The more years of my life that pass by, the more amazed I am at how different our human standards are from those of God. These would be the “standards” we rely on to construct our values... the basis for our human relationships. We haven’t done a very good job of constructing these core values.
The way we place value on a person, on things and even the way we interact with one another as Christians is largely a hodgepodge of humanistic concepts of valuation infused with Biblical ideas and applied through a distorted view of how we think we should interact with one another.
This hodgepodge blending of humanistic philosophies and biblical precepts deeply affects Christians. If we are individually impacted by these flawed standards then certainly the collective... the Body of Christ is also impacted. The Church is suffering from a confusion of these standards and much of the churches decline can be attributed to using human standards rather than God’s in personal relationships and the workings of His church.
This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:23-24 NIV)
In trivial things, men judge men, often harshly and with an unforgiving spirit. They can always find justification for such actions and attitudes in the misguided belief that they are acting in some way in consort with God’s will. Humans do not naturally aspire to be peacemakers, and unfortunately Christians are often the worst among humanity at showing love and forgiveness first, “turning the other cheek” as Jesus instructed. We seem to lack the strength to remove the heavy rafters form our own eyes... but have no problem pointing out the problems of our brothers in Christ.
Growing like a cancer in the Church today is an ungodly spirit of selfishness, pride and arrogance.... I want my way, I will not change, I want to hold on to my treasured wounds and no one is going to make me change, you hurt me I’ll hurt you, I don’t want to know and understand you... you say “sorry” first.. Sound familiar? The Church becomes for such ones.... a curse upon their souls, for by their pridefull choices and attitudes they are calling down condemnation upon themselves.
What should be the criteria by which men recognize hearts of loving kindness, attitudes of justice, and characters of righteousness? The “right standards” are the attributes, qualities and characteristics of our Creator and Savior. Our personal growth in manifesting evidence of these standards (Galatians 5; 22-25) determines our real standing, on the scale of eternity, before Him. Human wisdom, personal prowess and might, and riches always generate pride and arrogance. Pride is "the condemnation of the devil" (1 Timothy 3:6) and it can taint everything we think and do.
Scripture reminds us... "that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: . . . That no flesh should glory in his presence" (1 Corinthians 1:26, 29). All Christians should, indeed, desire wisdom, enhancement of personal capabilities [might], and even riches, but not as defined or measured by the standards of this world. Among “one another” in Christian community, the New Testament is clear.... we are to give one another the “benefit of the doubt”. We are to emanate Christlike responses in all of our interactions, even the frustrating ones, as we “bear one another”. No one can argue this, no humanistic credo can be substituted for any interaction among brothers in Christ. Can’t be done.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 9:10). "As poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things" (2 Corinthians 6:10). "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
When Christians are united together in the bond of fellowship we must allow loving kindness to become the standard of true wisdom; justice, the measure of real power and righteousness and our criterion for determining riches. Riches gained in this life are treasured friendships with each other that will endure for all eternity! Caring in love and compassion for one another is the true measure of riches as can only be found in a fellowship designed and defined by Christ.
All of these attributes are found fully and only in Jesus Christ. IF they are absent in the living interactions of a congregation... what can be said of that congregations unity with the Holy Spirit? Not much I am afraid to say.... for our actions with one another and among one another when we stumble, is a true and genuine reflection of a “Christlike” spirit prevailing over all pettiness, strife and sin.
If we must "glory" in something, let it not be our own self-importance or our high brow superiority... let it be the cross. There is nothing but humility at the foot of the cross... shocking, powerful and heart rendering humility. Live each day remembering who you are and who bought you at great sacrifice. We are nothing but “filthy rags” that God by His incomprehensible love sent His son to die on that cross... revealing the standards by which we can be saved. "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." (Galatians 6:14).
Never, never doubt who is in control of His Church... it is God. We must believe that God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, works to perfect those who with honest hearts seek to serve Him, faithfully through trials and hardships. Many of the trials and hardships we will face in our Christian life will come from within the body of believers.
When troubles erupt among brothers, when you feel alone, abandoned and unloved in the midst of Christ’s Church, then it’s time to apply His standards to your pain and suffering... not the flawed, hurtful and self-centered standards of humanism.
