Christian Living | Gaylord Diaz's Blog

CHRISTIANS AND SELF-ESTEEM PART 4

November 9, 2010 at 2:39 PM (Christian Living, Self-Esteem)

While the Lord commands us to be humble and not proud, I’ve found that THE BIBLE DOESN’T ENCOURAGE US TO HAVE BAD, POOR, OR LOW SELF-ESTEEM. We’re commanded to deny and crucify self. But we’re never commanded or encouraged to hate ourself. I know Luke 14:26 tells us to hate our own life. The Lord isn’t talking about self-esteem here. The phrase is a Hebraic way of saying don’t love your own life more than you love me (see Matthew 10:37).

To the contrary, and perhaps much to our surprise, WE ARE COMMANDED TO LOVE OURSELF! Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:36-40, Mark 12:31, Galatians 5:14, James 2:8). The command was first given to Moses, then Jesus reiterated it, and Paul and James did too! And since that time, the love of neighbor and self has come to be known as the Great Commandment and Royal Law of Scripture.

As astounding as it may sound, brethren, IT ISN’T A SIN TO LOVE OURSELF. Like I’ve said already, the love of self so often leads to sin in the form of carnality, selfishness, and a life without God. No one’s arguing or denying that point. I’m not saying we should be proud, conceited, or self-centered. All I’m saying is God’s trying to tell us something about ourself and we need to listen. And what is He trying to tell us? That it’s okay to love ourself. In fact, He commands it! And it’s a command that doesn’t come with any rebukes or prohibitions.

In, of, and by itself, loving ourself isn’t sinful or wrong. Go back to the Great Commandment and Royal Law. If loving ourself is sinful and wrong God would never have commanded us to love our neighbor based on a love that’s sinful and wrong, namely, the love of self. GOD, BRETHREN, RECOGNIZES THE FACT THAT—EXCEPTIONS AND SPIRITUAL OPPRESSION ASIDE—ALL OF US LOVE OURSELF. HE DOESN’T DENY OR FORBID THAT. TO THE CONTRARY, HE WANTS US TO USE THIS LOVE OF SELF AS THE MEASURE BY WHICH WE LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR. WE ARE TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR AS MUCH AS–OR IN THE SAME WAY THAT–WE LOVE OURSELF.

WHY THE LOVE OF SELF IS SO NECESSARY AS GOD SEES IT

Within reason, LOVING OURSELF IS A GOOD AND HEALTHY THING. Why is that? Because WE TAKE CARE OF WHAT WE LOVE. Paul puts it this way in Ephesians 5:28-29, So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. {29} For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church. If we didn’t love ourself we wouldn’t take care of ourself. We would abuse and misuse ourself. But the truth of the matter is, we take care of ourself because we love ourself. The love is what gives rise to, it’s what causes, the care. Said another way, PROPER CARE AND NURTURE OF OURSELF REQUIRES THAT WE LOVE OURSELF.

With this understanding in mind, the reason why it’s crucial for us to love ourself in relation to our neighbor is this. If we love our neighbor as ourself we’ll take care of our neighbor in the same way we take care of ourself. This is why all the commandments are fulfilled when we love our neighbor as ourself: For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself (Galatians 5:14). Romans 13:8-10 echoes the refrain: Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. {9} For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. {10} Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

LOVING OURSELF, I’M SAYING, IS A GOOD AND HEALTHY THING. IT’S IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY—BOTH FOR OURSELF AND FOR OUR NEIGHBOR. AND IT’S AN ACT OF OBEDIENCE TO GOD.

Coming Up In My Next Blog Post, Part 5: How God wants us to view ourself.

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CHRISTIANS AND SELF-ESTEEM PART 3

November 4, 2010 at 11:59 AM (Christian Living, Self-Esteem)

THE TWO FLAWS OR WEAKNESSES OF SELF-ESTEEM

The Flaw Of Comparison. No matter what kind of self-esteem you have—good or bad—there are two inherent flaws in self-esteem. No degree of good self-esteem is truly good until or unless these two flaws are remedied. The first flaw is that of comparison. Most people’s self-esteem is gained by comparing oneself with others. Consider the five things that we base our self-esteem on. We can talk about our looks, our character, our acceptance, our abilities, or our achievements. We judge ourself in relation to others: we don’t look as pretty as Betty Sue, we’re not as patient as Randy John, we’re just not as good at painting as Mattie Mae, and we haven’t been successful like Billy Ray. Do you see what I mean? We compare ourself with other people and the results of that comparison become the basis and content of our self-esteem.

The problem with comparison-based self-esteem is there’ll always be people who are better than us—people who, though unintentionally perhaps—ruin our self-esteem. And conversely, there’ll always be people who are not as good as us—inducing us to pride and arrogance. Friends, we’ll never really, truly feel good about ourself as long as we compare ourself with others.

The Flaw Of Godlessness. I think it’s healthy, rewarding, and fulfilling for people to have good self-esteem. I wouldn’t want to live life feeling bad about, and hating, myself. So I think it’s good for people to think good about themselves. But the greater, more important question is, What does God think about me? I may feel good about myself, but does God have, or share, the same feeling about me? Hell, no doubt, is full of people who lived life feeling good about themselves—in spite of the fact that they were abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate, Titus 1:6.

In the end, when every human being stands before the judgment seat of God to be sentenced either to endless bliss in Heaven or endless torment in Hell, our self-esteem counts for nothing if God is not a part—yea, the central part, of our life. This is the second flaw of self-esteem. No matter how good a perception we have of ourself, self-esteem without God as the Master and Lord of our life will not spare us eternal pain and misery in Hell. Self-esteem is really, truly good only when we let God shape our opinion and view of ourself.

CHRISTIANS AND SELF-ESTEEM

Should Christians have self-esteem? Yes, according to a lot of Christians. But you’d be surprised to find Christians, not a few, who believe that self-esteem has no place in the Christian life. From where I stand, an honest inquiry into the facts will show that every human being has self-esteem. It’s the way we’re built. It comes with being human. We can’t get rid of it any more than we can get rid of our own human nature. As long as we’re human and alive, we all have self-esteem. The difference is the kind, or amount, of self-esteem that we have. So let me reword the question. What does God want us to do with our self-esteem? Does He even want us to have self-esteem? Should we rid ourselves of self-esteem? If not, then what kind of self-esteem does God want us to have? Wow! Is this interesting or what? Let’s see what the Bible has to say.

