A Sign of Spiritual Immaturity
1 Corinthians 4:5 – “Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in darkness and make manifest the motives of hearts.”
As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, a reality troubled me. Judgmentalism’s ugly head loomed before my eyes. Its constant companion, self-righteousness, stood by its side, sneering. It was a deeply troubling visual.
As I pondered what I was seeing and sensing, Psalm 127:1 caught my attention. “Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless the LORD watches the city. The watchman keeps awake in vain.”
Self-appointed guardians of truth often succumb to Judgmentalism and exhibit self-righteousness toward those who are hurt and toward the Body of Christ. Psalm 133:1 is germane. Judgmentalism is a sign of spiritual immaturity. (1 Corinthians 3).
1 Corinthians 4:5 is a succulent warning and guide. The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart – “Rather than you trying to be the guardian of truth, teach truth. Rather than trying to expose every error, teach truth. In love, contrast error to truth without including personalities. Follow biblical principles in all things and pray for everyone.”
Matthew 18 must be followed. If I have not gone to the person I am judging as errant, I am in violation of scripture. I do not know the hearts of others, so I commit them to God, pray for them, and proclaim what I believe to be Truth. We do not justify sin. We do not ignore violations of biblical truth. But, if we become sectarian (1 Corinthians 3), we hinder the witness of Christ and limit the benefit to the Body of Christ.
Here is a thought to consider. Our objective is oneness with Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Our purpose is the mission and commission of the gospel. We are to be the servant or slave of Jesus only. 1 Corinthians 7:23 – “You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.” If we focus on the errors of others, we become slaves to them. Our focus on their error hinders our seeing God’s truth in ever-expanding ways. What we focus on becomes our master.
Let’s focus on Jesus, truth, love, and the kingdom, and leave the judgment to Him. It is possible we could be wrong in our judgment or only partially right. We divide the body and hinder the world. So, let’s give them Jesus!
My cry today is LORD, help me to see my flaws, and in light of Your mercy, be merciful.
May the Peace of God rule your hearts today!
Foolish Vows and Promises
Judges 11:29-31 – “The Lord’s Spirit empowered Jephthah. He passed through Gilead and Manasseh and went to Mizpah in Gilead. From there he approached the Ammonites. 30 Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, saying, “If you really do hand the Ammonites over to me, 31 then whoever is the first to come through the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from fighting the Ammonites—he will belong to the Lord and I will offer him up as a burnt sacrifice.”
As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, I was drawn to something I knew but had not connected. The account of Jephthah in Judges 11 arrested me and led me to realize something spiritually valuable.
Jephthah, in his desire to deliver Israel, made a vow to God. My first thought was, “Is making a vow or a promise to God wrong?” Of course not, if it is a surrender of heart. However, Jephthah’s vow could, and I believe it should, be considered an attempted bribe. It was the classic, “God, if you will, I will.”
It was unnecessary! He could have asked for God’s help and guidance. His vow was an attempt to make himself equal to God. “God, if you do Your part, I will complete the work with my part.” Rather than saying, “LORD, I surrender to You, give us help, he attempted to entice God with his bribe.”
Many things come to mind here. He vowed to offer the first thing that came out of his house as a sacrifice. That is intended to show his complete surrender and willingness to give God anything. However, it was an attempted bribe that was neither needed nor required. What did he think would come out of his house? A dog, a sheep, a slave? His daughter came out.
He said to her, “You are the one bringing me trouble.” NO! Sir, your bribe caused you sorrow of heart. God helped him win the battle, but his rash vow cost him his daughter.
What I’m attempting to point out is that we get ourselves in trouble with our mouths. We try to demonstrate our total surrender through rash promises. The Bible says, “Ask, not negotiate with God.” We have nothing we did not receive from Him, so we have nothing to negotiate with; it’s all His.
If we are His, we need to trust Him, surrender ourselves to Him, and ask for His help. Never try to bribe God. It is both foolish and costly. God wants to help, and as we simply obey, He will be God to us and through us. Do not let your mouth cause you to sin. You have nothing to bribe God with, but if you make a vow, He expects you to keep it. Therefore, we need to think carefully before we open our mouths!
Lord help us not be foolish and attempt to negotiate or bribe You!
Ways or Acts
Psalm 103:7 – “He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.”
As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, I was drawn to God’s authority and our condition. Psalm 103:7 Moses was unshakable in his faith and commitment. The people forgot quickly when need, want, or difficulty arose.
The Psalmist who made that revelatory declaration in verse 7, after the call to continual praise in verses 1-5. He gave us self-reminders of who God is and all God has done. What we focus on becomes transformational.
- Bless (praise) His Holy Name.
This is a reminder not only to praise God but to remember that He is HOLY!
