I Know You are But What Am I

Posted by anointedplace on August 12, 2012 · 3 Comments 

Luke 6

^37 (BU)(BV)“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned;^(BW)forgive, and you will be forgiven; ^38 (BX)give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put ^(BY)into your lap. For ^(BZ)with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

³⁹ He also told them a parable: ^(CA)“Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? ^40 (CB)A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is ^(CC)fully trained will be like his teacher. ^41 (CD)Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but ^(CE)do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴² How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

If you were to look around this beautiful world and see us what would you think?  As many of us think that we are a pretty good people, who are civilized.  Many of us say that we are Christian or at least believe in God or even a higher being.  Most do believe in something or someone greater than ourselves.  Yet, the transcendent nature of that higher being never makes us feel small enough to change how we treat others.  You can see in the eyes of people you pass in the streets or the glances exchanged at a red light.  It is undeniable how people feel about other people.  It is so remarkable that when we do cross paths with a genuine souls it’s like a breath of fresh air.   We all hold a bit of arrogance about our self view because we are all taught to be that way.  Even now most churches are passing along the message, along with new age thinkers and celebrities.  This is not to bash them in anyway, I’m simply making an observation.

What hurts the most is that we as believers in Jesus Christ are so far away and don’t realize it.  We are no where near being the people he died for us to become.  I thank God for his grace and mercy because of that fact alone.  Sometimes we are to stupid to understand the fact that it is not our hearts or blood that keeps us alive but God’s grace and mercy.  It is grace and mercy that keeps his wrath off our heads because we are a sinful people, to caught up in ourselves to know it.  Grace and mercy is a lot to say so I will make it simple… Jesus.  Many times we boast about the “big” sins that we are not guilty of and don’t realize that does things we should do but don’t are sins as well.  The sad and ironic thing is the sin that we are the most guilty of  is also a fruit of the spirit.  This key fruit we can’t have without salvation.  And this fruit displays our faith and holiness.  It is like a birth certificate for heaven…. Love is what I’m talking about.  This type of love is not the stuff you see on television.  It’s something real and it’s not a feeling, it’s a decision of commitment and sacrifice.     This type of love puts others before you but not for rewards or recognition. This type of love gives the giver joy in return.  This love, loves even the enemies in our lives and without us loving each other we cannot say that we love God.

So what does love have to do with the passage?  True love thinks little of itself, and it will not judge others.  Those with true love really knows themselves and their own sins.  True love seeks to help others and not judge them.  Those with true love in their hearts know that God saved them after they have don’t much worse.  They know that God loved them first when they didn’t deserve it. They know that God loves them in spite of who they really are.  They know that God healed them for themselves.  They are motivated by the love of God to show that same love to others.  Every time God presented the people of Israel with a blessing, promise or commandment; He also reminded them of their time in Egypt as slaves.  God’s love should remind us before we start to judge or point out a person’s faults. As we are filled with the same faults or worse that would send us to hell if it wasn’t for Jesus Christ.

How we treat each other means a lot to God as our relationship reflect our relationship with him.  It bears witness to the fact of us knowing the Heavenly Father or not.  Yet we go through life fooling ourselves because the world, including friends and family have told us that it’s ok to be that way.  Do you not find it odd that in a argument the one who is mad gets even angrier if you bring up the fact that they do the same thing that they are mad about?  They quickly tell you that the fight is not about them but you?  They get upset with you for trying to turn it around?  How different is this from Jesus talking about the speck in our brother’s eye?  We are this way because we don’t fully understand our salvation and what God has done for us.  We don’t understand how God looks upon us, whom He has forgiven for doing far worse.  Our sins against God would take an eternity to make right.

^{Luke 6:31} And ^(BK)as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

So many of us quote the above scripture without knowing and still don’t do it.  We are like children in who we treat each other, always bring up our faults to us feel better than the other.   Is that a Christian who is remembering the love of God?

Matthew 18

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

²¹ Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often ^(AJ)will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? ^(AK)As many as seven times?” ²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

²³ “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished ^(AL)to settle accounts with his servants.^[g] 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ^(AM)ten thousand ^(AN)talents.^{[h] 25 (AO)}And since he could not pay, his master ordered him ^(AP)to be sold, with his wife and ^(AQ)children and all that he had, and payment to be made. ²⁶ So the servant^[i] (AR)fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ ²⁷ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and ^(AS)forgave him the debt. ²⁸ But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred ^(AT)denarii,^[j] and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ ²⁹ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ ³⁰ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. ³¹ When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. ³² Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ^33 (AU)And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ ^34 (AV)And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers,^[k] (AW)until he should pay all his debt.^35 (AX)So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother^(AY)from your heart.”

I know you are but what am I,  it should say I know you are a sinner and so am I but it don’t because we are better than the next person.  Yet we say Jesus died for us but Jesus died for imperfect, unholy, unrighteous, dirty, hell bound sinners.  We rejoice in the fact that God loves us not because of who we are but because of who He is.

Related articles

• Unconditional Love (dailybibleplan.com)
• God Loves You! It’s As Simple As That (mylordisjesus.wordpress.com)
• “Chosen By God”: A Statement Made by Arrogant Christians? (benjaminbradfordwhite.wordpress.com)
• The Art of Judging Others (adumois.wordpress.com)
• The Wrath of God (dailybibleplan.com)
• The Pharisee and the Tax Collector (anointedplace.wordpress.com)

Filed under Christian · Tagged with Christianity, Father God, God, God's love, Israel, Jesu, Jesus Christ, Sin