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| WHAT GOES AROUND... |
Mat 7:1-6; Luk 6:37-42: What goes around comes around (WGACA). If you judge, you will be judged. If you condemn, you will be condemned. If you forgive, you will be forgiven. If you give, you will receive back. You get back what you dish out and it comes back full measure, pressed down, shaken together and pressed again until it is running over in your lap. So what is it you want to come back at you, judgment and condemnation or forgiveness and grace? [WGACA]
Do not be blind to what you do. Others are watching and following. They will go where you go - even into a pit. You're teaching others how to live by how you live. Those who are taught will not rise above their teacher. Texas wisdom says, "If you teach a critter meanness don't be surprised if it learned it's lesson. [WGACA]
And how can you lead a brother to correct some minor thing in his life if you have not corrected the major things in your life? Don't be a hypocrite (a phony; two-faced). First correct what is wrong in your life, then you will be able to help someone else with their problem. This too will come back to you as well." [WGACA]
Who is Jesus to me in all of this? He is my center. He is first of all my standard for my life. Before I even think about making a judgment on someone else or leading someone else or correcting someone else, I must be certain I am consistently pursuing the standard Jesus has set for me. Second, he is my discernment. It is only by his wisdom that I am able to judge anything, lead anything or correct anything. His wisdom comes through much PRAYER [more on this to follow], time in his Word and walking in the Spirit - being filled with the Spirit (knowing God's will; giving praise to God and others; being totally surrendered to him).
"Lord, I pray that my love may abound more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that I may approve the things that are excellent, that I may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." (Phi 1:9).
Regarding those with no spiritual sensibilities, those indifferent to the things of God, perhaps even hostile, I should not be distracted by dishonorable men. They may blow off my words and efforts to speak life into them. They may perhaps even turn against me. When it comes to knowing someone's heart about the things of God the Holy Spirit is my discernment. He will nudge me when it is time to move away. I should not ignore those who are indifferent or hostile to God. At the same time I should expect the possibility that they may turn on me. If they do, they turn on Jesus, on his message of love and acceptance. But notice now that Jesus leaves this topic an goes immediately into a discussion of persistent PRAYER. Jesus said himself in Mat 17:21 that the really tough ones will only come "by PRAYER and FASTING."
Mat 7:7-12: It is a good thing to persist in PRAYER. Jesus invites his followers to keep on asking, keep on seeking and keep on knocking. Those who continue to ask will receive, those who continue to seek will find. And those who continue to knock will find doors open to them.
Will an earthly father give a stone to a child asking for bread, or a snake to a child asking for fish? If an earthly minded sinful man knows how to give good gifts to his children, how much more would our heavenly Father delight to give good gifts to those who ask of him? [Especially since his Son, Jesus, has given us the direction to PARY and to ask of the Father]
Jesus in me is my invitation to continually, persistently, consistently be asking, seeking and knocking about anything, anyone and everything. He is my assurance that our Father in heaven is willing to give his followers good gifts based on our persistence. "His Word will not return void." If I expect my heavenly Father to treat me so then certainly I should, in turn, treat my children as such. In fact, I should treat all men in this manner. If I can expect good gifts from my heavenly Father then others should expect me to treat them the same way.
And about this persistent asking, seeking, and knocking: James 4:3 explains that our ask needs not to be selfishly motivated but motivated by love. This kind of asking will find an answer (also note Phi 2:3-7; 4:6,7,19).
The whole matter of judging, correcting, facing down adversaries of the Gospel comes down to PRAYER and being motivated by love. When the Church of Jesus Christ gets this right she'll have a much greater impact on the culture around her.
