Thursday, July 14, 2016

Showing The World Strength Through Meekness

My Utmost For His Highest
 
I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. —Matthew 5:39
 
“This verse reveals the humiliation of being a Christian. In the natural realm, if a person does not hit back, it is because he is a coward. But in the spiritual realm, it is the very evidence of the Son of God in him if he does not hit back. When you are insulted, you must not only not resent it, but you must make it an opportunity to exhibit the Son of God in your life. And you cannot imitate the nature of Jesus— it is either in you or it is not. […] It is not your duty to go the second mile, or to turn the other cheek, but Jesus said that if we are His disciples, we will always do these things. […] A disciple realizes that it is his Lord’s honor that is at stake in his life, not his own honor. Never look for righteousness in the other person, but never cease to be righteous yourself. We are always looking for justice, yet the essence of the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is— Never look for justice, but never cease to give it.” CHAMBERS
 
(Isaiah 55:8-9) “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  When I think of this verse and Matthew 5:38-45 and the truth you find in them, my mind goes back to the Western movie where the religious man, who doesn’t wear a gun, is being taunted by a group of “bad” men and told to pick the gun up that is laying on the ground.  The men laugh and mock as the man refuses to yield.  They see him as weak and a coward when in fact there is great power than what is being expressed in his refusal.  He is not afraid at all. He is meek, like Jesus.  Meekness is not weakness, it is bridled strength.  Do you want to reflect Jesus in your life?  Do you accept that Jesus was shamed and crucified, and yet hate the thought of someone treating you poorly and you not retaliating?  This is a hard teaching.  Virtually impossible without the power of the Spirit in you and you in full submission to His leading.  This is not about you remaining silent and harboring resentment toward the offender.  But remaining silent and saying to the Father, “Forgive them because they do not know what they are doing.”  They are ignorant, blind and hell bound.
 
Behaving in such a way with Spiritual sincerity requires that you be fully trusting in the Lord.  It cannot be feigned.  Your proper response to life brings glory to the Father.  Your feigned response to others, something done by the exercising of your own will, has no spiritual power and is hypocritical. And you know what Jesus had to say about that.  So if you are thinking, I could never do that, you are absolutely correct.  Your flesh always demands its rights and justice.  The Spiritual demands that you exercise grace and mercy. "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13)  CHARLEY

No comments: