Pride is a huge turn-off

Every now and then I get upset when it seems someone is telling others they need Jesus with the underlining message that the other person is not acceptable unless they are a Christian. The other person seems resentful of this put-down and less interested in hearing more.

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit’s task is to convict sinners about their unbelief. This does not mean that I should merely pray and never tell others the good news of the gospel. It does mean that my attitude should never be one of superiority because I am saved and considered righeous in God’s sight but that other person is still in sin and not acceptable.  

The Bible is full of instruction on the attitudes God wants in my life. They are summed up in loving Him and loving others. That love for others is exemplified in Jesus Christ. He told His disciples:

Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:13)

This means Jesus came into the world to save sinners, not to save the righteous, the fervent, and the earnest workers, but simply and only to save sinners. Some will say they are too far gone to save. At the other end of the spectrum are those who boast that God saved them, as if they somehow deserved it. Besides…

By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

This means that no one, even the most pious of God’s children, can lord it over others as if their position in Christ makes them superior. Jesus came to save sinners and that attitude is contrary to the reason Jesus saved me! Pride has no place in why He did it.

Perhaps one of the reasons that the Apostle Paul was mightily used by God is about his attitude. He said this:

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. (1 Timothy 1:15)

Instead of putting himself on a pedestal, this man of God identified with those Jesus came to save. He was merciful and even though he led a sacrificial life, it was not characterized by a self-righteous attitude nor did he use his position in Christ to manipulate others. He wrote about his attitude:

I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away! (2 Corinthians 10:1)
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. (Galatians 6:1)
But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. (1 Thessalonians 2:7)
In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15)

Today’s devotional warns me not to fix my eyes on myself or wonder if I am ‘good enough’ because I cannot answer these questions for myself, never mind impose such questions to others in the hope that they will be convicted of their sin and want to know Christ and salvation. All that would do is exalt self and fill me with self-congratulation and pride… and turn off the other person.

PRAY: Lord, in this I realize that exalting myself for not exalting myself is a form of pride too. Enable humility that shows up in all my interactions with others, even in my interactions with those who are filled with pride at being saved from sin. They don’t deserve even the least of Your mercies — and neither do I.
 

Nothing is impossible for Christ

For those who know their shortfall and are willing to admit their needs, God has answers. The Word of the Lord is not only for those who believe it, but for those outside the house of faith, those who have never learned about Jesus Christ.

In the economy of God, His first priority is love for His Son, and then through Him, love for all mankind. Most know John 3:16… “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son….” And to this Son He also gave…

The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. (John 3:35)

For Christ to satisfy human desires, even the desires and objections of those outside His kingdom, He must have everything. Many do not realize that all that is desirable is in Him, including wisdom. As the Bible says, in Him “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).

Wisdom is needed to know my condition, just as it is needed for those who don’t know Christ. Otherwise, they do not realize they are wandering far from God, or even think about it. To these, Jesus says, “I am the way…. I am the light of the world.” For guilt, He is the Lord our righteousness, the fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness. If dejected, He promises to send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. For those who need direction, He is the wonderful Counselor, and says…

I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them. (Isaiah 42:16)

Christ is the answer to all objections. If anyone says, “I am lost,” He says, “I came to seek and to save what was lost.” If anyone objects because their sin is too great, Christ says, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:13) They may cry that they cannot stop sinning, but it is the work of Christ “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Acts 26:18).

Not only that, “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength” (Isaiah 40:29) and promises, “I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them” (Hosea 14:4).

Nothing is too hard for God. He gave Christ all things that He might answer the tough issues, remedy the impossible situations, and fully satisfy the greatest desires.