GOD SPEAKS

Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. ¹³ Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14 [NASB].

Do you have a habit of measuring your devotion? What are the criteria by which you measure your devotion? With what you measure your devotion? Some people are proud to think that they are obeying all of God’s commands. Some people think that we have great devotion because we have a great relationship with God. Some think that they have attained perfection in devotion because they have been able to show people the power of God. Some people think that they are pious by comparing their devotion with the faith and deeds of others. Are they all perfected in devotion?

Let us look at some examples from the Bible. A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” ¹⁹ And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. ²⁰ You know the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” ²¹ And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” ²² When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me”. But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Luke 18-23 [NASB]. That ruler felt that he was obeying all the commands from his youth. He who loves money does not love God so he is violating God’s Command. For it is written:  No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. Matthew6:24 [NASB]. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. James 2:10 [NASB] Based on this, is his opinion that he obeys all the commands is correct? Whether the measure he measured himself as pious is correct?

Let’s look at the second example. Read this passage: Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman); ² and they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” And the Lord heard it. Numbers 12:1-2 [NASB]. Both, Miriam and Aaron feel that they have a great relationship with God. Their view is that since God is speaking to us, we too should be godly. If the standard of their devotion is that God speaks to them, why should God be angry with them? Does the fact that God is speaking to you mean that we have attained perfection in devotion? Is this the standard by which devotion is measured?

Let’s see another example. Read this verse: So Moses took the rod from before the Lord, just as He had commanded him; ¹⁰ and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, “Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?” Numbers 20:9-10[NASB].

Because they were rebellious against His Spirit, He spoke rashly with his lips. Psalms 106:33 [NASB]. The man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.. He was able to show the people the wonderful works of God. But he spoke against his people. Such a person would incur the wrath of God by saying so: “Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?” In this connection read this verse: For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. James 3:2 [NASB] if any does not stumble in what he says; we can say such people as perfect. Because they were rebellious against His Spirit, He spoke rashly with his lips. So Moses may not have considered himself perfect in godly devotion. Therefore, does the fact that you are able to show the people the wonderful works of God mean that we/you have attained perfection in devotion?

Finally, let’s look at another example. “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ Luke 18:10-12 [NASB]. This Pharisee compares his devotion to the people of the world (swindlers, unjust, adulterers) and to other believers (tax collector). He admires himself and thinks that he is a devotee. He also thinks that fasting and paying tithes are the standard of devotion. Is he finally accepted by God as devotee? It is written: I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; Luke 18:14 [NASB]. Who is justified more? This Pharisee or that tax collector? Is the standard of devotion compared to others is correct?

In this context, let us see what St. Paul says – “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect….”  He looked directly the manifestations of God. God has revealed His Word to us through Him. Yet he says that he is not yet perfect. What about us? The basis of our devotion is faith. Only by His grace are we saved. We have no reason to be proud of your devotion. It is God who praises our devotion at the end.

And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your wish for me to bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and approach Ephron the son of Zohar for me, ⁹ that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he owns, which is at the end of his field; for the full price let him give it to me in your presence for a burial site.” Genesis 26: 8-9.[ NASB]

Abraham needed a cave to bury his wife. Abraham spoke to the sons of Heth about this matter. The sons of Heth were willing to give their burial lands to Abraham. He did not want to bury his wife in their cemetery. Instead, he asked them to speak to Ephron the son of Zohar on his behalf. Ephron the son of Zohar decided to give his land to Abraham for free. Abraham had the opportunity to get that cave of Machpelah for free. But Abraham was not ready to get it free from him. Abraham was also capable of paying enough value to buy it. He wanted to take it at full price but did not want to take it for free. How would you behave if you were in this situation? How do you take it? Willing to accept that it came for free or willing to pay for it?

The expectant quality of the neighbor is not good. Most importantly, the quality of expecting free from a neighbor is not good. Did not Lord tell you not to expect anything from your neighbor? You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor Exodus 20:17 [NASB]. Are you willing to give for free what you have to your neighbor expecting? Do you have that mind?

Some people can’t stand the fact that freebies are slipping away. They are tempted to get it anyway. They did not realize that it was not something they had acquired in their own power. The desire to get something from others for free is just the worst. This is a behavior contrary to the word of God.

Read this passage: But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, thought, “Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Aramean,  by not receiving from his hands what he brought. As the Lord lives, I will run after him and take something from him.” ²¹ So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw one running after him, he came down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is all well?” ²² He said, “All is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Behold, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothes.’” 2 Kings 5:20-22[NASB].  Elisha was reluctant to take things brought by Naaman the Aramean. He expected nothing from his neighbor [Naaman the Aramean], perfectly following the word of God because he expects only from God. His patron is God. He who expects from God does not like to expect from a mortal man. But the behavior of Gehazi seems to be the opposite of his master Elisha. He could not stop the desire that he should get something from others. He forgot the word of God that he should not covet anything that belongs to his neighbor. In the above words, you might see how he had thought: I will run after him and take something from him. Expecting others means you have to kill your self esteem. At the same time you must also transgress the command of the Lord. What has Gehazi achieved by losing his self esteem and presence of God? Finally, we know, he had leprosy. It came to him because of the work he did. Did Gehazi finally able to put on the clothes he brought without Elisha knowing? Do good clothes bring beauty to a leper?

Therefore, if you want anything, ask God. God bless you more in anticipation than you ask. There is no point in expecting a neighbor. It is written: How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the Lord his God… Psalms 146:5 [NASB]