I was reading a sermon by G. Campbell Morgan today, titled, "Paul's estimate of life."
"To me to live is Christ; not a set of rules, but a life principle within me; not the conditioning of my days by times-tables and maxims and rules, but the ever-present Christ stretching to the farthest territory of my being, and by His precense there ordering all my life within the bounds of His sacred will."
FAITH - "a belief in or confident attitude toward God, involving commitment to His will for one’s life".
And what it means, I am learning, when we "live as Christ", is that people will mis-read, mis-judge, ridicule and even despise us. I suppose I never really thought this would happen to me, although Jesus speaks plainly that it will.
"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. "
Maybe I have spent my life hiding behind the approval of men?
"For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. " Galatians 1:10
2 comments:
I think we all struggle with this to some degree. Some part of our human nature always wants to be accepted and yet Christ reminds us numerous times that we are seperate.
I have been pleading with the Lord to utterly ruin in me the fear of man! I hate it that there is still in me a motivation of man-pleasing. I know if I live for an audience of One and just let His life live through me I will be honorable in man's eyes in many ways, but I also will be rejected by them and that's the place I shrink away from. As God reveals this in me and examines me I trust He's leading me out of it to walk fearing HIm alone. I'm so glad He's not finished with me!
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