GOD DOESN’T WANT US TO BE PROUD

It goes without saying that God doesn’t want us to be proud, arrogant, conceited, or vain. 1 Peter 5:5-6 admonishes us, Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. {6} Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Paul had something to say about pride when he told us in Romans 12:3, For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. Of course, Philippians 2:3 is the classic Scripture passage that instructs us to esteem others better than ourself: Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. God, brethren, doesn’t want to be proud.

GOD’S PROHIBITION AGAINST PRIDE ISN’T A PROHIBITION AGAINST SELF-ESTEEM

Unfortunately, many Christians stop with God’s prohibition against pride and don’t consider the rest of what God had to say about self-esteem. Some things that God said are commonly overlooked or ignored because we want to concentrate on the main thing that God’s telling us, which is, Don’t be conceited or vain! Main point acknowledged. But in all fairness and honesty to God, we’ve got to listen to everything He said. I suppose if it wasn’t important He wouldn’t have said it.

Romans 12:3 is a good example. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think (Romans 12:3). God, brethren, doesn’t want us to be proud and conceited. But His prohibition against vanity and conceit isn’t a prohibition against us having some kind of regard, respect, or esteem for ourself. He doesn’t want us to think more highly of ourself than we ought to think, but that’s not to say—it’s not the same as saying—that God doesn’t want us to think anything of ourself. The fact is, God wants us to think, we ought to think, something about ourself—just not more highly that we ought to think less we become conceited, vain, arrogant, and proud. God, I am saying, is telling us it’s alright, within reason, for us to have self-esteem.

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 4: Loving self versus hating self and what God has to say.

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CHRISTIANS AND SELF-ESTEEM PART 2

November 1, 2010 at 2:05 PM (Christian Living, Self-Esteem)

THE PROFOUND INFLUENCES ON OUR SELF-ESTEEM

Our self-esteem is profoundly influenced by our social environment. The greatest of these influences is our home: our parents in particular and our siblings as well. Our earliest perceptions of ourself are based on things that our family say to us and about us. And they’re also based on the way they treat us. With lots of love, positive affirmation, and wholesome teaching or training we grow up feeling good about ourself because we sense the love and value bestowed upon us by our parents and siblings. Naturally, the converse is true. A troubled, abusive family setting is injurious to our self-esteem and the effects of that loveless relationship haunt us for the greater part, even the remainder, of our life.

Besides our parents and family, the people in our life affect the way we think about ourself. Our teachers, classmates, pastors, neighbors, relatives, coworkers, and friends all play a role in contributing to our own perceptions about ourself. Their opinions, criticisms, and positive affirmations form the basis of what we believe about ourself. Now what’s true with family is also true with our social network: a positive social environment produces a healthy self-esteem. And a negative social environment, an unhealthy one. The people we hang around with the most are the ones who have the most impact on the way we view ourself.

THE THINGS THAT MAKE UP OUR SELF-ESTEEM

How, exactly, do we go about forming or developing our self-esteem? There are five basic factors that go into the makeup or development of our self-esteem.

1. OUR LOOKS. As children, our very first perception of ourself centers around our looks: our gender, skin color, hair color, length, and style; our body shape and size; our height and weight; and our facial characteristics, i.e. the size and contour of our nose, the shape of our eyes and mouth, our facial hair, etc. As we enter puberty and adolescence we lay a lot of stress on our facial features, sexual endowments, and current hair and clothing fads. Our very first perception of ourself as beautiful, ugly, comely, or attractive is based on the way we look.

2. OUR ACCEPTANCE. As we enter puberty and adolescence we continue to lay a lot of stress on our facial features, sexual endowments, and overall bodily appearance. We do this as a means to an end; it’s what we think we have to do to get what we want. And what is that? We want to be liked and accepted by our peers. This is where our preoccupation with current hair and clothing fads or fashions come in. We spend a great deal of time and money making ourselves attractive and appealing—especially to the opposite sex because we desperately want to be loved and accepted. We want to fit in, blend in, and be like everyone else in our age group. Our teen years are devoted to popularity and acceptance. Our self-esteem at this age is determined by how well we are liked and accepted. Popularity and likeability produce good self-esteem. And rejection and ridicule produce a disastrously bad or low self-esteem.

3. OUR CHARACTER. As we enter our later teen years we are not as bound by peer pressure as before. We are free to explore who we really are. While looks and fashion are still important elements of our self-perception, they are no longer the sole, most important determinant of our self-esteem. We begin assessing our value, dignity, and worth on something that has become more important to us, and that is our psychological, spiritual makeup. We start building self-esteem on who we are as a person. We judge ourselves based our personality, behavior, and character; on our morals, beliefs, and goals in life. If we like what we’ve become in terms of our personality and pursuits we’ll have good self-esteem. Contrariwise, if we despise who we are because of our weaknesses, addictions, and aimlessness in life we’ll have poor self-esteem.

4. OUR CAPABILITIES. As we leave our schooling behind and enter the work force we begin to define our self-esteem in terms of our abilities.

(a) Our abilities includes our intelligence or how mentally-equipped we are to perform certain tasks and succeed. When we get a job that we can do well in and succeed vocationally as well as financially, we get a good feeling about ourself and remain optimistic about life. But when we have a job that we’re just not capable of doing well, we see ourself as a dunce and a failure in life.

(b) Our abilities include our emotional makeup and how well we are prepared to handle the stresses of the job, the stresses of a long-term relationship with a member of the opposite sex, and the stresses of life in general. We all are faced with difficulties and trials. A person who copes well and is able to get past the defeats and difficulties will feel good about himself or herself and his or her resulting resiliency will contribute toward a positive outlook in life. But a person who doesn’t cope with life’s struggles will get angry and bitter. Unfortunately, this inability to cope contributes to a sense of failure and the onslaught of despair or depression.

(c) Lastly, our abilities include our physical makeup. As men, the health and stamina to work hard and provide a good living bring a sense of inner satisfaction and fulfillment. For domestically-inclined women, the ability to conceive children and be a good mother provides a woman with an inner sense of pride and fulfillment. A physical disability wreaks havoc on a person’s self-esteem. But, fortunately, a disabled person can rise above a defeatist mentality and do what he or she can do to live an independent, or semi-independent, life and thereby enhance his or her self-esteem.

