It is easy if we do not love our neighbour, to start looking at their faults. The Bible says that love covers a multitude of sins. We should not be like the Pharisees, who did not emphasise love for their enemies, but were just looking to find out, what Jesus was not doing right, trying to find fault with him, although, it was never possible and never could be, to find fault, with the Son of God, who is perfect and Almighty God, who does not make a mistake.
May God help us not to be like the Pharisees who broke all records of fault finding, and be like Jesus, who loved, despite of the sinful state of human beings, by being a friend of sinners. You see, God does not like, some of the things we do, which are not appropriate according to his standards, but he still loves us, and has forgiven us in Jesus. Love is fault blind, meaning it goes over the shortcomings and mistakes of people. That is why Jesus said that he is interested in mercy for people, and not sacrifice. There was an occasion, when some of the disciples of Jesus, wanted to call fire to fall from heaven, and to burn some people, who were around them. But Jesus did not approve that. All that those disciples could see at that time, was the mistakes of those people, and they could not see further than that, but Jesus did see further, and wanted mercy for those people, and not to make them like a burning sacrifice or kill them. He came to give people life, and was the friend of sinners. When we concentrate on the shortcomings and sins of people around us, we become blind to the good in them, and we become love blind, instead of being fault blind. God wants us to be more fault blind and not love blind, because he is Love, and because that is why he sent his Son Jesus, to die for sinners, and call them to salvation, and not to kill them. God always desires mercy before looking for punishing someone for their sins. He is looking for repentance from people, and not to kill them, and forget about them. He wants to take repentant and forgiven sinners to heaven. We are always fault blind, or love blind, one or the other, but we can not be both, at the same time. The devil is called the accuser. He is the one accusing people for their sins before God, just as he did with Job. He is the master fault finder. God on the other hand, is always merciful and gracious, wanting to forgive people their sins, and to overlook their mistakes or sins, because of what Jesus did for humanity.
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There are Christians, all over the world, but each one of them, is on a different spiritual level, than the other Christians. We are not all on the same level. Each of us, who has been born again from the Holy Spirit, is on a different spiritual level of growth, than the others. It is like students at school. Some are at the Primary School, but others are at the University. And their knowledge compared to one another is not the same.
Each sermon a preacher prepares, should ideally address all levels of growth, in the Church congregation. Why? Because, one Christian believes that he can eat vegetables but not meat, and another Christian believes that he can eat meat and vegetables, and that would not be a problem for him - Roman 14:1-5. Now, let us look at Hebrews 5:13, 14. In these verses, we can see, that it is possible for a Christian, to be a Christian for many years, yet to be on the infant spiritual level. You see, God can not give us the solid spiritual food, the 'meat', if we are on the baby spiritual level. Why not? Because if he did, we can not digest it. We literally can not digest it into our spirit, and apply it in our life, because that solid spiritual food, is only for the mature Christians, who have developed their spiritual 'digestive system', being sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and being renewed with the Word of God to a such degree, that it can 'digest' the solid spiritual food, without a problem. And not only digest it, but apply it in their lives. We can not give a stake or fried chicken legs to a baby, because the baby does not even has the teeth to chew and digest that type of food. So it is similar to us, if we are still baby type of Christians, and we receive a 'solid spiritual food' from heaven. We will not be able to 'digest' it, and therefore, that food can not change us or make us to grow in the things of God. Another thing to consider, is that wanting to have more revelations from God, does not 'click' well, with a Christian, who is on the baby level of spiritual matters, because, even if God gave that Christian some more revelations, if that Christians is not mature enough, he could possibly not understand what those revelations mean, or if he did, he could misuse those revelations, because of immaturity in Christ. We have to be on a more mature level in the things of God, in order for us, to grasp, and deal properly with the things God gives us in the spiritual realm. God knows on what level of maturity in his things we are, and although we may want him to give us more things of his Kingdom, he would probably often not, because of our 'infant' way of thinking about the things of God. God will give us revelation from heaven, according to our level of growth in him. OK, now you are in a dangerous and challenging situation, and you wonder, if there is any help for you from heaven. You are not sure if God cares for the small details in your life, and you question yourself in your thinking, if God really does care, about what you are going through. Or perhaps you think, that God is only concerned about the big or 'important' things in your life, and only for the spiritual matters, but not for any material matters in your life.
Now, that is how many Christians our there think, when they are in the tight place. But where does that kind of thinking come from, and is it at all, based on the Bible? The reality is, that no, it is not based on the Bible, but is based most likely on some human presumptions, and some faulty thinking, which is not really a proper thinking, but is a kind of 'stinky thinking', a thinking, which has more to do with the way this world thinks, than is to do with what the Word of God says about us, and our situation. You say 'But I am at the end of my rope'. Well, you may be at the end of your rope, but according to God and his Word, is not the ending of you, if you believe and trust, that he will take you out or take you through, in your challenging and difficult situation. Know this, that no matter how short or long your rope is, once you find yourself, at the end of the rope, that is not the end, of a hope for you from God, never was, and never will! Why? Because he is there at the end of the rope, waiting for you, to give you a new rope, full with hope and blessing. Do not believe that? Let us look at Psalm 71. In Psalm 71:5, 6, 14, we can see, that King David, had learned to make God, his hope, a refuge and a fortress. What does that mean? Well, it means that when his enemies came and surrounded him, and in occasions wanting to kill David, he even then had hope in God, and run to God for help. Just read the whole psalm 71, and you will see, why King David was so powerful, in his life, even though he had to pass sometimes, through many trials and tribulations. The key was, he had a trust in God, and he had his hope and help in God, no matter what, he was facing. That could be the key for our hope in difficult situations too, when we pass through the fire. God can help us even when we do not have the hope and trust that he will do, but I am sure, it gives him joy, to find us trusting and hoping in him, for every situation we find ourselves in. There are sometimes, moments in your life, when you wonder, why if you do some things, which you know are right, and especially right in the eyes of God, because you have his Word, to make you think so, there are some people, or even Christians, who will say, all sorts of not so good things, about what you are doing, or about yourself. And of course, at the same time, there will be some other people, and even Christians, who will say various or many positive things, about what you are doing, or about yourself. And you find yourself, wondering, why there are those two types of reports, from people about you, positive and negative, about the one and the same thing you are doing.
But I would suggest, that you are not alone in that, and that there are many other Christians, who are undergoing the same treatment, just like yourself, about the good and right things, they are doing, by being criticised by one group of people, and being praised by another. And now, what is more important for you to realise, is that when Jesus was on earth, there were also two types of people, the ones who were saying some positive things about him, and some others, who were saying some negative things about him, and what he was doing or teaching. Look at Matthew 11:18, 19, and see, how people had a negative opinion, about John the Baptist, and about Jesus. And those verses, show some contrast between John the Baptist, and Jesus, in the sense, that John the Baptist, was not indulging in eating food, and Jesus, was sitting and having meals with sinners. The people criticised John the Baptist, even if he was not eating too much, and was not doing anything, which is not very commendable, and they did the same for Jesus. So, whatever John the Baptist and Jesus did, there were people around them, who would not like or approve, what they were doing. So why are you surprised, if sometimes, you find people saying things about you do, which are not very nice, although you know, that those things you do, are good, and is nothing negative about them? Do not be, that is, how it is. You will always have that type of comments from people, whatever you do. Jesus was perfect, never sinned, and there were people, who said all sorts of horrible things about him. You and me, can not escape, that type of treatment either, because the student is never above his teacher. |
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