbled himself as a child (cf. Matt. 18:3)!  We, too, can empty ourselves of all pretense and stoop to help those in need that God brings our way or into our sphere of influence.

If Jesus could humble Himself, it's not beneath our dignity to do any "foot-washing--in public or private." He said we ought to do likewise, instituting the "order of the towel." "In his humiliation justice was denied him..." (Acts 8:33, ESV). A good example of a humble mind is George Whitefield saying, "There but for the grace of God, go I," when seeing a criminal going to the gallows.  We are to prefer one another and honor one another in Christ (as Romans 12:10, NKJV says, "....in honor giving preference to one another"), not thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought (cf. Romans 12:3).

There is no caste system in the church, as each of us is one in Christ and all brethren in the family of God. Service is where it's at:  The more you serve, the greater you are, not the more who serve you! Albert Schweitzer said that the only really happy people are those who've learned to serve.  A non-serving Christian is a contradiction in terms, as we are called to serve one another in Christ.   We must be willing to follow Jesus in humility and serve Him in whatever capacity possible.

True humility is not having low self-esteem or thinking less of yourself, but not thinking of yourself at all. When you think you've arrived at true humility, you have lost it! "...' God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble"" (cf. James 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:5).   Therefore, we all have the tendency to have pride in ourselves and to think highly of ourselves (more highly than we ought!), wanting to be seen in the best possible light (with a good reputation), but with Christ in our heart, we see things through His eyes and lose all pretense of our own self-importance.

No one is ever truly humble a la Christ, (for example, only Jesus and Moses are called humble or meek in Scripture!).  When we think we're humble or that we've arrived, we have missed the boat!  Humility means that all we are is servants of God and the most we can hope for is to hear with joy the words:  "Well done, thou good and faithful servant enter thou into the joy of the Lord!" To reiterate:  Our greatness is not in how many people serve us, but how many we serve--just the opposite of human insight or viewpoint.  We should not desire to be number one as Diotrephes did in 3 John, but esteem others with all due respect.  One statement that humbles me is from Mother Teresa of Calcutta (now canonized):  God doesn't call us to success, but to faithfulness!   Never lose sight of the fact that it's not about you! 

The conclusion of the matter is: The best leaders are those who've learned to follow, the ones with servant's hearts know their Lord and aren't power-hungry or lustful, but see leadership opportunity as stewardship possibilities.  God's purpose is to keep us from getting a big head!   Soli Deo Gloria!  

The Order Of The Towel

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men"  (Phil. 2:5-7, NKJV, boldface added).

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many"  (Mark 10:45, NKJV, boldface added).

"Then you shall again discern
Between the righteous and the
wicked,
Between one who serves God
And one who does not serve
Him"  (Malachi 3:18, NKJV, boldface added).

When Jesus took up the towel in the Upper Room to wash the disciple's feet, they were taken aback at his servile act that set a new precedent, because Jesus was asking them to do likewise with each other--i.e., not to think that it's about you, and be willing to humble yourself in service one to another to meet their needs (foot-washing was considered the work of slaves, yet Jesus did it; how much more us!).  Jesus said that he who humbles himself like a child will be considered greatest in His kingdom. We must have the idea of John the Baptist, who said, "He must increase, but I must decrease."  The important thing to consider in service is that the way up is down in God's economy!  It is an honor to humble yourself and to esteem others more highly than yourself--some people are egotistical and all they think about is themselves; humility is not thinking less of yourself, or having low self-esteem, but not thinking of yourself at all!

Only Moses and Jesus were called humble or meek in the Bible, that's how rare true humility is--once we think we've got it, we lose it! Serving others takes a mindset like Jesus to see needs that you can fulfill and you are suited for--the hallmark of our testimony should be one of service and dedication to the needs of others.  They say:  See a need and fulfill it!  Who is the neighbor that the good Samaritan helped on the road to Jericho, but someone we meet in our path that we can help?  Mother Teresa of Calcutta said that true humility is doing the will of God with a smile. Albert Schweitzer said that only really happy people are those who've learned to serve others. Your Christian life begins once you enlist in His service and go to work as a servant.

