Family of God: Re: [FamilyofGod] Not Knowing One's Wretchedness

Amen

On Tue Feb 15th, 2011 11:46 PM EST Michael J. Knight wrote:

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>Not Knowing One's Wretchedness
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>
>
>The elder in Laodicea (Rev.3:14-22
><http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Rev.3.14-22> ) was rebuked strongly by
>the Lord for a number of reasons. He felt he was rich and increased with
>goods and had need of nothing. Riches are not related only to money. One
>can be rich in knowledge, gifts and talents too - and thus feel
>self-sufficient. Those who are intelligent, eloquent and gifted need to
>walk with fear, because they are in constant danger of being proud of
>these human abilities and of depending more on them than on the Lord.
>The elder here was satisfied with his Bible-knowledge, his gifts, his
>achievements, and his position as an elder. But he was not aware of the
>fact that in God's eyes, he was still spiritually "wretched, miserable,
>poor, blind and naked" (Rev.3:17
><http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Rev.3.17> ). It is sad indeed when we
>are ignorant of our true spiritual condition, as God sees us. While this
>elder brother was totally ignorant of the fact that he was a wretched
>man, we find a godly man like the Apostle Paul crying out and saying, "O
>wretched man that I am" (Rom. 7:24
><http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Rom.%207.24> ).
>
>How did Paul know his own wretchedness and the Laodicean elder not know
>his? Because Paul lived before God's face, while the Laodicean elder did
>not. In God's light, Paul constantly realized that his flesh was corrupt
>(Rom.7:18 <http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Rom.7.18> ). Thus Paul
>remained constantly poor in spirit, and became a godly man. The
>Laodicean elder however, not seeing the wretchedness of his flesh,
>became carnal and lukewarm. It is very easy for self-satisfaction and
>self-sufficiency to come into the life of a servant of God, if he does
>not live before God's face - for he will not see his own need. And
>evidence of this will be seen in the way he speaks and preaches. The way
>a needy person speaks is quite different from the way a strong
>self-sufficient person speaks.
>
>There are gifted preachers who can speak well, who are eloquent, and who
>know the doctrine well. But if you listen to their spirit when they
>speak, you will be able to sense arrogance there. They speak as experts,
>and not as those who are poor and needy themselves. The Body of Christ
>cannot be built by men who have a strong, arrogant spirit, but only by
>men who have a humble, gentle spirit. It is easy for an arrogant
>preacher to whip people in his sermons!! Then he becomes like the
>servant Jesus spoke of, whose master had appointed him to give others
>their daily ration of food. But instead of giving them food, he whipped
>them (Lk.12:45 <http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Lk.12.45> )!
>Unfortunately, there is a lot of whipping that goes on from the pulpit
>in Christendom today. Whipping never leads anyone to a godly life, but
>only to feelings of condemnation, and to subservience to the preacher
>who whips him. Consider how a poor, helpless beggar speaks to anyone. It
>is always with meekness and respect - because he knows that he is a
>nobody in the world. That is how the Bible tells us to speak to all
>human beings, for we too are nobody's in the world (1 Pet.3:15
><http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/1%20Pet.3.15> ). On the other hand, how
>does a dictator speak? Always with arrogance.
>
>Does our speech come from poverty of spirit or from arrogance? 1 Peter
>2:17 <http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/1%20Peter%202.17> commands us to
>"honor all men". Is there a single human being on earth who is excluded
>from that command? No. A brother who is not eloquent, and who does not
>know much of the Word, but who has a humble, gentle spirit, will build
>the Body of Christ far more than an arrogant brother who is gifted and
>eloquent. The gifted brother may look like a spiritual man here on
>earth, and others may even consider him to be a great asset to the
>church. But at the judgment seat of Christ it will be seen that it was
>the humbler brother who actually built the Body of Christ. It is
>essential that we realize that the Body of Christ is built, not by
>Bible-knowledge and spiritual gifts primarily, but by our life. Only the
>poor in spirit can build the kingdom of God (Matt.5:3
><http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Matt.5.3> ). And there is only one way
>to remain poor in spirit (aware of our own spiritual need) constantly,
>and that is, by looking at Jesus always. When we see ourselves in His
>light, we will realize how unlike Him we are, even if we are better than
>others around us. In His light, we will lose sight of the weaknesses of
>others, and see only our own. And we shall spontaneously say, "Oh,
>wretched man that I am" (Rom.7:24
><http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Rom.7.24> ). We won't have to be
>prompted by anyone to say it. But we must live in that state always.
>Otherwise we can easily backslide into the deep pit of lukewarmness,
>carnality and arrogant pride that the Laodicean elder was in.
>
>Remember
>Only one life, will soon be past,
>Only what is done, for Christ will last.
>
>The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the
>communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. (2 Corinthians
>13:14)
>
>Love & Prayers,
>
>Michael J. Knight.
>
>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/A-C-T-S/
><http://groups.yahoo.com/group/A-C-T-S/>
>
>What we are is God's gift to us. What we become is our gift to God.
>