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Jesus said that the Pharisees put on their show of legal righteousness simply to impress other men. Elsewhere he blamed men for seeking the glory that comes from men, instead of the glory that comes from the only God.
All this serves to focus our attention on our motivations for avoiding outward sin as Christians. Haven't you noticed that we feel more repulsed by our sins if other Christians see them? We're ashamed to look like fools -- in the eyes of men. We seek the glory of men.
The pungent consciousness of being seen to be a sinner by other men, and the resulting personal feeling of disgrace, ought to serve us notice that our focus is in the wrong place. The real disgrace of sin is that it is done before God.
Therefore, whenever we feel the disgrace of having been seen to be sinners by men, we ought to transfer this sense of disgrace we have in the eyes of men, to a sense of disgrace we ought to recognize that we have in the eyes of God.
In this manner, our consciousness of sins before men can be a form of discipline to remind us of our spiritual isolation from our Father, so that we may begin to be meek again before him, and be delivered from the personal pride and vain-glory that comes from a life lived in the sight of men instead of the sight of God.
Is it not another distortion of the image of God that we take the exposure of our sin to mere men this way? Did not God reserve this right of judging sin for himself?
ReplyDelete"“Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?”" ~ Mark 2:7 (NASB)
"Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,
“I will take revenge;
I will pay them back,”
says the Lord." ~ Romans 12:19 (NLT)
"I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself." ~ 1 Corinthians 4:3 (NIV)
Reviewed and retained.
ReplyDelete