True happiness is getting your eyes off of yourself, as it is said:  Look at the world and be distressed, look at yourself and be depressed, look at Jesus and be at rest!  Once you've experienced the love of Jesus, you want to pass it on!  They have this "pay it forward" tradition, where you pay for another person out of a random act of kindness--this is one way of reaching out to those in need and even changing life of a person who may be having a bad day.

True service must be voluntary and not mandatory or obligatory.  We are indebted to God with a debt we can never pay back and we should have the same godly attitude towards others--to be willing to oblige them; since it's better that they will owe a debt of gratitude to you, that they can't repay!  That's why Jesus said, "It's more blessed to give than to receive" in Acts 20:35.  We should be known as ministers of kindness to those in need to demonstrate the love of Jesus in us for the world to see--that's why we are lights in this dark world.

God will reward us for faithfulness (we are not necessarily called to success, which is His option) and never forget even giving a cup of cold water in Jesus' name will not lose its reward.  "For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do," (Heb. 6:10, ESV).  Remember, he who is faithful in little shall be faithful in much!  God sees and keeps track of our work done as vessels of honor in His name.  He rewards us for what He accomplishes through us (cf. Isa. 26:12).  "But you, take courage!  Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded,"  (2 Chronicles 15:7, ESV).  God is no man's debtor and will make sure that we are rewarded better than we deserve.

We have to live in light of eternity, because our reward may not be in this life:  "And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised,"  (Heb. 11:39, ESV). What is the faith that pleases God?  And without faith, it is impossible to please God.  We must "believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him,"  (Heb. 11:6, ESV).  What He's done for others, He will do for you, because He's still in the resurrection business and Jesus changes lives.  Remember what Jesus said to Thyatira, "I know your good deeds."

There are a few pointers in serving:  Our motive must be love out of a pure heart and not for self-aggrandizement; it must be done in faith believing God will reward you, whether man does or not; you must persevere and not give up, but remain faithful to what God has called you to do. Sometimes it may cost us something, but we should consider the cost before going on the journey.

The non-serving Christian is a contradiction in terms and we all have a calling and will find it if we go on to know the Lord.  We are not slaves of our neighbor but have a servant's heart.  Slaves are owned by someone and servants just do service for others.  Jesus is our Master and we are His slaves and He has enlisted us in the service of each other.  We are to know the Scripture "that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work"  (2 Tim. 3:17, ESV).  We all have a testimony to protect and must not jeopardize it by not practicing what we preach:   "They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works..."  (Titus 1:16, ESV).


The reward of our service is eternal and we don't want to lose out.  Our works will be tested for their eternal value, whether they are wood, hay, and stubble, or silver and gold.  Only the valuable metals will stand the heat of the fire's test.  It's true some believers may end up with no reward--for they never did anything in the Lord's name, but only for their own glory and fame, power, or fortune. The test of a man is how he responds to praise, and we are not to serve for the praise of man, but the approval of God, not as people-pleasers.

Caveat:  Believers must not become converted to the program instead of to Christ, becoming essentially mere do-gooders who put their faith in their deeds--that's why some will say, "...' Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'" (Matt. 7:22, NKJV). The smallest of good deeds done in the Lord's name will be rewarded if done in faith! God sees the motive of the heart, while a man looks upon the appearance. Jesus said that only he who does the will of His Father in heaven will enter the kingdom of heaven (cf. Matt. 7:21). Do we want the applause of man or the approbation of God?  I am not against good deeds; however, there's no lasting reward to deeds done in the power of the flesh. The Lord will say to some that they've had their reward.

What is the raison d'etre for service-orientation?  The true measure of a man's greatness is not how many people serve him, but how many people he serves.  We must realize that we are all but servants in God's eyes, and the best commendation we can hope for at the bema (which is the Judgment Seat of Christ) is this: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant!" Hence, it is a privilege just be used by God and we must realize that "[God] has [done] for us all our works" (Isa. 26:12, ESV).

