Just Jesus!

MUFHH

When a moral person is confronted with contempt, immorality, disloyalty, or dishonesty, he is so repulsed by the offense that he turns away and in despair closes his heart to the offender. But the miracle of the redemptive reality of God is that the worst and the vilest offender can never exhaust the depths of His love. Paul did not say that God separated him to show what a wonderful man He could make of him, but “to reveal His Son in me. . .” CHAMBERS

Do you remember the last time someone did something that displeased you?  How did you respond?  With an attitude?  Did that change the way you ‘felt’ about that person?  Did you think ‘I will have a hard time forgiving that person’?  or worse … I can’t ever forgive that person!   If Jesus is to be revealed in us … What would His response be?  Understanding the person’s inability to be anything but what they are aside from yielding their lives to Him … or … condemning them for what they are and believing that they will never change … That is tough isn’t it?  There are people in your life that have hurt you deeply and you might ‘feel’ that they don’t deserve anything ‘good’ to happen in their life because of it.  Jesus said ‘Father forgive them because they don’t know what they are doing’ (paraphrased) (Luke 23:24) He was hanging on a cross!

Do not be deceived … you cannot live the Christian life in the strength of your flesh … it is impossible to do what only the Holy Spirit can give us strength to do … ‘I can do all things in Christ who gives me strength.’ (Philippians 4:13)

We normally think if this in terms of our personal struggles within ourselves .. not with our relationships with other people, especially those we don’t like very much …

You may have noticed I have used the word ‘feel’ a number of times …. That is because our feelings or flesh drive most of our attitudes toward others .. not our faith in Jesus.  That is what Chambers is saying Jesus wants to change in us … that Jesus would be revealed in the way we respond to life … No more mean thoughts, no more harsh words .. no more excuses like “I am not perfect!”  Just Jesus!