5. OUR ACHIEVEMENTS. As we enter our mid-life and senior years, our self-esteem comes to be based on what we’ve accomplished, or failed to accomplish, in life. It’s a reflective, meditative time in life when we look back over the course of our life and see whether our life has counted for anything. We look at the goals and dreams we had in life when we were young, then we look at ourself now and we judge ourself based on how well we lived up to our goals and dreams. Our self-esteem becomes one of pride and satisfaction, or else sorrow and regret.

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 3: Two flaws of self-esteem and the question of whether Christians should have self-esteem.

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CHRISTIANS AND SELF-ESTEEM PART 1

October 28, 2010 at 12:18 PM (Christian Living, Self-Esteem)

In this post and the next four, I’d like to tackle the complex, if not touchy, issue of Christians and self-esteem. Should Christians have self-esteem? How should Christians view themselves? Is it wrong to feel good about ourself? Does God want us to have a deprecatory view of ourself? Does the Bible have anything to say about what we should think and feel about ourself?

Let me say at the outset that I’m not a trained or professional psychologist. I’m a Christian minister. I’m interested, first of all, in what God, not psychologists, has to say about self-esteem. And, second of all, I want to do my part in helping God’s people see themselves the way God sees them. So, with these introductory words aside, let’s get started on our Biblical voyage of self-discovery.

A DEFINITION OF SELF-ESTEEM

What Self-Esteem Is. Self-esteem comes from a Greek word meaning ‘reverence for self’; to honor, respect, revere self. The thought is rather frightening to many of us Christians who equate reverence with the worship of God. But there’s nothing idolatrous about reverencing oneself. We reverence, honor, or respect our parents, our elders, pastors, and government leaders. There’s nothing idolatrous, sinful, or wrong with that. In fact, the Bible commands us to honor and respect these aforementioned people. Self-esteem, simply put, is to reverence, honor, and respect yourself just the same way you reverence, honor, and respect the important, esteemed people in your life.

A commonly-accepted definition of self-esteem is pride in oneself; self-respect; a sense of one’s dignity or worth. Frankly, the definition doesn’t do a whole lot for me. There’s a vagueness to it that leaves me still wondering what self-esteem is. The simplest way I know to describe or define self-esteem is this: self-esteem is the way you look at yourself. It’s what you think about yourself. You take a good, long look at yourself and after you’re done with your introspection you accept who, and what, you are. You’re satisfied with yourself. You have a favorable opinion of yourself. In essence, self-esteem is self-acceptance.

Turning a corner just a bit, feelings are so fluid and subject to change, so I’ll use the term rather loosely here hoping you’ll understand exactly what I mean. Self-esteem is feeling good about yourself. It’s having good thoughts about yourself. Going back to the Greek, you reverence, honor, and respect yourself.

What Self-Esteem Is Not. Let me set things straight here and say at the outset that self-esteem is not the same as being arrogant, egotistical, conceited, or vain. It can certainly lead to that if you don’t discipline yourself to have an honest, humble opinion of yourself. But just because you think well of yourself doesn’t automatically mean you’re proud. As we’ll see in the apostle Paul’s case, it’s possible to have good self-esteem and still be humble and modest. There’s a Biblical balance between low self-esteem and high self-esteem, between self-depreciation and self-aggrandizement. I’m hoping that as I bring the Biblical texts to your attention you will come to see this balance for yourself and start having a positive, God-glorifying view of yourself.

VARYING DEGREES OF SELF-ESTEEM

There are varying levels of self-esteem. It’s like temperature. Temperature ranges from super hot to super cold. In between these two extremes are a wide range of hot and cold temperatures. In the same way, our self-esteem can range from really bad to really good; from really low to really high. A person with no, bad, or low self-esteem doesn’t think much of himself. He has no self-respect. He hates himself. He’s constantly belittling himself. He battles rejection, depression, and masochism. He is self-tormenting, self-condemning, and self-destructive.

At the other end of the self-esteem continuum is the person who has too high an opinion of himself. He’s conceited and vain. He’s afflicted with feelings of superiority. He’s egotistical, arrogant and contemptible of others. He’s deceived himself into thinking he’s somebody he really isn’t.

Somewhere between these two extremes of self-esteem is the right amount of self-esteem that is healthy, good, and beneficial. You’re at peace with yourself. You love yourself. You don’t hate or belittle yourself. You’re confident. You’re secure. You accept who you are. You quit trying to be someone you’re not.

THE CHANGING NATURE OF SELF-ESTEEM

Self-esteem is like the process of maturation. It takes us years of time to grow, develop, and mature—not just physically, but emotionally, spiritually, behaviorally, intellectually, etc. We’re changing. We’re growing up. The process of growth and maturity differs for each one of us. But, without our really knowing it, we all come to a particular point in time, we come to a particular stage in life, where we become mature. That doesn’t mean we quit growing: it just means we no longer grow as fast. Our character, our belief system, our personality, our habits—everything about us—is pretty much set and we are who we’re going to be for the rest of our life.

In much the same way, our perception about ourself changes quite a bit. With the years, and with the varied stages and circumstances of life, we change the way we think about, and look at, ourself. It can be a really confusing, unsettling time of life as we search for our identity, come to grips with who we really, truly are, and identify the meaning and purpose of our life. Then, just like maturity, we reach a definite point in time—somewhere in adulthood—where we’re pretty much settled about who we are and what we think about ourself. Whether good or bad or just right; our perception about ourself doesn’t change a whole lot anymore. From there on out, we live with the same self-esteem that we have for the rest of our life.

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 2: What we base our self-esteem on and the factors that influence our self-esteem.

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THE ENEMY WITHIN PART 2

September 11, 2010 at 6:48 PM (Christian Living, Crucified Life)

A Word By Way Of Introduction: If you’ve read THE ENEMY WITHIN PART 1 I left off saying that self in any guise kills. It kills good, honest, hard-working people who live selfish, self-centered lives. Following in the same train of thought, self kills good, religious people too.

2) Spiritual, Religious, Pious People. Good “Christians” can be afflicted with a Selfish disease and they, too, risk eternal loss if they’re not crucifying the flesh. The rich young ruler is a tragic example of Christians who have it right in just about every area of their life—except one—and it’s the one area of Self that they’re holding on to that eventually kills them and bars them from the Kingdom.

