SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/20/2022 10:34 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-4 “The Rule”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matthew
10:18a
Message of the verse: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones;”
We move to a fourth way believers despise fellow
believers and that is by ridiculing their physical appearance. This kind of thing happened to Paul as seen
in 2 Corinthians 10:10 “For they say, "His
letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and
his speech contemptible.’” I think that
this kind of thing happens when a person is mad at another person and in the
end they have to bring up their physical appearance, and this is totally wrong
and totally sinful and should never happen, especially when talking to a fellow
believer. The Corinthians admitted that
Paul’s teaching was good, but I think that they were mad at him and so they
brought up his appearance. Now Paul
spoke good to the Galatians for not despising or loathing his “bodily
condition,” and every commentary that I have looked at on this say the problem
was with his eyes, and I think that they say that because of being blinded by
the Lord as seen in the 9th chapter of Acts, when the Lord saved him. “and that which was a trial to you in my
bodily condition you did not despise or loathe, but you received me as an angel
of God, as Christ Jesus Himself” (Gal.
4:14). MacArthur concludes “To mock
another person because of physical, mental, or cultural deficiencies not only
is contemptible in men’s sight but in God’s.”
MacArthur mentions a
story about D. L. Moody who was put down for the way he talked while in
England. He spoke at Cambridge
University, which is the epitome of British intellectualism and sophistication,
and because Moody was probably feed up with the press he was getting he said “Don’t
let nobody never tell you God don’t love you, cause He do.” Moody must have been a man of humor from time
to time.
We now look at number
five: Believers despise other believers
when they are indifferent to or judgmental of a fellow believer who spiritually
stumbles. When a brother or sister in
the Lord sins in public there is a tendency to write them off after that,
however we must remember that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of
God.”
Number six: Believers also despise other believers by resenting
a fellow Christian who confronts their sinfulness. When a believer sins and another believer
brings it up to them in a kind way do not get upset with them because they are
just trying to help you out in a kind way.
The problem is that the old-self or the flesh can’t handle the things
that are brought up and then the believer will very quickly get angry.
We now look at number
seven: A believer can take advantage of
another believer for personal gain.
MacArthur writes “Although Paul was referring specifically to sexual immorality;
his warning to the Thessalonians applies to taking advantage of a fellow
believer in any way—financially, socially, or any other. A Christian is not to ‘defraud his brother’
in any regard ‘because the Lord is the avenger in all these things’
(1 Thess. 4:6).”
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: There has been a
lot of eye-opening and the stepping on of toes in this section, and I have to
admit that I am thankful for what I have learned here.
My
Steps of Faith for Today: Not to despise a brother or sister in the Lord in
any of these seven ways that I have been reminded of.
12/20/2022 11:03 AM
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