Saturday, June 27, 2009
Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the LORD weighs the motives.
YOU ARE BAPTIZED IN CHRIST: PROPERLY DEFINE YOUR PRIDE--IN HIM!
Unfortunately we humans are by nature *proud* dust and ashes, aren't we? Left to ourselves, we'll be like that Pharisee who thought, "Lord, I thank you that I am not as others are..." We rationalize our sin. We justify ourselves. We make excuses. We get lazy in our lives--with responsibilities, and even in our relationship with God and the hearing of His Word. We know we're not perfect, but we feel we're pretty good compared to the next guy. But God does not grade on a curve. God's standard of righteousness is perfection.
Paul wrote to the Corinthians a long list of things he could take pride in and boast about himself. He was a Hebrew, a Jew, and a descendant of Abraham. As a minister of Christ he labored more than anyone. He was whipped, beaten, imprisoned, stoned, and so on and so on. Paul had reason to take pride in his life as a Christian and all that he suffered for Christ. But the Lord had taught him how his pride and boasting should always be properly defined.
The LORD knows our motives. So if we're going to boast in anything, it ought to be in the truth about our Savior Jesus Christ. Boast about the blood Jesus paid for your forgiveness on the cross. Boast about the Word of God that the Holy Spirit uses to create and sustain the faith you have in you right now. Boast about God's promise to you of resurrection and eternal life in paradise. After all it is because of Jesus that we have been declared clean in God's sight.
For the joy Thine advent gave me,
For Thy holy, precious Word;
For Thy Baptism, which doth save me,
For Thy blest Communion board;
For Thy death, the bitter scorn,
For Thy resurrection morn,
Lord, I thank Thee and extol Thee,
And in heaven I shall behold Thee.
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 207:6)