Mark 10:17-22, And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? (18) And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. (19) Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. (20) And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. (21) Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. (22) And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

The thing that I’d like for you to notice about this young man is that he was very religious, very pious, and very obedient to the Law. Obedience was a habit and a lifestyle with him. If we lived in his day, he would have put many of us to shame. But in spite of his piety, the young man knew within himself that he just wasn’t saved. And that really bothered him. It consumed him. So many today, even professing Christians, aren’t concerned about being saved. They live for Self. They live for the here and now. The state or welfare of their soul doesn’t concern or consume them. And unlike many today, this young man wanted to be saved! He wanted eternal life! But when Jesus told him what he had to do to get saved, he went away grieved because he didn’t want to give up the one love of his life—that was, his love for his riches or his possessions. He was unwilling to give up what he had in order to get what he didn’t have and desperately wanted.

Friends, the one thing that you love too much, that you don’t want to give up, is the thing that’s keeping you back from following the Lord. And, if you don’t get it right or give it up, THE ONE THING THAT YOU LOVE TOO MUCH WILL END UP KILLING YOU. And when it does, when once you’re cast into Hell’s fires, I guarantee you’ll come to hate and despise the very thing you love. IF JESUS IS NOT THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE, THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE WILL KILL YOU.

THE CROSS IS THE CURE

Jesus lays the demand of the cross upon us because THE CROSS WILL PUT TO DEATH EVERYTHING THAT WOULD OTHERWISE KILL US OR DAMN US. Romans 8:13 tells us, For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

So how do we crucify the flesh? What do we do? Instead of speaking in vague generalities here, let me speak in specific practicalities. Here are some practical examples of what we can do to crucify Self.

Husbands, when you want to go to sleep but your wife wants to talk, die out, stay up a while, listen to what she has to say . Give her your input. Let her know you care about the things she cares about.
Men, when you want to stay home, kick back, and relax, but your wife wants to go shopping; die out, take her shopping, and be gracious about it, not grouchy. Instead of pleasing Self, please the God-given love of your life.
Fathers, when the kids don’t do the job right, even after you’ve repeatedly shown them how to do it, instead of tearing into them, die out, keep your lip and your temper under control, and patiently show them how to do it again. Some kids are slow learners. Remember God’s patience towards you. Practice the same towards the children God has given you.
Wives, when your husband asks you to cook his steak a certain way or buy a certain brand of bacon, die out and please him. Your loving submission keeps things peaceable in the home.
Ladies, when your husband wants some affectionate attention and you’re just not in the mood, die out and be affectionate because you’re the only woman who could legitimately, rightly minister to his physical needs.
Mothers, when the kids start misbehaving and getting the best of you, instead of tolerating them and watching Household War #475 unfold, die out, drop what you’re doing, and minister the discipline where it’s needed. Parental inattention or neglect produces monsters and brats.
Children, when your parents ask you or tell you to do something, then even though you think they’re just plain ridiculous, die out and obey them because that’s what God wants you to do. Obey them just as you would obey God.
Children, when you ask your parents if you could go somewhere, do something, or buy something, and they say No, then die out and do what you’re told. Try to understand their reasons and see things from their well-meaning perspective.
Youths, when your parents set down some rules and you just don’t agree with those rules, die out, ask God for grace to obey, then start obeying the rules. God’s more concerned about your obedience than your liberty or rights.
Employees, when the boss wants you to do something, or do it a certain way; then even though you think you know better, die out and obey the boss. Employers value good ideas, but they value submissive employees even more.
When your devotional time with the Lord rolls around, then instead of sleeping a few more minutes, or instead of crashing for the night, die out and go meet with the Lord. Make Him a priority and He’ll make sure He shows up during the rest of your day.
When you’re tempted to watch another movie or play a thirteenth round of solitaire, die out and go do something constructive. Spend time with the family or the Lord. You’ll feel so much better afterward.
When you’re tempted to stuff yourself, die out, practice self-restraint, and don’t eat more than what your body really needs.

CLOSING

We can go on and on, but I trust you get an idea of what dying out is all about. It’s all about not letting Self have its way. It’s about living under authority. It’s about controlling, governing, and restraining your fleshly, bodily, sexual impulses and living under moral laws or restraints. Dying out to Self is all about doing the right thing—doing the Lord’s will—even when, and especially when, Self and the flesh just don’t feel like doing what’s right. You can crucify yourself. Start doing it and don’t let selfishness or fleshliness become a habit and a lifestyle with you. Don’t let Self rule or live. Kill it and you will live. May God bless you with the willingness, grace, and strength to die out.

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THE ENEMY WITHIN PART 1

September 5, 2010 at 2:20 AM (Christian Living, Crucified Life)

I’d like to talk to you about the greatest enemy that we face in this hour—an enemy who remains the cleverest, deadliest, and most damnable peril to our soul. Let me begin with a poem that’s a fitting opener for the things the Lord wants to say to us in this blog.

An enemy I had whose mien
I stoutly strove to know
For hard he dodged my steps unseen
Wherever I might go.
My plans he balked, my aims he foiled
He blocked my onward way.
When for some lofty goal I’d toil
He grimly told me “Nay!”
“Come forth!,” I cried. “Lay bare thy guise
thy features I would see.”
But always to my straining eyes
He dwelt in mystery.
One night I seized and held him fast
The veil from him did draw.
I gazed upon his face at last
And lo, myself I saw!

The poem was written by a gentleman named Edwin O. Sabin. Its title is Myself. And it so aptly expresses the simple, overlooked, and neglected truth that the greatest enemy we Christians face in this hour is the enemy from within—Self.

THE MURDERER THAT MOST OF US LOVE AND ALLOW

No, my friends, the greatest enemy we face is not the Devil. He’s a powerful foe alright. But our Lord defeated and conquered that foe. And if we would believe it and walk in its glorious power, Jesus has given us power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt us, Luke 10:19.

The Devil cannot damn a one of us. But if anyone of us be damned it is because we’ve not given heed to Christ’s words to crucify Self in order that we might live. You see, the uncrucified Self is the greatest, deadliest, and most damnable enemy we face. Why is that? Because IF WE DON’T KILL IT, IT WILL KILL US. IF WE DON’T PUT SELF TO DEATH, SELF WILL PUT US TO DEATH. Read it for yourself from the words of Scripture.

Luke 14:27, And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
Romans 8:13, For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die.
Galatians 5:19-21, Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness [sensual, fleshly, lustful], {20} Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance [strifes, fightings], emulations [jealousies], wrath [angers], strife [disputes], seditions [dissensions], heresies [factions, divisions], {21} Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings [carousing/partying without inhibitions or restraints], and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 6:8, For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption.

