How to be transformed...

 

Yesterday was filled with emotions. Unexpected help came regarding family reunion plans that thrilled me. Not only new ideas to help people enjoy one another, but a great deal of thoughtful and encouraging motivation expressed with it. Then our team nearly won a soccer match only to have it tied in the last minutes and lost in a shoot-out. And after that, a different kind of shooting with an attempt to assassinate the former US president. Then I had a long dream in which a false teacher, filled with nonsense ideas about the way people think, led two church services filled with thousands of people who thought she was wonderful. I woke up distressed at this depiction of the way our world is going. My emotions threatened to take my focus off Jesus.

Today’s devotional reading echoed some of the low points of the previous twenty-four hours. It speaks of self-centeredness saying again that the great sin that plagues us is our focus on me, myself, and I. To be calmer, more level, I needed to focus on Jesus, not think about me.

However, the Bible does say to examine ourselves. Like emotions, this can also get out of hand. Too much looking at me is not good either. Those emotions did that while biblical self-examination should be motivated by a desire to find and root out sin. Yet today’s reading warned that too much of it, or having a me-focus can lead to making excuses, feeling sorry for me, comparing myself to others less fortunate, or even pride that I am better than so-and-so.

(Jesus) also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9–14)

Even reading this story and thinking I am humble can turn into pride that thinks, “At least I am not like that self-righteous Pharisee.” While emotions can put my focus on me, so can pride. I’m supposed to view life in humility.

Not easy. Rare is the truly humble person. Today’s devotional offers this spiritual discipline to push out those sneaky personal pronouns: “The commands to look to Jesus, to behold His glory, to have our eyes ever toward Him, are literal. When we are looking to Jesus, we cannot see ourselves, for if our faces are to Him, our backs will necessarily be to one another.” The Bible says:

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Looking at Jesus not only takes my eyes off myself, my emotions, and my performance, but as this verse says, it is a transforming process. We are affected by what captures our attention. For instance, our family spent a couple years in a southern state around people with a drawl that produced a ‘you all’ accent in our children. What is fed into our minds does have an effect  on our lives. No wonder Jesus said,

I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (John 6:48–51)

He was illustrating the importance of relying on Him as sustenance for life. Relying on me only leads to more hunger and even starvation. Focus on Jesus feeds me well.

PRAY: Lord Jesus, looking at You instead of at myself changes my days and my dreams. Your will and responses affect me, even bring great joy at the good ideas of others instead of envy, and glad for fair play instead of being a sore loser fan, also upset at violence instead of thinking a victim gets what they deserve (as some do), and make me upset with false teaching and the harm it does rather than dismissing a dream as only a dream. Keep my eyes and thoughts on You. Only You can transform my selfishness into clear thinking — and help me with humility.

Sinless?

 

READ Luke 17-20

A man stood up during a church meeting and told the rest of us that he no longer sinned. He said that the salvation made possible by Jesus Christ would be put to shame if it was not complete. At that time I was a new Christian and thought something was wrong with his theology but didn’t have enough understanding on my own to make a response.

Today I read the following parable from Luke and am reminded of what that man said about his ‘righteousness’ . . .

Jesus also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you; this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9–14)

I don’t remember if the man in church treated others with contempt, yet his words were similar to this Pharisee. He claimed he was not like everyone else who did sinful things.

Through my Christian life, God warns me against such thinking, whether it is about comparing myself with others in regard to sin, or other things such as being better in school, or having more friends, or selling more articles, or knowing more about a topic, or any other kinds of self-exalting or lording it over people in regard to that cultural value system of ‘bigger, better, more’ that usually flies in the face of truth.

The Bible clearly says this about Christians and sin:

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:7–10)

When reading the Word of God or listening to a biblical teacher or preacher, or interacting with others, God often speaks to me about my short-comings using what I read or hear or observe. I’m rebuked nearly every day about failing to obey or being hypocritical or falling short of being like Jesus. I see others who are far more compassionate, far less self-centered, and even though the Bible warns about comparing myself with others, obviously I’ve things to confess.

Verse 9 in the above quote has been a long-term guide for me. It is God’s message about how to deal with sin and keep growing more like Jesus. When I sin, I’m to ‘fess up, agreeing with the Holy Spirit. Don’t deny it or hide it or call it something else. He forgave, forgives, and will forgive — and also will clean me up. Otherwise, I’m stuck with it and with the arrogant idea that now that I am a Christian, I never do anything contrary to the will of God. He is the Savior — I cannot save myself from sin’s penalty or its power. Never could and never can.

Jesus warned His disciples about self-righteousness and even did it in the hearing of all the people. He said: “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” (Luke 20:45–47)

These religious leaders called down everyone who was not like them without realizing that in the act of doing that, they were far worse than others who admitting their sin. They should have known better but pride in their religious activities overcame the truth of the Gospel.

For me, the Lord says to always remember that sin is sin and everyone is guilty. The good news is that because of Jesus everyone can be forgiven. Only Jesus has the power to change lives. One day, when I  step into eternity, I will be like Him, but until then I have to agree with Him that change remains necessary.

 

Considering the toxic parts useless and dead . . .

In the first part of Revelation, the word “angel” could also be translated “messenger” for it refers to the pastors of the churches to whom seven letters were written from the Lord. This understanding is helpful when reading these letters.

The church in Sardis, a pagan and commercial city, received one of those letters. This time, the Lord has nothing good to say about the church except that there were only a few in it that were worthy in their lives and service to Him.

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.’” (Revelation 3:1–5)

This congregation had a good reputation yet Jesus knew them in a deeper way than their outward appearance. They were “dead” which interpreted in the sense often used in the Bible means that they were separated from God. Their lives and their reputation depended on their own abilities and not the power of the Holy Spirit.

The New Testament is filled with exhortation to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. The flesh can look good, even moral and upright, yet those who belong to Jesus have crucified flesh; it is not alive to God.

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:24)

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. (Romans 6:6)

Jude also mentions what it means to have “soiled garments” when he writes, “save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.” (Jude 23) He is talking about sin. Sin can be blatant, but it can also be subtle. Both extremes happen in the lives of Christians. Ask me how I know!

For example, I could take a pie to a new neighbor because the Lord nudged me to reach out. Or I could take the pie to show off my pie-making ability. One is a work of the Lord, the other a work of the flesh, but on the outside, few people would discern the difference. Yet the Lord knows.

These verses remind me that I am accountable to God . . .

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12–13)

He knows my intentions when I do things and when those intentions are pure or fleshy, works that please Him or dead works. I might fool others but cannot hide from Jesus. It is His blood alone that can purify my conscience “from dead works to serve the living God.” (Hebrews 9:14)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Lord God, the conflict between flesh and spirit is a daily reality yet seldom preached. Many of Your people seem unaware of it and of the ramifications of trying to be good Christians in their own strength, an impossible task. Keep me alert. Keep me in Your Word. You bring me again and again to passages like these and remind me that I must be filled with Your Spirit to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the desires of the flesh. Keep me aware of what motives me, always remembering that my fleshy sin nature is dead and useless. There is no point in being a slave to sin and wearing garments soiled by the flesh; it is the mark of doom.

Today’s thankful list . . .

- God helps me recognize fleshy stuff.

- the Holy Spirit has the answer to it.

- when in the Spirit, I am not really aware because if I was, I’d start patting myself on the back and being back in the flesh!

- an enjoyable sewing day with ladies from our city’s quilt guild.

- French toast using Pane Roma and Brie cheese, a successful experiment!