Monday, June 6, 2011 at 3:27am
Transformation and renewal of the heart, mind and soul happens from the inside.
We often forget that. We worry too much about this temporal, outer shell and forget the core essence of our existence that REALLY, truly matters.
Jesus said to the Pharisees, 'You hypocrites, you wash the outside of the cup but inside you are full of self-indulgence and wickedness.'
And again, 'You blind Pharisees! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but are full of rottenness and dead man's bones on the inside. Even so, you outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.'
Jesus saw right through them and spoke the plain, hard truth. We are just as hypocritical, I am just as guilty. When we see someone fail, before we criticize or judge, it would do us good to examine OURSELVES first.
How can we remove the speck in someone's eye if we ourselves have a plank in our eye?
It is not what goes in that makes a man unclean, but what comes out. Our thoughts and words, our actions and intentions are what determines who we truly are. Not what we eat or drink.
I find it interesting to note that Hitler was actually nearly quite as abstinent as a vicar! He actually never smoked nor drank liquor. He was strict and particular with his meal times and his diet. And yes, he was a vegan. I find that so absolutely strange! For such a tyrannical figure, it is quite unthinkable that he was physically such a disciplined man.
But then again, it may not entirely be that bizarre a personality trait. Often you find great contradictions between personalities like Hitler. He was extremely particular about what went into his body, but was there any morality and goodness coming out from within?
Then again, mentioned in my previous note is C.S. Lewis' understanding of evil, which I find quite humourously enlightening. He says that 'A man who is getting better will see more and more the evil still left in him, while a man who is getting worse will see less and less the badness within.' How true! While one is sleeping, one cannot tell he's asleep. When a person is not drunk, he can understand the it, but when he IS drunk, he has no sense whatever of his drunkenness.
It is the same with our hypocrisy. We worry about what goes in, we worry about man's traditions, we worry about other people, but how often do we see within ourselves and allow God's truth and light to expose the ugliness inside?
Expose. It is horrible to be exposed. To be exposed is to be vulnerable. Almost at the mercy of the person who now sees it all. God have mercy on us. But if we aren't exposed, we will continue in our blindness. 'Having a form of godliness but DENYING ITS POWER.' 2 Timothy 3:5
If we do not allow God to search our hearts, we will continue to wallow in man's approval thinking we're pretty good people. But we're not! I am not, you are not one bit good. And it is only when we realize that we are hopelessly full of wrongs that God can step in and be real to us.
Before, we think we are alright, self-righteous. But the truth will expose everything in the darkness. Don't be surprised many of us often will prefer darkness to light because it keeps our unsightly deeds & intentions hidden under the facade of godliness.
Only God's truth and His Spirit cleanses, transforms and renews our core beings from within and defines our identity in Christ. Only Jesus living in me and you can change us and help us to think, act and speak right.
Carpe diem,
Janielle =)
We often forget that. We worry too much about this temporal, outer shell and forget the core essence of our existence that REALLY, truly matters.
Jesus said to the Pharisees, 'You hypocrites, you wash the outside of the cup but inside you are full of self-indulgence and wickedness.'
And again, 'You blind Pharisees! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but are full of rottenness and dead man's bones on the inside. Even so, you outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.'
Jesus saw right through them and spoke the plain, hard truth. We are just as hypocritical, I am just as guilty. When we see someone fail, before we criticize or judge, it would do us good to examine OURSELVES first.
How can we remove the speck in someone's eye if we ourselves have a plank in our eye?
It is not what goes in that makes a man unclean, but what comes out. Our thoughts and words, our actions and intentions are what determines who we truly are. Not what we eat or drink.
I find it interesting to note that Hitler was actually nearly quite as abstinent as a vicar! He actually never smoked nor drank liquor. He was strict and particular with his meal times and his diet. And yes, he was a vegan. I find that so absolutely strange! For such a tyrannical figure, it is quite unthinkable that he was physically such a disciplined man.
But then again, it may not entirely be that bizarre a personality trait. Often you find great contradictions between personalities like Hitler. He was extremely particular about what went into his body, but was there any morality and goodness coming out from within?
Then again, mentioned in my previous note is C.S. Lewis' understanding of evil, which I find quite humourously enlightening. He says that 'A man who is getting better will see more and more the evil still left in him, while a man who is getting worse will see less and less the badness within.' How true! While one is sleeping, one cannot tell he's asleep. When a person is not drunk, he can understand the it, but when he IS drunk, he has no sense whatever of his drunkenness.
It is the same with our hypocrisy. We worry about what goes in, we worry about man's traditions, we worry about other people, but how often do we see within ourselves and allow God's truth and light to expose the ugliness inside?
Expose. It is horrible to be exposed. To be exposed is to be vulnerable. Almost at the mercy of the person who now sees it all. God have mercy on us. But if we aren't exposed, we will continue in our blindness. 'Having a form of godliness but DENYING ITS POWER.' 2 Timothy 3:5
If we do not allow God to search our hearts, we will continue to wallow in man's approval thinking we're pretty good people. But we're not! I am not, you are not one bit good. And it is only when we realize that we are hopelessly full of wrongs that God can step in and be real to us.
Before, we think we are alright, self-righteous. But the truth will expose everything in the darkness. Don't be surprised many of us often will prefer darkness to light because it keeps our unsightly deeds & intentions hidden under the facade of godliness.
Only God's truth and His Spirit cleanses, transforms and renews our core beings from within and defines our identity in Christ. Only Jesus living in me and you can change us and help us to think, act and speak right.
Carpe diem,
Janielle =)
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