WE CANNOT BE GOOD, GENUINE CHRISTIANS AND STILL BE CARNAL! OUR CARNALITY WILL KILL US! You see, friends, the choice is really quite simple. EITHER SELF DIES, OR WE DIE. SELF MUST DIE IN ORDER FOR US TO LIVE.

Now the thing about it is, SELF DOESN’T DIE OF ITSELF OR BY ITSELF. IT DOESN’T CONTRACT A FATAL DISEASE THAT ENDS UP KILLING IT. SELF CANNOT BE ASSASSINATED OR MURDERED BY YOUR PARENTS, YOUR PASTOR, YOUR SPOUSE, OR YOUR GOOD CHRISTIAN FRIENDS. SELF CANNOT BE KILLED BY ANYONE EXCEPT YOU. YOU, AND YOU ALONE, ARE THE ONLY ONE CAPABLE OF PUTTING SELF TO DEATH. If Self dies, it will be at your hands and through your own diligent efforts. And if you, in this hour and your whole life through, are not putting Self to death, but instead nurturing it, catering to it, pampering it, giving in to it—you mark my words because they’re the words of the Lord—you will die. As I’m fond of saying, IF YOU LIVE LIKE THE DEVIL YOU WILL BE DAMNED LIKE THE DEVIL.

SOME MANIFESTATIONS OF SELF

EVERYTHING ABOUT SELF IS DEADLY. No matter how Self manifests in your life, that manifestation of Self imperils your soul and eternal destiny. Self manifests itself in so many ways. But I’d like to highlight three of these for you because they’re just so glaring and pervasive—even in Christian homes and churches.

Self-Interest or Self-Centeredness. Your whole world and your whole life centers around you. You don’t think much about anyone else. You don’t take others into consideration. You don’t care how your words, actions, or lifestyle affect others. All you think about is yourself.
Self-Determination. You decide what you’re going to do and how you’re going to live your life. You do not submit yourself to authority. There is no absolute standard of right or wrong. You determine for yourself what’s right or wrong. Always and invariably, you’re right and nobody can tell or convince you otherwise.
Self-Willed. You’re going to do what you want to do and no one can compel you otherwise. There is a spirit of lawlessness and rebellion at work whereby you will not submit to authority or the Lord. You will not listen to anyone. You will do as you please and no one can stop you from doing so.

SELF IN ANY GUISE KILLS

Now when we think of a selfish, fleshly, carnal person we generally think about someone who isn’t saved or someone who’s supposedly saved but is backslidden and isn’t walking with the Lord.

But Self manifests itself in two other groups of people that, just like the unsaved or unrepentant backsliders, will lead all its victims to Hell. The first of these is Honest, Hard-Working People. They are not criminals. They’re not breaking the law or engaged in any criminal activity. They’re not engaged in overt acts of sin. They’re good, honest, hard-working folks. But Selfish still. SELF KILLS EVEN GOOD, LAW-ABIDING PEOPLE. A SELFISH, GOOD, LAW-ABIDING PERSON WILL BE DAMNED JUST LIKE A SELFISH, EVIL, LAWLESS PERSON.

Here’s a case in point from one of the parables that Jesus gave us. And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. (16) And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: (17) And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? (18) And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. (19) And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. (20) But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? (21) So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God (Luke 12:15-21).

Notice all the I’s and my’s in this rich fool’s plans, ambitions, and words. Do they remind you of someone you know, perhaps maybe even yourself? I hope not. But if the shoe fits, then consider this a wake-up call from a God who loves you. The guy here was a perfectly good, honest, hard-working fellow. He wasn’t out there breaking any laws or hurting anybody. He was minding his own business and working hard to make a good living for himself. And he succeeded! But he didn’t take time out for God. God wasn’t in his thoughts, his plans, his future. He was, in a word, selfish, self-centered, and self-gratifying.

What I’d like for you to see here is, A GOOD, BUT SELFISH, PERSON WILL BE DAMNED JUST LIKE A BAD, SELFISH PERSON. SELF KILLS THE GOOD JUST LIKE THE BAD. IT KILLS ALL WHO LIVE FOR SELF. Friends, YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A WICKED PERSON TO BE DAMNED. If you’re selfish and self-centered like this rich fool; if God isn’t in your thoughts, your plans, your life; then you need to know that, if you don’t get God back in your life and give your life to Him, then you haven’t got much of a future to look forward to. IF YOU LIVE WITHOUT GOD ON EARTH, YOU’LL LIVE WITHOUT GOD IN ETERNITY.

Drop by for another visit on the web next week and I’ll post the second and concluding segment of this message. I promise you it’ll be worth the visit! A moment in Hell tells it all: nothing and no one, not even Self, is worth going to Hell over. May God bless you and may give you the heart to die to Self.

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FUSSING OVER NOTHING: MAKING A BIG DEAL OUT OF SOMETHING THAT ISN’T A BIG DEAL TO GOD

July 26, 2010 at 12:02 PM (Christian Living)

We are so prone to fussing and fighting. Complaining and criticizing. Sometimes we do it just to pick a fight because we’re in a downright dirty, adversarial frame of mind. At other times, we do it because we feel so passionately about what we believe. We’re out to right the wrong. We’re on a mission to right the world. Brethren, there’s nothing wrong with the passion or the mission, so long as you’re truly in the right, in the Spirit, and in the center of God’s will. But, as personal experience and Scriptures show, that’s not always the case. Beloved, IT’S POSSIBLE TO FIGHT FOR SOMETHING YOU BELIEVE IS RIGHT, BUT, UNBEKNOWNST TO YOU, AND TO YOUR UTTER SHOCK AND DISBELIEF, YOU’RE AS WRONG AS WRONG CAN BE. That’s a hard one to accept and admit. In all probability, no one can convince you you’re wrong because you’re so dead sure you’re right. It’ll have to be the Lord Himself to show you the wrongness of it all. Here’s a case in point.

The story is found in Numbers 12:1-15. And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. {2} And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it. {3} (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) {4} And the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out. {5} And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. {6} And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. {7} My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. {8} With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? {9} And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed. {10} And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. {11} And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my Lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned. {12} Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother’s womb. {13} And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee. {14} And the Lord said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again. {15} And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.

