The Paradox (2)

We become great by becoming small

Matthew 18:4 (ESV) 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 23:11-12 (ESV) 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

How do we avoid the appearance of false humility?

Isaiah 26:12 (NIV2011) 12 LORD, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us.

Believe this passage. Make it yours, embrace it and write it “on the tablet of your heart”.(Proverbs 3:3)

Look to the following for our example:

Philippians 2:8 (ESV) 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

We are not talking about a mere man here! We are talking about the GOD of all creation walking with His created ones!

Romans 12:3 (ESV) 3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

We are called to be servants of the GOD most high!

We “do” because it is our duty.

Some believe that what they have done will get them to heaven.

They believe that if they are doers of the word, that activity will guarantee their passage through the “pearly gates”.

The more enlightened amongst us scoff and say “No, you can’t earn your way into heaven. This is the fruit in keeping with the gift of grace from our GOD.

But Jesus said,

Matthew 7:21-23 (ESV) 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

It really isn’t about what we do or even how much we do. What matters is where our heart is in accordance with what GOD is doing through us.

Paul tells us in Philippians 2:5-8, Philippians 2:5-8 (ESV) 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Jesus was obedient even to death to GOD the Father. We are called to serve GOD by serving others. Not in subjugation to others, but in service to GOD by serving as He leads us. The heart, intellect, soul and our strength must be captivated by an attitude of submission to the will of GOD. Give to the Lord child=like obedience through child-like faith built on a foundation of child-like trust. Become great by becoming small.

We receive by giving

Luke 6:38

“give and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Matthew 6:12

and forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors

I have some good news, and I have some bad news. The good news is that our sins, all that stuff that we did, are doing and will do, has been forgiven! We don’t have to go through judgment and an eternal sentence of separation of all that is good, only to be left with all that is agonizing!

But about that bad news… “For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you” and “forgive us as we forgive”. Woops.

Romans 2:1-4 (NIV) 1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?

We have been given the greatest gift of all times – deliverance from – and through – this roller coaster we call life! And, like any other gift, we need only to accept it! How could we not? Which of us would want to be like “them”? Thank goodness that we don’t do the same things that they do? Yet even in this, we are showing the contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience!

One of the greatest parts of this freedom is being able to let go of the grudges, blame, disappointments and anger on which we so tightly hold so we can embrace this glorious gift. But (you knew we had to have one, didn’t you), we can’t have it both ways. We can’t NOT forgive and expect to be forgiven. Unfortunately, what we hold closest to us defines us – to the good or the bad.

Our weakness is our strength

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Matthew 6:13

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

We all have our mountaintop experiences. Things are working together for our benefit, all the traffic lights in our lives are green – all systems are go!

But then there are those seasons when things don’t work together. All of life’s traffic lights turn red just before we reach them. What can go wrong certainly does.

It is up us to us as individuals and as family members to remember that these valley experiences are just that – a cut in the ground between high spots with both entrance and exit. There is no “pit of depression”, pit of sorrow” or any other pit in this life unless we choose it. Solomon speaks directly to this in the third chapter of Ecclesiastes when he says; “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:”

We can take courage from Psalm 23. Even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we don’t need to fear evil. How often the shadow of death? Those of us who have experienced combat, whether overseas or in the home recognize that shadow. But what of sorrow, grief or anguish? When we walk the valley of weeping (Psalm 84:6 - Baca), our tears will be transformed to a place of growth! It is also up to us to acknowledge the sovereignty of GOD and the love of God. Jesus said “I will never leave you or forsake you”.

In Chapter 13, verse 58 Matthew states, “ And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.”

Know that GOD is at work within you – not luck, not fate and most definitely not karma. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He built it all! Make the choice – trust in Him to deliver you from evil within and without and enable you to make it through the valleys, not by your own understanding or wisdom. He doesn’t make all of our lights green, but He sure makes the waiting worthwhile!

Last thing:

Augustine wrote, “GOD has promised forgiveness to your repentance.

But He has not promised tomorrow to your procrastination.

This isn’t about saying some words and getting an eternal insurance policy. This is about a life transformation that will leave you standing in awe, wondering both how and why you survived to this point without it!

Luke 9:24 (ESV) 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.