January 30, 2025 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John (2SoJ)
The Series, God’s Love…living in love, not guilt
Guilt will destroy one’s love for God and one’s ability to love the people of God. When a person is only concerned with “me” then self-worth is at odds with God’s love and one’s acceptance of who you can be in Jesus Christ. This article was sent to me by my good friend Otis. He has learned how to be blessed by God and lives his life in the love of God, rejecting guilt and condemnation by abiding in the love of God and always 100% confident that Jesus loves him no matter what. “Thank you, Lord, for there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!” Romans 8.1 is his life’s motive.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"; and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile." So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future — all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God. 1 Cor 3:19-23 NIV
The ego often hurts. It is my sense of self, my identity, my ego that hurts. Walking around does not hurt my toes unless there is already something wrong with them. Think about it. It is very hard to get through a whole day without feeling snubbed or ignored or feeling stupid or getting down on ourselves. That is because there is something wrong with my ego. There is something wrong with my identity. There is something wrong with my sense of self. It is never happy. It is always drawing attention to itself. So, first, it is empty. Secondly, because it is like a bloated stomach that is distended, it is also painful. And, thirdly, the ego is incredibly busy; in other words, it is always drawing attention to itself. It is incredibly busy trying to fill the emptiness. And it is incredibly busy doing two things in particular – comparing and boasting. You can see them both in the above passage.
Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another. 1 Cor 4:6-7 NIV
First, notice, that there is no full stop after the word pride. Paul does not say ‘Then you will not take pride.’ No, he says ‘Then you will not take pride in one man over against another.’ That is the very essence of what it means to have a normal human ego. The way the normal human ego tries to fill its emptiness and deal with its discomfort is by comparing itself to other people. All the time. In his famous chapter on pride in Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis points out that pride is by nature competitive. It is competitiveness that is at the very heart of pride. ‘Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next person. We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, or cleverer, or better-looking than others. If everyone else became equally rich, or clever, or good-looking there would be nothing to be proud about.’ By comparing ourselves to other people and trying to make ourselves look better than others, we are boasting. Trying to create a self-esteem résumé because we are desperate to fill our sense of inadequacy and emptiness. The normal human ego is so empty, painful, busy and therefore fragile.
We condemn ourselves, putting ourselves on trial for things we have done, thought, or said. Paul says that he has found the secret. The trial is over for him. He is out of the courtroom. It is gone. It is over. Because the ultimate verdict is in. Now how could that be? Paul puts it very simply. He knows that what others think cannot justify him. He knows he cannot justify himself. And what does he say? He says that it is the Lord who judges him. It is only His opinion that counts. Do you realize that it is only in the gospel of Jesus Christ that you get the verdict before the performance?
Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8.1 Niv You see, the verdict is in. And now Paul performs based on the verdict. Because God the Father loves me and He accepts me, I do not have to do things just to build up my résumé. I do not have to do things to make me look good. I can do things for the joy of doing them. I can help people to help people; not so I can feel better about myself, not so I can fill up the emptiness. Self-forgetfulness takes you out of the courtroom. The trial is over. The verdict is in you are free from all condemnation. But keep looking, digging, and asking questions. There is a lot to discover until you understand the whole picture. We must re-live the gospel every time we pray, every day. We must re-live the gospel on the spot and ask ourselves what we are doing in the courtroom. We should not be there.
The court is adjourned. Like Paul, we can say, “I don’t care what you think. I don’t even care what I think. I only care what the Lord thinks. Believe and stand on what he says, Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8.1 Niv Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Prov 3:5-6 ESV Do not go beyond what is written. 1 Cor 4:6-7 NIV Live out of that. (Keller, Timothy. The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness (p. 44). 10Publishing. Kindle Edition.)
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What would Jesus want me to do?
Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com
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