Moses, you will remember, married Zipporah while he was in exile in Midian. We don’t know what became of her. All we’re told in the text is that Moses married an Ethiopian woman. Miriam, evidently, objected to this marriage. She was against it. She was dead sure that Moses was wrong to marry the woman. So she roped her brother Aaron into raising a stink about it. Boy did it stink. It stunk so bad that the Lord Himself showed up to clear the air. Let this be a lesson to us. Fighting stinks. It gets the Lord involved. And when He’s done talking, somebody’s going to get the rod of chastisement and it’s going hurt for a little while.

Like many of us today, Miriam believed she was so totally right. Moses was so totally wrong. She was right to fight. She was out to right a wrong. But the simple fact of the matter was, she was wrong. The good Lord had to tell her she was wrong. She was chastised for her conduct and her lip. And Aaron came to acknowledge the foolishness and sinfulness of what he and Miriam had done. Friends, IT’S POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO THINK YOU’RE RIGHT. BUT UNBEKNOWNST TO YOU, YOU’RE WRONG. Said differently, IT’S POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO BE WRONG EVEN WHEN YOU THINK YOU’RE RIGHT. IT’S POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO BE WRONG IN A MATTER THAT YOU’RE SO SURE YOU’RE RIGHT. You don’t think you’re wrong. There’s no possible way you’re wrong. You’re blinded to the right. You can’t see you’re wrong.

Brethren, if you don’t want the Lord to show up with the rod, you’ve got to take the time to see things from a different perspective. Step out of your shoes and try to see what other people see. Ask the Lord to show you the true perspective of things. Don’t be fast to fight. Think before you stink. Pray before you pounce. Cool off before you criticize and complain. Get the Lord’s mind before you speak yours. If you do these things you’ll come to see things differently. You’ll see things you didn’t see before.

For example, in the text of Scripture, you’ll see that there’s nothing wrong with Moses marrying an Ethiopian woman. You may not like it. But that doesn’t mean the marriage is wrong. You may not agree with Moses. But that doesn’t mean Moses is wrong. The only marriages the Lord forbade were marriages with the Canaanites (Exodus 34:11-16). The woman in question here was a Cushite (KJV Ethiopian). So, technically, even Scripturally, Moses was within his right to marry the woman.

If Miriam had taken the time to set her own feelings aside and see the bigger picture she would have seen that God didn’t punish Moses for marrying the woman. Moses was not under Divine censure or chastisement for marrying the woman. In fact, God’s blessings and anointing were still on Moses as His chosen leader of the Israelite nation. Moses was still in good standing with God. All these go to show that the Lord Himself didn’t disapprove of the marriage. He evidently didn’t find anything wrong with the marriage. Hence, while Moses’ marriage was a big deal to Miriam, it clearly wasn’t a big deal to God. What really bothered Miriam didn’t bother God. What was so disagreeable to Miriam wasn’t at all disagreeable to God.

Brethren, the rule of thumb is this. IF GOD ISN’T BOTHERED, DON’T BOTHER. IF HE ISN’T CONCERNED, DON’T BE. IF IT ISN’T A BIG DEAL TO GOD, DON’T MAKE IT ONE. IF GOD DOESN’T OBJECT OR CONDEMN, NEITHER SHOULD YOU. IF HE’S SILENT, YOU OUGHT TO BE TOO. IF THE BIBLE ISN’T BEING TRANSGRESSED, DON’T ACT AND TALK AS IF IT IS. Friends, learn from Miriam and Aaron. DON’T FUSS WHEN THERE’S REALLY NOTHING SCRIPTURALLY WRONG OR NOTHING WORTH FUSSING OVER. Personal is one thing. Scriptural is another. You can have all kinds of personal feelings, opinions, and convictions. But unless something is definitely, Scripturally wrong, keep your feelings and objections to yourself. Keep your mouth shut. Don’t start a war. If you do otherwise, you just might find yourself standing before the Lord at the Tabernacle of the congregation. And that, my friends, is one meeting you just don’t want to have with the Lord!

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RISING FROM THE ASHES OF FAILURE & DEFEAT

May 25, 2010 at 8:10 AM (Christian Living)

