Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Do You Validate?
Milt Stanley links to and quotes this:
First, Christ justifies us whether we "feel" that way or not. What's amazing is that we are justified, even when we behave unjustly. That is the nature of God's grace. We do not "feel" justified because our lives to not line up with the reality of the justification we have received. You want to "feel" justified, all you need to do is work towards that alignment.
Which leads me to my second point, note how incredibly self-centered that is. You see, the biggest step we can take towards the alignment is to quit worrying about how we "feel" and start worrying about Christ and others.
To often we talk in church about how to make people feel good about themselves so they will be drawn to the church. What a wrong headed way to go about this whole thing.
Sometimes we will never be validated, justified, or recognized as being right by anyone but God. The scriptures depict many righteous men and women being falsely accused. Sometimes they are vindicated, and sometimes, from an earthly perspective, they are not."Vindication," "Validation," and words like them are words for feeling justified, and for "feeling good about ourselves." Two very quick points.
Consider Joseph. Potiphar’s wife had accused him, but he was an innocent man. Yet, she had his garment, and he had probably been seen running away. She was royalty, he was a slave – it would be her word against his. So there was a claim by a more credible person of reputation, there was the physical evidence, and perhaps other personal witnesses to his fleeing the scene of the supposed crime. By all appearances, it would seem Joseph was guilty.
We always talk of how Joseph was vindicated, how he rose to fame and power, how he got out of the pit, out of the prison, and into Pharaoh’s highest courts. He was vindicated before his father and his brothers. However, we may have forgotten that Potiphar never saw him as right. There may be people who you will never look right to, no matter what you do with your life. Sometimes, you might have to let the garment go.
First, Christ justifies us whether we "feel" that way or not. What's amazing is that we are justified, even when we behave unjustly. That is the nature of God's grace. We do not "feel" justified because our lives to not line up with the reality of the justification we have received. You want to "feel" justified, all you need to do is work towards that alignment.
Which leads me to my second point, note how incredibly self-centered that is. You see, the biggest step we can take towards the alignment is to quit worrying about how we "feel" and start worrying about Christ and others.
To often we talk in church about how to make people feel good about themselves so they will be drawn to the church. What a wrong headed way to go about this whole thing.
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