1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
5 For each one shall bear his own load.
6 Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Galatians 6:1-10
Today was one of the rare days when I have actually gone into a service in church and the scripture passage that was read simply summed up and confronted the issues that I have been facing over the past couple of weeks.
3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
Upon reading this, the first thing God reminded me was of the Apostle Paul's letter to the Corinthian church.
6 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.
7 For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
1 Corinthians 4:6-7
It is a constant struggle against my flesh, especially in the past year, over the pride and self-righteousness deep in my own heart that never seems to go away. Most likely it's a by-product of my reading of books by John Piper, D. A. Carson and the like, as well as from listening to the many Paris Reidhead, Leonard Ravenhill and Paul Washer sermons, which just goes to show how subtly the Evil One can take a good and excellent thing and make it a snare to the unwary. After a while, it is so easy to be puffed up with knowledge and rather than making you more humble and contrite in the face of an Awesome (in its fullest sense) and exceedingly Gracious God, one takes pride in the fact that he has "attained" a higher level of understanding that makes him "superior" to other believers.
For what does one have that he has not received? Is it not only by His Grace that He has chosen to reveal such awesome truths through preachers like John Piper and Paul Washer to you? For once you were blind and could not discern things that were Spiritual, and God in His Grace removed your blindness that you might see. For I am convinced that if He had never opened my eyes to His Truth a couple of years ago, despite of all those years in Sunday School and BB, I would never have come to Him in my natural unregenerate state. Who am I but a weak pitiful man who would never have sought Him unless He had sought me first. What place then is there for pride, where is the boasting?
14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.
Galatians 6:14-15
Amen
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