Paul was not braggadocious, but he did say, "I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me..." (Rom. 15:18, NIV).  Newsflash: God's economy is a service-oriented economy.  Get the right attitude:  As Jesus said, "...' Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me'" (Matt. 25:40, NKJV).  In sum, to attribute to someone a genuine servant's heart is probably the greatest of accolades.  Soli Deo Gloria!

To Be Seen By Men

Jesus mentioned how the Pharisees loved to be noticed praying on the street corners to be seen by men and said they have lost their reward (cf. Matt. 6:1).  We need to keep our righteousness between us and God as much as is our control.  I remember the first time I witnessed of my faith after being saved in the Army and found out that being a braggadocio is a no-no. God is not impressed with our filthy rags and we shouldn't be impressed by them either.  Caveat:  "For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends"  (2 Cor. 10:18, NASB).

Ironically, the way up is down like John the Baptist said:  "He must increase, and I must decrease." The person who humbles himself shall be exalted, not the person who presumes to be someone when he isn't.  We are not to have low self-esteem or to think less of ourselves, but to think of ourselves less!  Like the actor who gets one role and thinks he is a star or the person who writes one poem and thinks he is a poet or the person who preaches one sermon and thinks he is a preacher, so we all tend to think we've arrived, even though Paul never assumed this:  "I do not claim to have laid hold of it yet..." (Phil. 3:12).

When you've preached a hundred sermons dare call yourself a preacher, though others can and may--don't toot your own horn; or if you've witnessed hundreds of times call yourself a faithful witness--let others praise you and not yourself, or if you have done whatever God has called you to and been faithful in it--success doesn't come overnight.  It is paramount that the Lord give His blessing to your endeavor and you be called to it, because you must have an anointing to do it in the Spirit--there are even preachers who do it in the energy of the flesh and are just great speakers or very scholarly, but not called by God or filled with the Holy Spirit.  I do not think preaching is a production or a show but a calling that must be blessed by God.  I know of storytellers, great public speakers, or even comedians who parade as charismatic preachers but are wolves in sheep's clothing and should get out of the ministry, despite their following--preaching is not just academics but spiritual.

Some people serve for the applause of man as people-pleasers (cf. Eph. 6:6, KJV), and some seek the glory of God and give it back to Him.  Praise is merely the test of a man's spirit to see what he is made of.  I make it clear when my Bible class claps for me that it is of God and He is the one to praise, but they still insist because they really believe it's a good Bible study; but I have learned not to trust the opinions of man and I seek only to please God and not man--I certainly don't want praise to go to my head. Watch out for those who want the approbation of man, and not God's favor and smile on their endeavors.   We don't do favors for one another as if they might owe us one in return, but we are servants of Christ doing it out of the pure motive of love for Him.  Soli Deo Gloria!

How Low Can You Go?

Salvation is not offered to the highest bidder, or the most qualified, or the most eager, most intelligent, wisest, or moral person; au contraire. Christ doesn't offer to save, He saves!  It goes to the lowest bidder, as it were, the one who realizes he is unqualified, (we can do nothing to qualify or cooperate for our salvation).  We are bad, but not too bad to be saved.  We are as bad off as we can be, but God's grace is as great as can be.  Instead of saying, "God, I'm not that bad after all!" we need to say, "Lord, I have done nothing to deserve salvation, and You would be just to sentence me to hell, but I appeal to your mercy and grace at Christ's expense on my behalf."

Catholics believe we cooperate with God and somehow merit our salvation of which we are qualified by our faith.  Having faith doesn't qualify us to be saved, but means we are saved and regenerated.  God doesn't elect us because we have faith (that would be merit and a conditional election), but unto faith or to grant us faith.  We can do naught to please God or gain His approbation.  Someone has said, "God must have chosen me before I was born because He sure wouldn't have afterward."  If God chooses us because we have faith or in some way are better than others, then it is not a gift, but a reward.  That would be the institution of merit for salvation.  According to His purpose and grace, He saved us, and not because of anything in us that was good, for there is none good.  No one earns it, deserves it, nor can pay it back!

