HOPE in Christ’s glory – a shock absorber…!

Let’s read 1 Peter 4:12-19 (NIV)

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.  However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?  And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

Throughout the Bible there is no mention of God ever being in a state of “shock” or “surprise”. Why? Because He is omniscient (read Job 37:16). Similarly, Jesus Christ the Son of God was never “startled” or “shocked”. He knew the end from the beginning; hence He endured patiently & submissively.

In the above scripture portion the Apostle Peter is encouraging us to imitate God especially in our reaction to circumstances of “unexpected” suffering. As sons & daughters of God in & through Christ, testing and suffering should never be strange to us. On the contrary, we are to rejoice in the righteous suffering with the hope of Christ’s future glory.

In saying this, Peter mentioned two distinctive types of suffering – a sinner’s suffering & a Christian’s suffering. Knowingly or unknowingly a sinner suffers constantly with perils of the soul such as unclear conscience, unforgiveness, guilt, fear of punishment etc. Whereas, a Christian suffers (unlawfully) as a result of or in the process of bearing the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (read Galatians 5:22-23).

Everyone knows what suffering is (to one degree or another). Let us ask ourselves these 2 questions:

1.      What kind of a suffering/testing/fiery ordeal am I going through?  A sinner’s suffering or a Christian’s suffering?

2.      What is my reaction to my suffering/testing/fiery ordeal? JOY through the Hope of Christ? Or SORROW/SHOCK & SURPRISE, because of hopelessness, guilt & fear?

Rest in the eternal Love of God and know that in all things He works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28)

I ONCE WAS BLIND, BUT NOW I SEE…!

Let’s read Luke 18:35-43(NKJV), Hebrews 11:6(NKJV), Proverbs 8:17 & Matthew 5:8 in tandem

Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging. And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he cried out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 

So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him,  saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?”He said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.” Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”

“I love those who love me, 

and those who seek me find me”

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for

they will see God”

There are three noticeable things about the blind man from the first scripture portion above (Luke 18:35-43). He was blind; He was on the roadside; He was begging. He was on the roadside (unable to follow Jesus) because of his blindness. He was begging (unable to earn his living) also because of his blindness.

Just as physical blindness in this physical world can make you confined and dependent, spiritual blindness can also cause similar consequences. Firstly, a spiritually blind person can never follow Jesus – he/she is always on the “roadside”, carried away by the worries of this world (read Matthew 6:31-34).  Secondly, he/she is dependent on others (not on God) for his existence. In other words, he/she is totally dependent on man’s limited mercy and not on God’s unlimited & ever new mercy.

How would you know if you are spiritually blind?? If you say “Yes” to any of the questions below, it is highly likely that you are spiritually blind..!

1.      Do you feel like you are confined (imprisoned) to any of the man-made limitations? (Examples: ritualistic/religious practices, denominational exclusivity, family traditions, regional/caste-based exclusivity). With all their attractive and convincing gimmicks, these roadside street-hawkers stray you away from following Jesus.

2.      Do you feel like you are dependent (partly or solely) on men for your spiritual nourishment and survival? Depending on bible-teachers, pastors & preachers without reading the Word of God yourself and without letting the Holy Spirit God speak to you personally can at the most make you know “about God” and not “know God” as a real & loving Father.

How to overcome spiritual blindness??

Once you identify the area/areas in which you are spiritually blind, simply do what the blind beggar did –

a.       Cry out loud (pray with a pure heart) for God’s mercy & grace.

b.      Receive your spiritual sight (wisdom & understanding) through faith.

c.       Leave the “roadside” to follow Jesus with wide opened eyes & outstretched arms glorifying God.

d.      Diligently seek Him and be His witness among others.

Don’t let praises PUFF you up or accusations SNUFF you down..!

Let’s read Matthew 3:16, 17; 4:1, 2 & Matthew 12:22-28

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.

 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

“….they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.  All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David? But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons that this fellow drives out demons.” 

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?  And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

God is the ONLY one who is truly worthy of all honour and praise (Psalm 145:3) because he is GREAT. His greatness is beyond the boundaries of our understanding. However, there is a counterfeit “greatness” that the world tries to bestow on its men - “great actor”, “great sportsperson”, “great leader” etc. Most often, this so called “greatness” bestowed by the world makes a mockery of the priceless Grace of God by highlighting only the self-strength and self-ability of a man or a woman who may seem to have achieved something through their hard work & perseverance alone. The labourer deserves his wages (1 Timothy 5:18). It is OK to accept the recognition & encouragement ONLY for God’s glory, but it is never OK to accept the counterfeit “greatness” that the world has to offer.

The world also has a lawless “punishment” to offer. It mocks, slanders, reviles or even crucifies those who are dedicated to please God and God alone.

A true child of God never lets the counterfeit “greatness” to puff him/her up with pride or never lets the lawless “punishment” to snuff his/her confidence down – both are equally harmful if yeilded to.

JESUS CHRIST is a perfect example for us to follow when we find ourselves at the receiving end of both “praise” and “slander”.

There are 2 scripture portions above.The first scripture portion (Matthew 3:16, 17; 4:1, 2) explains how God the Father Himself expressed His pleasure in His Son. Did Jesus puff up with pride by this heavenly re-assurance? – Absolutely NOT. What did he do instead? – “..He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry….”  What a great example..!

John the Baptist said this about Jesus – “…the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit…” (Mark 1:7, 8) Did Jesus puff up with pride by this “genuine praise” by another man? – Absolutely NOT.

The second scripture portion (Matthew 12:22-28) talks about the height of Phariseean “slander” & “false accusation”. The Pharisees addressed Jesus, the Son of God as “Beelzebul”. The Prince of Peace was falsely accused of being the Prince of Devils. Did Jesus let this very offensive “blasphemy” to snuff His confidence and authority down? - Absolutely NOT. Instead He was firm enough to boldly present the truth to those self-righteous, spiritually-blind Pharisees.

Let us follow the example of Jesus in being humble and in having the right attitude to handle both “praise” and “accusation” - ALWAYS….!