BY Argie Simonis
We all make mistakes and continue to have limitations in our abilities, even when we are born again. I have explained that being a Christian does not necessarily mean that you have the right way of thinking. Our spiritual maturity comes gradually through the study of God's word and the renewal of our minds.
~~ What really changes our lives is that our relationship with God is not based on what we do for Him, but on what Christ did for us by His sacrifice on the cross of Calvary.
Anyone who does not understand this is constantly trying to do the right things to be accepted by an angry and strict God who is never satisfied. And this is really a torture! ~~
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Some people think they are good at putting others down or comparing themselves to others worse than themselves, and this gives them confidence and makes them feel better about themselves. This is definitely NOT the way the Lord wants us to relate either to Him or to other people.
See what Paul writes to the Corinthians:
"For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise." 2Cor. 10:12
Here Paul tells us that we should NOT compare ourselves to others, and yet, most people do. They justify themselves by criticizing those who behave worse than themselves. What we must not forget is that
"... all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Rom. 3:23
In the previous messages I explained that neither our goodness nor our good works are what justify us before God. When we humble ourselves, put our faith in the Lord, and receive what Jesus graciously did for us, then we are truly justified before God.
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jer. 17:9
This is a reality, but let's not forget that during our spiritual rebirth the Lord gives us a new heart, and in Christ we are now perfect in spirit.
"... as Ηe is, so are we in this world." 1John 4:17
Here John is not referring to our physical body. We have not yet obtained our glorious bodies that the Lord promises us.
What John tells us is basically the fulfillment of Ezekiel's prophecy:
"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." Ez. 36:26
"And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments, and do them." Ez. 36:27
Our soul and body are not yet perfected. Paul explains to us how it will happen:
"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." 1Cor. 15:52
"For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." 1Cor. 15:53
Our bodies still age and get sick. We keep making mistakes and not always behaving right. By renewing our mind through God's word, we may have overcome many problems from the past and perceive many things differently, but our emotions continue to lead us do things we shouldn't do.
~~ Even after we come to Christ, our flesh, (our body and soul), remains just as bad. What has changed is that we now learn to crucify it and resist its desires. ~~
This is the true success in our Christian life. The more we learn how to let Jesus live through us, then we will experience more and more victories in our lives.
See what Paul writes to us:
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: ..." Gal. 2:20
In the previous message I explained how important it is to put ALL our trust in the Lord. Do you know what that means? That our biggest problem is when we put our trust in ourselves and ask God to bless what we do.
The Lord's anointing and blessing are not earned either by fasting or wishing. What the Lord asks of us is:
"Trust in Me and I will move through you."
When it's time for me and my wife Peggy to minister, we just surrender ourselves in the Lord's hands. Of course there is a personal preparation and many hours of study before we bring you these messages (either live or recorded), but we are always sensitive to the voice of the Lord and many times we change our plans the moment He shows us.
It is important to understand that while we mature as Christians it does not mean that we become better in our flesh, but we learn to NOT walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. In other words, we learn to let the Lord guide us and flow through us through His anointing He places on us.
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Do you know what the key to a successful Christian life is? We quit striving to become stronger and stronger in the flesh, but seek to become weaker and to trust less in ourselves. Our goal is to get to the point where we will completely step aside and let God flow through us. That's where we will experience the greatest victories in our lives.
This is exactly what Paul explains in his letter to the Philippians:
"Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision." Phil. 3:2
"For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." Phil. 3:3
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What I want to emphasize above all is the last sentence of the verse in Phil. 3:3: "not having confidence in the flesh."
In the letter to the Romans we read:
"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Rom. 8:7
So then they that are in the flesh CANNOT please God." Rom. 8:8
So who are those that please God? After what does realy pleases the Lord? The answer is here:
"But without faith it is impossible to please Ηim: for he that comes to God must believe that Ηe is, and that Ηe is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Ηim." Heb. 11:6
~~ God begins at the end of ourselves. ~~
When Paul says that he had no conviction in the flesh (Phil. 3:3) it does not mean that he was a failure. He was in fact one of the most educated people of his time, but look what he says about himself:
"Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:" Phil. 3:4
And he goes on to list his qualifications:
"Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;" Phil. 3:5
The term Pharisee today sounds bad, but in Paul's day a Pharisee was considered a very educated person, who had to read the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus, Deuteronomy) and quote them, and had to faithfully apply all the laws and ordinances prescribed by Jewish law. They even counted the number of their steps on Saturdays so it wouldn't count as work!
In other words, to be a Pharisee in Paul's day was a great achievement.
Paul writes:
"Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless." Φιλ. 3:6
When he says that he was blameless, he does not mean that he was sinless, but for every time he came short in any area, he offered the proper sacrifice. This was required by the Law.
"I am truly a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as you all are this day." Acts 22:3
So we really see that Paul was a recognized person with great achievements in the religious system of his time.
But look what he says further on:
"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ." Phil. 3:7
"Yes doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ," Phil. 3:8
"And be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:" Phil. 3:9
Just what we read here is a treasure of revelations.
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----- SUMMARY
Paul, even though he was one of the holiest people of his time, when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-6) his life changed. When he saw the glory and true holiness of God, all that he had acquired by his own abilities, (what we would today call his degrees and diplomas that he had framed on the wall and all his trophies and awards) he considered as trash, "before the excellence of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord". That's a great revelation!
This should also be our attitude as Christians, but sadly there are few believers who do it. Most people have a tendency of self-promotion which removes the Lord from the scene and draws all the spotlight on themselves and their achievements.
"As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ." Gal. 6:12
"For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh." Gal. 6:13
"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world." Gal. 6:14
Not having confidence in our flesh does not mean that we do not recognize anything good in ourselves. Actualy, it is just the opposite:
- We recognize that every good thing we have is trash when we compare it to Jesus,
- everything good we have is a gift from God, not because we are good and deserve it, but because God is good,
- we dedicate everything good that we have to Him so that the Lord can use it for His own glory.
- we don't trust our own strength, but we put all our trust in God, that is, in Him who gave us our abilities and talents.
- It is not our abilities and talents that give us value, but the Lord himself makes us valuable because He loved us unconditionally until death.
So we must all humble ourselves and trust God, and recognize how much we need the gift of the Lord in our lives which is His mercy and grace. Neither fame, nor money, nor the recognition of the world can justify one before Him, because
"... all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Rom. 3:23
If all this sounds strange to some of you, remember that God did not hate us because we were sinners, but He loved us so much that he died for us:
"But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom. 5:8
Therefore, we reject all confidence we have in ourselves, raise a white flag before Him, and surrender to Him unconditionally. This is exactly the point where our self ends and God begins to manifest powerfuly through us.
Amen!