A person must see himself as a vile sinner who is unworthy of grace and in God's hands, at His mercy, to be saved, he must literally throw himself on the mercy of God, realizing he cannot save himself.  His life has gotten out of control because of his sin and he is convicted by the Holy Spirit of his depraved state.  When I say, "How low can you go?" I mean that you must be humbled to get saved and stop thinking so highly of yourself, that you're an alright guy or good man.  Romans 3:12 says there is none good.

We are enslaved to sin and cannot please God, because our righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).  When we get saved, we are set free spiritually and have a restored fellowship with God that had been severed at the fall of Adam.  Regeneration makes possible a living faith and repentance and we are completely passive in the process:  Our part is to act upon the faith that God gives us and prove it is genuine.  God's gift, our act!  The worse off you see yourself and the least qualified you think you are, the closer you are to the kingdom of God and it is within your grasp.  Ego can get in the way, but we need to swallow our pride and realize that He must increase, as we decrease.

When we realize it is not about "us" then we have made a spiritual breakthrough and know that it is all about Jesus.  Paul strove to preach Christ, and Christ crucified, not himself.  The more one's thoughts are aimed at Christ to glorify Him the more glory God gets and the more involved the Spirit gets.  It grieves Him to dwell on ourselves and be egocentric or self-centered.

By going low I mean your opinion and judgment of yourself in comparison to others in respect of your sins.  The sinner who prayed, "God be merciful to me, the sinner" in Luke 18:13 was on target when he realized his depravity in God's sight.   Paul thought he was the chief of sinners and John Bunyan wrote, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners. That's what grace orientation does to you--it makes you feel unworthy and forever grateful.  Jesus said, "He that is forgiven much [realizes it the most], loves much!   Soli Deo Gloria!

Father-filtered Tragedy

"We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22).
"Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you enter various trials"  (James 1:2).


DISCLAIMER:  I DO NOT CLAIM TO HAVE A COMPLETE ANSWER TO MAN'S SUFFERING, IN FACT, NO ONE, NOR ANY RELIGION, DOES.

Good quotes:
Lord Reith said, "I do not like crises, but I do like the opportunities they provide."
"Within every adversity there lies a possibility" (Robert Schuller).

Jesus never said we'd be exempt from evil or tragedy in our lives; he didn't exempt himself, did He?
Suffering, trials, temptations, adversity, and discipline inevitably comes to all believers in Christ as part of our pruning and maturing process.  What good would an untried faith be?  Some people get mad at God and blame Him when something bad happens:  remember Job's wife who told him to "curse God and die" after losing all ten of his progeny.  "Should we accept good from God, and not trouble."  Nothing happens to us without God's sovereign permission; he is just using the devil as the instrumental means to accomplish his greater glory.  We can be assured that God will not bring into our lives anything that we cannot handle; he just trusts some more than others!

What happens to us reveals what kind of person we really are; the same sun melts the butter, hardens the clay!  It's not so much about what happens to you as to what happens in you.  Our experience is a combo of this interaction and what we learned in the so-called school of hard knocks.  Notice that we hear about tragedy around the world and never people cursing God on the media--they are usually humbled and realize that without danger there would be no courage.  We shouldn't say, "How can God be so mean?"  "No one can  stay His hand or say to Him, 'What are you doing?'"

Our reaction says more about us than about God.  You either become bitter or better in the tragedy they call life or Reality 101. It's not what happens to you, but in you!   Don't you want to find out what you are made of and more importantly, who your friends are?  Charlie Riggs says that adversity builds character and Christlikeness.  Our crosses to bear are nothing compared to His!  We are compared to silver refined in a crucible.  If we know the why of our suffering we can endure almost any how, said Viktor Frankl, the Viennese Psychiatrist captured and tortured by the Nazis.

