From Another's Perspective

You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.

 (John 8:15-16 NIV)

Perspective is determined by our beliefs, experiences, and life choices. Sometimes we can never see things from another's perspective because of our preconceptions. 

Someone once said I have my mind made up, don't confuse with the facts. We all judge by human standards and at least, in part, imperfectly. Admitting this to be true is the first step in seeing things from others perspective.

The basis of all truth is God's Word, yet good people do sometimes disagree about the interpretation of various things stated in the Bible. Someone once said, "In the Bible, the main things are the plain things, and the plain things are the main things." Certain truths in the Bible can never be compromised, such as the means of our salvation and the nature and the character of God.   Other biblical issues have been discussed for centuries, such as the sovereignty of God and free will of man. You can make a biblical case for both of these seemly contradictory theological issues. Maybe, what God has not revealed plainly, we should not try to define completely.

Augustine taught that we must have unity in the essentials of our faith. You cannot change the plain things. In the non-essentials, we can have the diversity of thought, but, according to Augustine, the freedom to disagree only works if you have love in all things. 

In the eighteenth century, two famous preachers, George Whitfield, a Calvinist, and John Wesley, an Arminian, had great debates about free grace and divine election. Each of them argued their theological point vigorously. After Whitfield's death, a woman asked Wesley if he thought he would see Whitfield in heaven. After a long pause, Wesley said, "No, madam.  Do not misunderstand me, madam; George Whitefield was so bright a star in the firmament of God's glory, and will stand so near the throne, that one like me, who am less than the least, will never catch a glimpse of him." Christian unity is not about the meeting of the minds, but that of our hearts. Only then will be able to see things from another's perceptive.

Image used with permission by Microsoft.

Ken Barnes, the author of  “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website:https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/

Blogs: http://kensblog757.blogspot.com

            http://gleanings757.blogspot.com

The Knowledge of Fools

But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much.
 (1 Corinthians 8:1b-2 NLT)

Albert Einstein

If you think you know a lot, you over-estimate yourself. Proud knowledge is the most significant proof of our ignorance.

Those from whom I have learned the most, are people who are most humble. Albert Einstein once said, “The definition of genius is taking the complex and making it simple.” The trait of a good teacher is to take a subject that is difficult for most people to understand and make it understandable to almost everyone. In my university experience, I have had professors who seemed to try and take simple things and make them complex. If you are continually speaking over people’s heads, you are not teaching them; you are endeavoring to impress them. Einstein further commented, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”

The commentator Matthew Henry once wrote, “There is no proof of ignorance that is more common than proud knowledge. Those who understand their ignorance are ones who know best.” God is the source of all knowledge. When we believe that knowledge comes through our great intellect or is expressed only through our eloquent words, we are becoming a fool. Proverbs 9:18 (NLT) tells us that “Fear if the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Without God, we know nothing.

The Apostle Paul was often criticized for his lack of eloquence. He responded by saying he only sought to know Christ and him, crucified. The power of the Gospel speaks for itself.  Proud knowledge is the language of fools and only broadcasts our ignorance.

Image used with permision by Microsoft.

 

The Gospel of Envy

A sound heart is life to the body,
But envy is rottenness to the bones. (Ecclesiastes 6:9 NLT)

Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill once said, “Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.” Many young people today are being hoodwinked by the gospel of envy.

The gospel of envy, like the Gospel of Christ, transforms our entire being. The former leading to moral corruption, the latter to ethical transformation. We often confuse envy and ambition. Envy seeks to take from others what we want for ourselves. Ambition, in its purest form, creates things that make life better for ourselves and others. Envy limits initiative and retards innovation.  Socialist wait for others to create so that they can take. Yes, selfish ambition is condemned in the Bible, but not the desire to succeed. Ambition practiced with generosity for the glory of God is a good thing.

Envy always leads us to compare ourselves with others. It breads division between those we consider the haves and the have nots. We should never compare what we have with what others possess, but thankfully receive what God desires to give us, be that a little or a lot.  Pride is extending its ugly tentacles down into your heart when you envy others. The moral compass of our faith must always direct the desire to succeed. Sanctified ambition always seeks the highest good for all concerned, including God, others, and ourselves.

The gospel of envy leads to moral corruption because It keeps us self-centered in our desires and selfish in our pursuits. The emerging generation can trumpet the high-sounding mantra of equality for all, but will receive only what Churchill calls the “equal sharing of misery.”

Image used with permission by Microsoft.

 

Ken Barnes the author of  “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website:https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/

Blogs: http://kensblog757.blogspot.com

            http://gleanings757.blogspot.com

Two Brothers

To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons.
 (Luke 15:11 NLT)

Luke tells us about two sons.  The younger son forsook his father and his household for riotous living.  The older son stayed home and did all the right things for all the wrong reasons. There are none so far from God that live close to him without ever really knowing him.

The self-righteous older brother

I grew up in church and had all the perfect attendance Sunday school pins down one lapel and up the other one.  I made a public confession of my faith was baptized, which was expected of all young people in the church.  I was known as a good boy.  I tried to do the right things, especially on Sunday mornings. This all continued until one day on my college campus. I gave my heart to the Lord; then, I saw that I was not as good as I thought myself to be.  I was a lot more like the older brother in this story.

The younger brother spent all his inheritance on wild living.  He was living among the pigs, and even their food looked good to him (vs. 13-16).  He finally came to his senses v. 17).  Recognizing our sin is like finally seeing the obvious.  He realizes that he no longer has the right to be called his father’s son (v. 19).  Repentance never demands mercy.

The younger brother returns home and voices to his father the contrition that he has already experienced in his heart (v.21).  His father, being a type of Christ, treats him like he has never sinned, by clothing him with a beautiful robe and killing the fatted calf for a celebratory feast (v.22-23); enter the older brother.

The elder sibling does not seem to be excited about his brother’s return.  He was angry that his father was giving his brother what he deserved.  When our hearts are right with God, we always rejoice when a sinner repents.  It appears that all his good works have done little to change his heart.  He served his father, not out of love, but to earn what he felt he deserved, his inheritance.  Spiritually speaking, we can never receive anything until we realize that we deserve nothing.

Working for our salvation always makes us feel entitled.  Only the poor in spirit come to know Christ.

Image used with permission by Microsoft

Ken Barnes the author of  “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/

Blogs: http://kensblog757.blogspot.com

            http://gleanings757.blogspot.com