If you’re laboring under a heavy weight of condemnation, rejection, and unworthiness because you’ve fallen, failed, and sinned against the Lord, this blog is for you. Though it’s your heart’s desire to be faithful to the Lord and walk with Him, you’re not quite sure if the Lord has forgiven you or if the Lord even wants you back. You can recite the Scriptures and the promises of God’s forgiveness, but somehow you’ve come to believe that maybe these promises don’t apply to you. Unbeknownst to you, the Devil has worked you over and through his own doings you’ve come to believe that God hasn’t forgiven you. He’s rejected you. And all you can do is hope that with good behavior and good works God will somehow change His mind about you, forgive you, and receive you back into His love and favor. This weight of condemnation, rejection, and unworthiness is a heavy load that you bear. It’s brought you a lot of torment, grief, and tears. And in God’s love for you, He’s come today to relieve you of that weight, free you from that torment, and bring peace and joy to your soul. As a prophetic word from the Lord, God still loves you, He’s forgiven you, and He wants you to come back to Him. All you have to do, dear friends, is believe and receive God’s love and forgiveness. Let’s look to the Scriptures for encouragement. Mark 14:17-31 is a good place to start. You can read the passage from your Bible now. The air is filled with heaviness as Jesus has just announced that one of his apostles would betray Him. In just a few hours Jesus would be arrested. Before the light of morning came He would be tried and condemned to death by the Great Sanhedrin. By noon Jesus would be nailed to a cross. And by mid afternoon–15 hours from this scene in the upper room–He would be dead. The apostles are shocked. With the exception of the betrayer, all of them are in disbelief that one of them would actually betray the Lord. To add to their shocked disbelief, Jesus predicts that every last one of them without exception would stumble, fall, and fail the Lord. Peter and the rest of the apostles object strenuously and vehemently. In their great love for the Lord, they would never–not in a million years–deny the Lord. We pick the story up in Luke 22:31-34. Luke 22:31a, And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you. Literally in the Greek, Satan has asked and petitioned to have you. You see, before the Devil can work you over he first has to ask God’s permission to do it. And if God doesn’t give him permission, the Devil can’t lay a hand on you. In Peter’s case, Satan has petitioned God to have Peter in his hands. That’s kind of a frightful thought. To be taken out of God’s loving, protecting hands, and be placed in the clutches of Satan’s hateful, hurting hands. What does the Devil want with us? Luke 22:31b, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. As many of you know, wheat grows naturally encased in chaff. Before it can be ground or used, the chaff has to be removed. Rice is the same way. Over in the Philippines where I have some roots, after the rice is harvested it would be spread out in the open on huge cement floors where the sun would dry the rice. And as the rice dried, the chaff would break open even more, making it easier to separate the chaff from the rice. Out in the country, Filipinos would buy rice still mixed with chaff because that’s the cheapest kind of rice that you can buy. Now every household would have a basket-like platter that was woven with coconut leaves. It was big around, slightly concave in the middle, with a rim on it. If you can imagine a 30″ cake pan made of woven coconut leaves you’ll have a fairly good idea of what these rice pans were like. Several handfuls of rice would be placed in the pan and, with a flick of the wrist and hands, you’d flip the front side of the pan upwards in such a way that the rice would be thrown in the air. Because the rice was heavier than the chaff, it would land back down in the pan first. And once the rice lands in the pan, you’d move the whole pan back and away so that the chaff would fall to the ground. You’d shake the pan a few times and get the rice moving around toward the front of the pan. Then, with another flick of the wrists, you’d flip the pan upwards again to get more of the chaff out. You’d do this several times until the chaff was all out. Anyways, this is what Satan wanted to do with Peter. He wanted to put Peter in this rice pan, flip him up and down, then when he landed, swirl him round and round. Wait a minute. Satan’s not done yet. He’ll flip Peter up and down again, then swirl him round and round some more. By the time Satan is done with Peter, the hapless chap would be stunned and dazed, wondering what hit him or what in the world happened to him. Now a parent’s first inclination is to shelter and protect their child from being sifted in this fashion. But God allows Satan to get ahold of Peter. And it’s not going to be nice or pleasant for Peter. Peter is going to suffer a lot of heartache because of it. There’s going to be a lot of pain, anguish, tears, and regrets. Wow. This sounds an awful lot like where you’re at today. Not to worry. We all can relate because we all have been there. We’ve all been mired in the muck and torment of condemnation, rejection, and unworthiness. We’ve all fallen and missed the Lord too. Anyways, the Lord allows Satan to get his hands on Peter and sift him–not because our God is cruel or sadistic. Not because He derives pleasure in watching us suffer. No. God allows Satan to sift Peter because He knows that before the rice can be used the chaff must first be removed. For gold to have its highest value it must first be purged of its impurities. For silver to be valued and used it must first be purged of its dross. To become a better Christian you must first be tried: My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers trials; (3) Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. (4) But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing (James 1:2-4). Job 23:10 reads, But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. So in order for Peter to become a better Christian he’s going to have to be tried. And as trials sometimes go, Peter is going to know the heartache of failure and defeat. Luke 22:32a, But I have prayed for thee. Do you think the Lord doesn’t care about you? Friends, even when the Lord knows you’re going to sin or fall, He still prays for you! Wow! Did you read that? He still prays for you! Brethren, there’s no rejection in that. Jesus’ love and concern for you is written all over the prayer He’s praying for you. What’s He praying for? Luke 22:32b, that thy faith fail not. Literally, that you won’t quit believing. You see, when you’ve fallen it’s a real temptation to turn your back on the Lord and quit believing Him. You feel as if the Lord has failed you, He hasn’t kept His promise, things didn’t turn out the way you thought they would. You’re tempted to quit believing the Lord and the promises. Jesus, beloved, is praying that you’ll keep on believing in spite of everything that’s happened. Sometimes we quit believing in ourselves. You see, when Peter denied the Lord, the Lord didn’t make him do that. Peter denied the Lord on his own free will. It was Peter–not Jesus–who failed. And when you’re totally sold out to the Lord you take failure pretty hard. You’re hard on yourself. You’re merciless, you’re brutal, with yourself. You find it hard to forgive yourself. You consider yourself an utter failure, undeserving of the Lord’s love, mercies, or forgiveness. You’re not worthy of a second chance…or so you think. You’re cutting yourself off from the Lord. You’re the one doing that. The Lord isn’t cutting you off. You’ve given up on yourself. You’ve quit believing in yourself. You’ve quit believing that you can be a faithful, totally-committed, Christian once again. You’ve quit believing that there’s any hope or future with you and God. You’re living out the rest of your life just waiting for God to either kill you or damn you. And all the time you’re beating up on yourself, Jesus is praying for you. Praying that you won’t give up on yourself. You won’t give up on Him. Luke 22:32c, and when thou art converted. The word converted here doesn’t mean to get saved again. Rather, it means to restore to a previous condition. Peter, you’re going to be tested and you’re going to fall, and fall down hard. But I’m praying for you. And, by God’s grace, you’re going to repent and get back up on your feet. And when you do, we’re going to continue walking together just like before. But it’s not just about you and Me, Peter. Luke 22:32d, and when thou art restored, strengthen thy brethren. Your brethren need you. The people of God need you. I’m sending you to them and you’re going to be a blessing to them and help them. Luke 22:33, And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. Of all the apostles, none was more committed and dedicated to the Lord than Peter. He had no idea that he would ever fail the Lord. That was the farthest thing from his mind. The thought never even entered or crossed his mind. Peter was intent on being faithful to the Lord even if it killed him. His heart was like so many of ours today. We want to be faithful. We’re going to be faithful. No what matter! I Corinthians 10:12, Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. Allow me to use this scene in the life of Peter to blog five things to you by way of warning as well as encouragement. 