So why do bad things happen to good (There are no good people!) people [A more appropriate question would be:  Why do good things happen to bad people?]?  Good also happens to bad people! Who's to say how much is too much or decide what is fair; God is the judge of what is fair, and He is our judge, and we not His.   "The He knows the way that I take; when He has tried me I shall come forth as gold," says Job 23:10.  God never promised us a bed or roses or a rose garden either.  However, we can rest assured of the promise:  "All things work together for good, to them that love God...."  As the crucifixion proved, God is able to make the most diabolical of events turn out for the good (e.g., Acts 2:23; 4:28).

It might be helpful to realize that if you are suffering it might be so that others won't have to, and if you aren't, it's because others have!  "We rejoice in our suffering..." (Rom. 5:3).  I like Philippians 1:29 to sum things up:  "For it has been granted unto you, not only to believe in Him, but to suffer for His sake."

Pertinent are two verses relating to God as the sole primary cause of the cosmos and using agents to accomplish His will in a voluntary manner:  Amos 3:6; Isaiah 45:7, and if one studies Job he will realize that evil from Satan must get permission from the Father--N.B. that God didn't answer Job's questions, but revealed Himself to him to humble him; God doesn't have to answer to man.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Self-exaltation And Humility

Jesus said that whosoever exalts himself shall be humbled and whosoever humbles himself shall be exalted  (cf. Luke 14:11; Matt. 23:12).  "...humility comes before honor" (Prov. 15:33).  The Bible condemns selfish ambition, but not a spiritual Christ-oriented ambition in the Spirit.  Go ahead, attempt great things for God and believe great things for God--our God is big enough for all of us and our ambitions.

The problem with spiritual ambition is accomplishing it in the right way.  The brothers James and John thought that spiritual authority was theirs for the asking.  We are to serve in God's kingdom as Christ did--as servants.  "I have not come to be served, but to serve..." (Mark 10:45).  We are not Christ's buddies or sidekicks, but His servants and fellow-laborers in His kingdom.  John the Baptist had the right attitude when he enunciated:  "He must increase, I must decrease."  In God's economy, the way up is down (a paradox).  True greatness is not in how many people serve you, but in how many people you serve.

Paul had something to say about exaltation in Philippians 2 where he depicts Christ's humiliation or kenosis [Greek for "emptying"] and subsequent exaltation.  Christ was equal to God, yet could not fathom that, and humbled himself as a man, then as a servant, then went to die on a cross on our behalf though He did no wrong Himself.  He was born in a manger of poor parents (there was no room at the inn), and lived life as an itinerant preacher and when He died owned nothing except the clothes on His back.  He was exalted and glorified before birth as the Son of God, and He was shamed and humiliated by His ignominious death on a cross, meant for the worst of malefactors--not civilized people.  Christ expects no more from us than He did of Himself.  Our so-called crosses pale in comparison to His and His yoke is easy and His burden is light comparatively.

Peter said in 1 Peter 5:5 that "[God] opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."   He goes on (v. 6) to affirm that we should humble ourselves, "that he may lift [us] up [exalt us]  in due time."  "If you play the fool and exalt yourself, or if you plan evil, clap your hand over your mouth! (Prov. 30:32).   Or you are accused of speaking for God ex cathedra (to pontificate or speak from the chair literally) like the Pope does (we are not infallible, as he claims to be).

God knows our heart and who we are and has what is best in store for us if we simply trust and obey His Word. If Christ obliged himself to be humbled as a servant, to fulfill Scripture, how much more are we obliged.  In conclusion, let others exalt us and let's not toot our own horn ("lift up your horn on high," says Psalm75:5a), and promote ourselves, or even praise ourselves, but let others do it.

   Soli Deo Gloria!

