Sometimes
back I was teaching a group of Christians and non-christians on forgiveness and
my opening words we as follows which I wish to quote and start with even this
time. “Paul writing to the church of Ephesus reminded them that since they
received the message of salvation and the unconditional love of God which was
manifested through the birth, suffering and resurrection of Christ Jesus,
needed to forget about their former ways of life and instead focus their minds
on their new found lifestyle of being imitators of Christ. The old way of life
was characterized by the uncontrolled craving of sins where deeds, thoughts,
imaginations and plans were all corrupted. Before the grace of God had that is
amazing had not yet appeared to men, all what man achieved was running far away
from God thanks to the sinful nature that was revealed through Adam and Eve at
the garden Eden after disobedience.”
In God's
way of saving men there is always the desire that once a man has been
forgiven their sins through faith and confession of one's sins, salvation is
attained and thereafter the process of sanctification through continuous
reading of the word of God until perfection is attained on the glorification of
the son of God. As this happens, Christian maturity is achieved. We are no
longer tossed from one wind of doctrine to another. A believer can be trusted
with more spiritual wisdom and inheritance when they prove faithful with the
little entrusted to them. Christian maturity is achieved when we abound more in
the love of God and we can allow him to work through us and in us without
resistance. With no pride but with humility. The disciples of Jesus had walked
with him and were his closest friends in his life. They had learnt ministry
from him and had received special attention from Jesus on their personal
matters. To name just but a few of these, Remember Jesus healing peters mother-in-law, remember Jesus saving
disciples from the storm, and what about whe they asked to be taught how to pray? And answers to many more of their personal questions.
They had even seen Jesus being transfigured and even had heard the testimony of
John The Baptist about the person of Jesus and God himself about his pleasing
and loving son Jesus Christ. They had learnt that he was the Messiah who would
come and further they even boasted that when all other would leave themselves
they would remain. The inner circle of Jesus that is Peter, John and James
would later realize how loved they were by Jesus whom they accompanied wherever
he want and pride come upon them that during transfiguration they wanted to
only behold the majesty of God and not return to their fellow disciples. Yet
the same disciples start arguing who would be greatest a sign of pride. They we
quickly losing the focus and Jesus had to rebuke them lest it become a
disaster. In a similar manner are the believers who may be tempted to point
fingers at peter and his fellows for that sin yet they trend in the same path
of pride as we ask amongst ourselves who is greatest among us?, who is more
godly among us? and who has the greatest authority? Why should I forgive
him/her? Why should they correct me? Why should I reconcile with them? We
wrestle with such questions yet we have surrendered our hearts to God. Were are
sure God can use us for his service. He can manifest his works to the nations
through us yet were are not mature. We are thinking about me myself and I
alone. We are unwilling to lay down our life for others as Jesus taught us.
Pride rests deep within our hearts. It eats our relationship with God. We may
not understand until it causes enough damage to our lives. No matter how much
we give ourself into the service of God and pursue excellence in the same
without a teachable heart and a spirit that can be rebuked and corrected its
all in vein. We are displaying arrogance and ignorance before our God. The disciples
argue who is the greatest amongst them. Yet am sure its not only them and them only. we too struggle to contain our ego and status. remember the many times you would not give up an opinion while you were sure its wrong, you never accepted correction, you never are submissive to your bosses perhaps bacause you think you are better than them? and many more such examples.
Mathew
18:1-5 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is
greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And He called a child to Himself and
set him before them, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are
converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of
heaven. “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in
the kingdom of heaven.“And whoever receives one such child in My name receives
Me;
Mark
9:33-37 They came to Capernum; and when He was in the house, He began
to question them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept
silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was
the greatest. Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone
wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” Taking a
child, He set him before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to
them,“Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever
receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.”
Luke
9:46-48.
The
disciples have been arguing. Three times, and maybe more, the disciples argued
about which of them would be the greatest -- here in 9:46-48, just
before Jesus' final ministry in Jerusalem (Matthew 20:20-28),
and, amazingly, at the Last Supper (Luke 22:24) which probably prompted Jesus
to wash the disciples' feet and so teach them true humility (John 13:4-17).
Jesus
teaching about the greatest is of essence much as it was to the disciples as it
is to us today. The disciples had been arguing but Jesus did not rebuke them
until the right moment came. He knew what they had been talking on their way to
Jerusalem yet he did not rebuke them until when they were in Jerusalem
Jesus
teaches them that the greatest is one who does the service to the others. He
indeed stresses that those who think themselves first should ceases from doing
so and instead consider being last so that he should receive the reward;
eternal life. In other words it means being submissive to one anther with
humility and in the same innocence a child has.this is a sign of a true
disciple. Taking care of other little ones.
He gives
another command if one humbles himself in the present age a child will be
considered greatest in the kingdom. It is a condition of anyone who wants to be
the greatest in the kingdom of God. Amazing is how he demonstrates servant hood
and humility during the last supper by washing his disciples their feet. They
had not yet learnt what was expected of them. Serving one other with humility.
When we
are proud we can ask for fire for those who oppose us from heaven."And he
sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready
for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for
Jerusalem.""When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked,
'Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?' " (9:52-53)
when God
convicts us in one way or another about sins in our live about being proud I
pray will not be defensive but we will willingly confess and change that we may
display the attitude of being humble. When brothers and sisters in the lord
come and tell us that there is something wrong with us we will not be proud and
dismiss them but we will take the correction and change. That we will not look
down upon others because we think they have not given themselves in the
ministry and may not be godly as we are but we will take the challenge and wish
to be changed by the lord. That we will not feel big when others fall into
temptation and start pointing fingers at them but we will correct them in love.
Luke 18 If another believer sins against you,e go
privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses
it, you have won that person back. But if you are
unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that
everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still
refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept
the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.
I want to
quote some extract from clip called defensive and from my book. Being defensive
means giving negative attitude when anyone exposes some imperfection in your
life. It is when you cannot be corrected when you are wrong in something or an
area in your lives. When you are defensive you reveal that you are unteachable.
You are not willing to be corrected when you are challenged in some black spots
in your lives. If you a defensive you do not seek to stand quietly and examine
your lives and understand the need in your lives. If you are defensive you
disagree with those whom you see as if they know much than you know in life.
When you are defensive in yourself people older than us point something Grey in
your life yet you do not feel it comfortable with it and you are unwilling to
change. When you are defensive you are restless when something is shared with
you. When defensive you feel threatened when you are confronted with an idea
that you feel its unpopular to your belief and struggle to resist it verbally
or protest. May God change us