- Forget none of His benefits.
The list is short but encompassing enough to motivate us to stay true!
- He pardons ALL our iniquities.
- Heals ALL our diseases.
- Redeems (rescues) from the pit (hell and storms of life).
- He Crowns (a covering and position of authority) us with His covenant mercy.
- Satisfies (fulfills) our years with good things and renews us so that we are (in spirit if not body) perpetually young and vibrant.
Psalm 106:13 – “They quickly forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel.”
Acts only satisfy for a short time (even miracles), but Ways (character and intimacy) change us.
Romans 8 reminds us that IN CHRIST, there is no condemnation, even if there is accusation. Total surrender of the total self results in total transformation. The Christ Life makes us Christ-like. God takes every event of life and uses it to bring us to the place He desires us to be. Transformed by the Spirit, not conformed by the world.
Our condition is directly connected to our recognition of and submission to God’s authority! If we embrace Him as LORD, He transforms us and positions us to be what He designed us to be. Then the Christ Life makes us Christ-like, and we positively impact our world for the kingdom.
Lord, introduce us to Your Ways, not just Your Acts!
Which Voice Are We Listening To?
Romans 4:19-25 – Without being weak in faith, he considered his own body as dead (because he was about 100 years old) and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver in unbelief about the promise of God but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God. 21 He was fully convinced that what God promised he was also able to do. 22 So indeed it was credited to Abraham as righteousness. 23 But the statement it was credited to him was not written only for Abraham’s sake, 24 but also for our sake, to whom it will be credited, those who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was given over because of our transgressions and was raised for the sake of our justification.
As I listened to the howling wind and rain beating against my window, I continued my praying and reading. I had a sense of calm knowing the promise and provision of God (Psalm 91). I was reminded of Paul’s description of Abraham in Romans 4:19-25. He trusted God.
Abraham considered his age, his physical ability, and Sarah’s. Considered indicates he evaluated it. He saw the impossibility in the natural. God said, ‘You will have a natural-born son.’ The conditions said, “No, you won’t.”
Verse 20 makes a powerful and revelatory statement. “YET, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, AND being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to do.”
Abraham’s heart was totally God’s. He trusted God. That changed his outlook, and he was empowered to look beyond or through the problem to the promise. He looked from the now to the then. He did not waver! We waver!
Abraham did not ignore the problem. He did not minimize the problem. It was real, and denial would have led to deception and a loss of confidence in God, and upon fulfillment of the promise, failure to fully give God credit. It was impossible for him and Sarah, BUT GOD could, and he believed God would.
Romans 5:1-5 is vital. Justified by grace, we have peace with God. Tried or proven faith stands. Abraham’s physical limitations tested His confidence in God’s integrity. The test developed character. Character established hope. Hope banished fear, doubt, and the shame of failure!
God’s promises are certain. However, we must never forget that He demands our whole heart and obedience. He’s not our candy store or supermarket. He is our God and blesses us so that we are transformed and vessels for His purposes. We can’t live in the flesh and expect to enjoy the benefits of the Spirit.
Read Romans 6 and meditate on it. A change on the inside produces a change on the outside. Faith leads to righteousness. How we live testifies to who we are. The benefit of salvation is sanctification, which leads to eternal life. Who are we?
Lord, help us to hear Your voice and reject all negative voices!
Yachad
Psalm 86:11 – “Teach me Your way, O Yahweh; I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.”
As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, the Hebrew word (Yachad) gripped my heart. In simplicity, it means “togetherness.” However, it is more than a loosely linked camaraderie. It is making one so blended that there is no distinction. It is the preventative against double-mindedness.
Psalm 86:11 – “Teach me Your way (singular), O Yahweh; I will walk in Your truth…” The Way of God is a revelation of who God is His character! The Psalmist says, “If You expose to my heart, Your character THEN or as a result I will serve You with my all. Let me know, You and my heart will totally belong to You.”
Then (Yachad) enters the picture. “Unite (Yachad) my heart to fear (reverence) Your name.” LORD, enable me to know You so that I become ONE with You, and my life will express who You are! I will become a living letter from you to the world and the church.
In verses 12-13, he says, “I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and glorify Your name FOREVER. For (because) Your lovingkindness (chesed) toward me is great, and You have delivered my soul from Sheol below.”
God revealed His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. God’s character united (Yachad) Moses to Him and His purpose. God’s power was the focus of the people.
Today, there is a tendency to focus on the power of God rather than the person of God. If we become united with the person, the power is present when needed. The person (character) of God unites and transforms, the power of God awes, but is soon forgotten as the heart craves the desires of the flesh.
LORD, Unite (Yachad), our hearts!
Roy's Covenant Corner 