Accepting The Riffraff

Some of us are really the utter scum of society, the rejects you might say, and in some religions like Hinduism, we might be labeled "untouchables."  Mother Teresa of Calcutta was so brave in her charitable work with the untouchables that she became a "saint."  The Bible says in Isaiah 51:1 to look to the rock from which you were hewn, the quarry from which you were dug.  This is so we don't get arrogant or look down on our brother:  Deut. 23:7 says, "Do not abhor an Edomite [the despised hybrids, who were descendants of Esau], for he is thy brother." No one for whom Christ died is worthless.  Remember your roots--don't ever forget where you came from!  In other words, don't ever forget what you were saved from!

Jesus was the supreme exemplar in talking to the woman of Samaria at the well, and laying aside all prejudice. Many of us have a stigma to bear that makes us unacceptable to "polite society."  For instance,  mental disability carries this sort of bad connotation that people don't want to accept as "normal (who says what's normal?)." Xenophobia is the fear of strangers:  Jesus certainly didn't have it.  Don't be intimidated by man:   Proverbs 29:25 says, "The fear of man will prove to be a snare."

Are you afraid to associate with the riffraff or scum of society?  Do you think it will rub off on you and you will be affected?  Jesus wasn't afraid to associate with anyone it would seem:  "This man receives [by no means did He participate or condone their sin] sinners, and eats with them" (Luke 15:2).  The so-called friend of tax collectors and sinners.  They say we are known by the company we keep and the Bible does say in 1 Corinthians 15:33 that "bad company corrupts good character."  And Proverbs 12:26 says a wise person "should choose his friends carefully."

How can we reach out to the unsaved if we are afraid of them?   We don't have to befriend them (Christ was the friend of sinners and that is what we were; those whom He called "friends" were those who obeyed Him], but they are not cursed either and we cannot be tainted by them.  Jesus wasn't afraid to get down and dirty with anyone and to associate with the sinners so much that they said, "Doesn't he know this woman is a known sinner [what manner of woman she is]?"  What goes out of a man defiles him, not what goes in--Jesus internalized sin, whereas the Pharisees had externalized and thought cleanliness was just a matter of keeping unspoiled and unpolluted from the sinners-they felt unclean by merely entering a Gentile's abode!  (They had not learned that the essence of religion is thought control, and they thought all that was necessary was a certain behavior.)

How are we to reach out to the world if we are afraid of them?  No Christian brother or sister is beneath us and not good enough for us to fellowship with--for all the body parts are important and no one can say he doesn't need the other seemingly less vital organs.  It is true that God has placed some in unique positions to witness to that certain element and they have a circle of influence that we don't. When you realize that you really are also riffraff, it isn't hard to accept others.  The Scripture says that as Christ has accepted you, so you accept others--I don't mean accept their sin, but love the sinner and hate the sin.  Jesus never condoned wrongdoing and we are to stand up for Jesus and what is right.

Remember, not many mighty, noble, or influential are called, but God calls the weak to do His will and bidding.  Proverbs has a word to the wise:  "Do not envy the wicked [not just sinners, but evil men], nor desire their company" (Prov. 24:1).  That is, we must keep in mind that we are Christ's ambassador's and that only "iron sharpens iron" (Prov. 27:17)--we are the light and salt and should be influencing them, not vice versa.  God never calls us to be aloof and indifferent to our neighbor. There is no place for a "holier than thou" attitude described in Isaiah 65:5--cut some slack!

We are not to get a poor self-image and inferiority complex and think that we are worse than others, but to have a realistic viewpoint and face reality.  Don't get on your case and give yourself a hard time!   Remember, others are probably easier on you than you are!  Soli Deo Gloria!

Where Is the Scholar?

Paul was asking about the people who think they know something when in reality they know nothing worth knowing.  Jesus despised the manner of the typical Pharisee who "knew" the Scripture (often memorizing the Torah) but didn't recognize their king amongst them.  The Word should open our eyes and be the way God communicates to us.   "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life.  These are the Scriptures that testify about me" (John 5:39).

