The More of God, the Less of You

Scriptural Text: Matt. 5:8; Psalms 24:4

The More of God, the Less of You

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Consider this thought. Can oil and water mix? Oil can mix with oil, resulting in volume. The same is with water. With that said, evil+evil=evil, and evil against evil perpetuate evil. Only more good can overcome evil. This is the formula for hope.

Good is not to defined in terms of what brings personal pleasure to we humans in a direct fashion.

Good is that which glorifies God, fulfills his will, conforms to his nature(image, His likeness, being conformed to the likeness of His Son)

The Sixth Beatitude-“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”(Matthew 5:8)

What is purity? It is freedom from defilement and divided affections; it is sincerity, genuineness, and singleness of heart.

An aspect of God’s holiness is his absolute purity or goodness. He is untouched and unstained by evil in the world. Habakkuk 1:13, James 1:13

Habakkuk 1:13 (NKJV) 13You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours A person more righteous than he?

James 1:13 (NKJV) 13Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.

The sixth Beatitude tells us that the purer our hearts become, the more we will see of God in this life...

The more our hearts are focused on God, absorbed with him, concentrated on his being, freed from distractions, sincere—single, the more we will see him.

As our hearts become purer, the more the Word lives and the more creation speaks. Even the adverse circumstances of life seem to sharpen our vision of God.

Seeing God in this life is the highest good, because those who see him become more and more like him. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

at times we see God how we want Him to be,

Seeing God How We Want Him to Be (Exodus 32:4; Numbers 23:19; Isaiah 2:8)

Exodus 32:4 (NKJV) 4And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!”

Numbers 23:19 (NKJV) 19“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Isaiah 2:8 (NKJV) 8Their land is also full of idols; They worship the work of their own hands, That which their own fingers have made.

Isn’t it tempting to see God like we want him to be, rather than how he has revealed himself? In an interview with Parade magazine, the musician Elton John said, “I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems.”

One of the easiest ways to commit the sin of idolatry is to remake God in our image. For culture’s view of God, see Parade magazine. For an accurate view of God, see the Bible. Go to the Book!—Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell123

123 Dotson Rader, “Elton John: ‘There’s a lot of hate in the world,’ ” http://www.parade.com/celebrity/celebrity-parade/2010/elton-john-web-exclusive.html.

 Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell, 300 Illustrations for Preachers, 2015.

Those who has clean hands....

Psalm 24:4 (NKJV) 4He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully.

To enter into the holy place we must each have “clean hands,” that is, our hands must not be defiled by the corruption of this world, and we must not touch unclean things. ..Our hands express what our heart intends. It is from the purity of our hearts that true worship comes.

the one welcomed to the holy place is the one “who has not lifted up his soul to an idol.” The first commandment is clear, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Ex. 20:3).

we have our idols. They are abstract idols like “power,” or concrete idols like “money.” “Patriotism” guards our national destiny. “Self” receives our personal devotion.

Indeed, Paul warned us of these times: “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong 2 Tim. 3:1-7

Second, the one welcomed to the holy place is also the one who has not “sworn deceitfully.” This means that we have not perjured our selves. We have honored the commandment not to bear false witness.

As this person stands before God in the “holy place,” he is given the promise that “he shall receive blessing from the Lord” (v. 5). The blessing of the Lord is not just His benefits, it is His presence:

“The Lord bless you and keep you; / The Lord make His face shine upon you, / And be gracious to you; / The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, / And give you peace” (Num. 6:24–26).

A Sure Foundation: More of God, less of you. (1 Cor.3:10-15)

(The 3 pigs example)