1. WE’RE CAPABLE OF DOING THINGS WE NEVER THOUGHT OR IMAGINED WE WOULD DO. Peter was so intent on being faithful to the Lord–even unto death–that the thought of being fearful or cowardly never even entered his mind. He never imagined–in all of his wildest imagination–that he would ever deny the Lord. That would simply never happen! But it did! And it’s ample testimony to us that, even in our great love for the Lord, we’re capable of doing the unthinkable, the unlikely, and the unimaginable when we’re in the heat of the trial and are sorely put to the test. You see, what we intend to do–that is, be faithful–and what we end up doing are two different things. Just because you want to be faithful doesn’t automatically mean you’ll end up being faithful. The desire or intention is noble, for which you are to be commended. But what are you doing to make sure you don’t end up doing the things you never imagined or intended to do? 2. IT TAKES A TRIAL TO EXPOSE YOU AND PERFECT YOU. Peter never imagined that he would deny the Lord because, as far as he was concerned, he was as fearless and as loyal as they come. But unbeknownst to him, fear was present and latent in him. He didn’t know it was there. And it took this trial of sifting to expose this serious flaw in him. You see, Peter didn’t know he was fearful until the trial came along and exposed it to him. Peter failed–not because he was faithless, doubtful, or unbelieving. Not because he wasn’t totally sold out or committed to the Lord. To the contrary, he failed because he was fearful. Brethren, if you want to be faithful to the very end, no matter what, be it a physical trial, a sexual temptation, a financial enticement, or the brutal pains of persecution; you’ve first got to get rid of fear. Don’t assume you don’t have it. Don’t assume you’ve gotten rid of it. Assume nothing. Face it head on and get rid of fear. Like Peter and the hidden fear that he didn’t know he had, we, too, are faced with flaws, weaknesses, and imperfections. Some of these we recognize and admit to. But some we deny and refuse to admit we have. Beloved, it takes the trial, the trouble, the temptation; to reveal these hidden flaws in us. The trying of our faith is meant not only to bring these flaws to light, but more so, to get us to deal with them and bring us farther along the road to Christian maturity and virtue. Now that Peter knew what he had to deal with, he dealt with it. It didn’t get done in a single day. It took some time. But years later when it came time for him to either deny the Lord or die acknowledging Him in the presence of his persecutors, Peter stayed true to the Lord and he died faithful, not fearful. The trial you went through, that caused you to stumble, dear brethren, was not meant to keep you down in the dumps or in the valley of despair. It was meant to show you what you have to deal with so that you can deal with it and be rid of it, so that it won’t trip you up again. 3. JESUS IS PRAYING FOR YOU. A third thing of tremendous comfort and consolation to us is the fact that, unbeknownst to us, Jesus is praying for us. He ever liveth to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). He knows we’ll fail, grieve, shame, and disappoint Him. He could just as easily leave us and damn us. But He will not quit loving us! He will not let us go! He prays for our repentance and restoration. Do you know what all these things tell us? It tells us that God is interested in saving us, not damning us. The full text of the verse that I just alluded to reads thus, Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Brethren, Jesus will not quit loving you. He will not quit praying for you. 4. IT’S POSSIBLE TO BOUNCE BACK FROM DEFEAT AND GO ON WITH THE LORD. Despite how grievous, shameful, or inexcusable our failure may be, we nevertheless see in Jesus’ words to Peter the hope of ultimate restoration. I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted. Brethren, there’s hope for you after a fall. Failure doesn’t have to end in rejection, condemnation, or damnation. Jesus extends to you the hope of restoration. Which is to say, it’s possible to bounce back from defeat. You can get up from a fall. And you can come back to the Lord. God doesn’t cut you off and disown you when you fail Him. He didn’t do it for Peter and He’s not going to do it for you. God, brethren, isn’t interested in damning you, but rather, saving you. He’s a merciful, forgiving God. He wants you back! He’s praying that you’d come back! Now the hope of restoration carries with it your responsibility to confess your sin, repent, and ask God to forgive you. 1 John 1:9 tells us, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Brethren, when you confess your sins to God, God’s justice demands that He forgives you. When you come repentantly to Him, seeking His forgiveness, you will get it! He will forgive you! He will not leave you or your sin unforgiven! Aside from the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, there is no sin that you have committed that God will not forgive–if you are repentant. His justice demands His forgiveness. And He forgives because that’s His will, His heart, His desire for you. Hebrews 4:15-16 reads, For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (16) Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Brethren, when you come to the Lord seeking His mercy, His help, and His forgiveness, you will find it! You will obtain! No sin will be left unforgiven. No one–including you–will remain unforgiven, rejected, and condemned by God. Brethren, if you’ve repented of your sins, confessed them, and asked God to forgive you; then you need to know that God forgave you at that very moment. You’re forgiven right now. God’s accepted you. And He doesn’t stand in condemnation of you. You stand forgiven. If you’re still condemned, it’s the Devil who’s condemning you. Quit believing that rascal! Take God at His word, receive His forgiveness, come back to the Lord, and go on walking with Him. 5. GOD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE HASN’T CHANGED. Lastly, I see here in Jesus’ words to Peter the encouraging fact that, WHEN YOU RETURN AND ARE RESTORED TO THE LORD AFTER A FALL THE LORD WANTS YOU TO CARRY ON THE WORK THAT HE’S GIVEN YOU TO DO. Jesus said, and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. You see, Peter had a job to do as an apostle for the Lord. When he recovered and returned from his fall he was still an apostle, he still had a job to do, and perhaps most surprisingly to some of us, Jesus wanted him to do it. Peter’s fall didn’t leave him as a spiritual has-been. It didn’t disqualify him from continuing to be an apostle. He didn’t quit being an apostle. God didn’t take his apostolic calling, office, ministry, and anointing away! Many of us would have stripped Peter of his apostolic calling or ministry. We would have disqualified him from being an apostle. We would have retired him and put him out to pasture. But the Lord didn’t! Jesus kept him as an apostle and He gave him a job to do. Do you see what I’m saying? Peter’s sin didn’t rob him of his ministry. Jonah’s disobedience didn’t disqualify him from continuing to be a prophet. God held on to both of these servants, He dealt with them, brought them to repentance, forgave them, then sent them right back to the job that He gave them to do. God, dear friend, is no respecter of persons! He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever! Brethren, GOD GAVE YOU A JOB TO DO AND WHEN YOU FELL YOUR SIN DIDN’T RELIEVE YOU OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO DO, AND FINISH, THAT JOB. WHEN GOD GAVE YOU THE GIFT OF REPENTANCE HE DIDN’T TAKE AWAY FROM YOU THE GIFT, MINISTRY, OR CALLING THAT HE GAVE YOU. WHEN YOU FELL, GOD DIDN’T CHANGE HIS MIND ABOUT YOU DOING THE JOB THAT HE GAVE YOU TO DO. HE STILL WANTS YOU TO DO IT! So do it! So how do you rise from the ashes of failure and defeat? (1) Believe in God’s steadfast love for you and His forgiveness. He’s already forgiven you! (2) Receive His forgiveness and acceptance. Quit doubting and rejecting it. Quit listening to, and believing, the Devil’s lies. And (3) get up and go on. Find your footing. Take one step at a time. Revive your prayer life and communion with the Lord. Start reading and studying your Bible again. Go to church. Fellowship with spiritually-minded brethren. Do these things and you’ll soon begin to experience the joy and peace of God’s salvation. Beloved, may God give you the courage and grace to get up, get right, and get busy doing the Lord’s will. May God bless you richly to this end!