We need preachers who have more than just a second-hand knowledge of Christ and don't just quote the so-called authorities or experts like the Pharisees did--what has God revealed to them, not what do the great teachers say. What has God been showing them?  The point of the Holy Writ is to point to the person of Jesus and to aid us in finding our God.  Jesus rebuked them, "You know not the Scriptures, nor the power of God," (cf. Matt. 22:29).  Thus equating the two, but His interpreting of "knowing" the Scriptures was seeing Himself in them and the point is to lead them to Him.

Beware lest we get academic and study the Bible to know the "facts" or the trivia (distinguish between knowledge about the Bible and knowledge of the Bible)  and not the lessons, which are the real doctrines or teachings.  We should study to show ourselves "approved unto God," and that means a basic understanding and ability to interpret what is relevant to us as we apply it; mere knowledge for its own sake is vain and leads to being "puffed up" as Paul warns us in 1 Cor. 8:1 that "knowledge puffs up, but love edifies."  Knowledge of the Word is a means to an end, and not the end or goal per se.   True knowledge of God is vital:  "Therefore, My people go into exile, for lack of knowledge" (Isa. 5:13);  "My people perish for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6).

We can take pride in how much we know and this serves no purpose.  Some of us (e.g., pastors, teachers, and evangelists) have more so-called knowledge as a byproduct, but, for the run-of-the-mill believer, knowing the Author is more important than knowing the Word, however vital that is.   "For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth, men should seek instruction--because of he a messenger of the LORD Almighty" (Mal. 2:7).   There is a need for theologians, for instance, but in a sense, all believers are theologians because they espouse and believe in certain doctrines; but they have a bad rap and many simply regard their knowledge in a matter-of-fact manner and don't apply what they know.

We are not to despise knowledge per se, because God has repeatedly rejected the priests who have turned against knowledge ("Because you have rejected knowledge, I have rejected you as my priests," says Hosea 4:6).  Proverbs says that the wise "store up knowledge" and "the lips of the wise spread knowledge" (Prov. 15:7).   "A discerning heart seeks knowledge, but a fool feeds on folly" (Prov. 15:24).   "It is not good to have zeal without knowledge" (Prov. 19:2).  "They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge" (Rom. 10:1).   Therefore, we should not be against knowledge per se, but realize its place and a relative value; the real substance is in knowing Christ;  our relationship is with Christ, not the Word.

We develop a taste for the Word:  "O how I love thy Word, I meditate on it all day long."   "Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and they were the joy of my heart"  (Jer. 15:16).  Personally, I relate to Psalm 119:92 which says, "For if thy law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction."  David says, "Taste and see that the Lord is good..."  (Psa. 34:8).

We learn to love the Word, and there is nothing wrong with being a person of the Book (as believers were once called),  as we seek God's guidance and counsel to us (God is able to speak any way He chooses, but He has promised to speak to us in His Word);   Note Deut. 32:47:  "They are not just idle words for you--they are your life."   We turn to the Word, not to any person for authority.  Sola Scriptura (the Word alone)  was the cry of the Reformation and they took away the authority of the priest, pontiff, or tradition to compete with the sole authority of the Word.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Appreciating Humility

Humility is something we appreciate in the other guy, just like the virtue of patience. It is not low self-esteem; nor thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. But as soon as you think you are humble you are not! Phil. 2:5 says, "Have this mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus [who humbled himself]." Isaac Watts penned a famous hymn, "When I survey the wondrous cross/On which the Prince of glory died/My richest gain I count as loss/And pour contempt on all my pride."

God is opposed to the proud and gives grace to the humble according to 1 Pet. 5:5 and James 4:6. Isaiah 66:2 says that God will look at the one who is humble. Yes, pride is spiritual B.O. and we must stop making ourselves the center of our universe. John the Baptist said it succinctly, "He must increase, I must decrease." It's ironic that we do appreciate humility in the other guy!   Soli Deo Gloria!