Earning the right . . .

 

 

READ Psalm 51–55

On this Easter Sunday, I again praise God for sending Jesus to die for my sin, indeed for the sin of the whole world. Joy is in me, but also a burden for the millions who do not yet know Him, and know their sins are forgiven with the blessing of being His children and living in His kingdom forever. The way into that blessing is much like David’s simple prayer. He was God’s man already, but this prayer can be prayed by anyone (me too):

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! (Psalm 51:1–2)

As a child of God, I know my need for continual cleansing. Yesterday, I thought nasty thoughts against others and needed to confess it. David says what I must say: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me . . . . “Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.” (Psalm 51:10; 13)

Keeping of short accounts is important. David knew it and I know it too. The psychologists say “Earn the right to speak to others” meaning gain their confidence and trust. This is important yet the example of David and the words of the NT put “earning the right” between me and God, not me and other people. It is as David says — his confession of sin and clearing things up with God result in being able to teach people about Jesus in such a way that they hear and respond by turning to Him . . .

In other words, if I have unconfessed sin in my life, I have no business telling others to come to Jesus for forgiveness because I am not doing what I tell them to do. Besides, keeping short accounts with God is a humbling thing and important. Pride in anything I do or say is a big turn-off. It can turn my message of love into preachiness and an annoying self-righteousness that denies the very truths of the message I want to convey — Jesus saves because we cannot save ourselves.

As I read these psalms, the Lord speaks to me about the difference between David’s prayers and mine. First, he is clear about the source of salvation: “O God, save me by your name, and vindicate me by your might. O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth.” (Psalm 54:1–2) It is not his own doing. If I share the Gospel with anyone and have a prideful, “I’m in with God and you are not” attitude, or even pray for them with that attitude, those who listen (including God) are likely not going to pay attention.

The second difference troubles me; David does not pray for the salvation of his enemies . . .

My companion stretched out his hand against his friends; he violated his covenant. His speech was smooth as butter, yet war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords. Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. But you, O God, will cast them down into the pit of destruction; men of blood and treachery shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in you. (Psalm 55:20–23)

These words remind me that there are few places in the NT that say I should pray for unsaved people. Most of them are for those who already believe in Jesus. It does say to pray for those in authority and for our enemies, not that they be cast into a pit, yet there is no obvious instruction to pray for their salvation.

Lord Jesus, on this day of celebrating Your resurrection, give me deeper insight on how to pray, both for Your people and for those who resist You and even resist us. Human motivation for prayer could be way off base. Right praying requires being filled with Your Spirit, wanting Your will to be done, and keeping short accounts regarding my own sin.

 

Walk in the Spirit . . .

 

 

READ 2 Corinthians 9-13

One confusing thing about Christians is that sometimes we act as if we are not. To the watching world, this is hypocrisy and our confession of faith is dismissed as mere pretense. For Christians, we know the war that goes on between the old nature (flesh) and the new (governed by the Spirit of God). Walking in the Spirit is real, not pretense, and the desires of the flesh are real too. Our struggle with sin is unknown to others who do not have that inner conflict:

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. (Galatians 5:16–17)

The NT is filled with descriptions of the differences. Some fleshy stuff is obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these as listed in Galatians 5, but a few are less so because even ‘good’ people can give in to them. Today’s reading hints at these . . .

The Spirit-filled person will give cheerfully, trusting God to supply any insufficiency or personal lack because of willing generosity. The flesh gives reluctantly or under pressure or in order to profit in some way. This may look the same on the surface but God knows the heart.

The Spirit motivates His people to care about others whose lives are being controlled by sin, but not to deal with it for reasons of embarrassment, fear, or shame or any other personal motivation, only to glorify God and help those caught by sin to escape that problem:

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. (2 Corinthians 10:4–6)

The spiritual person can speak openly about their failures and successes, and how they rely on the Lord for all that they are able to do, while the fleshy person boasts about their own achievements, even comparing themselves with others less able to do those things. (2 Corinthians 10)

The spiritual person will be imitated, but any false teachers will be doing what they do in their own power. They might be skilled in speaking and persuasion, but they will put on airs, or take advantage of others, making slaves of them, even be unkind to them (2 Corinthians 11:16ff). On the other hand, those who live by the Spirit will feel too weak for that, realizing they cannot play the same game and pretend being good without Christ.

Paul told of all that he had been through at the hands of those who did not believe in Jesus. He admitted his weakness yet also told the reason for putting up with it; he had deep anxiety for the well-being of other Christians. A fleshy person boasts not of their weaknesses but of their strengths but this Christian man knew where true power came from.

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7–10)

The spiritual person gives their time and energy to benefit others, saying things like, “I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?” (2 Corinthians 12:15) Whereas fleshiness is more concerned that others love him or her and do what they can to gain favor, even to be a burden or take advantage of others by deceit. The flesh is not concerned about the spiritual well-being of others, or their eternal destiny. They will not warn people about sin or talk about Jesus. They are more concerned about popularity and their reputation than about the call of God on their lives.

There is more, but I see enough to convict me of the times I slide into ‘me running my own life’ instead of ‘Jesus fill me and be in charge’ wanting more of Him and less of me. Lord, this is not so I will look better to others, but so my relationship with You deepens and You are honored as You deserve to be honored.