Holier?

(09.17.21– Rebirth –1 Peter 1: 13-25)

My friend, may I ask you a question? Should you and I be living the type of lives that set us apart from those who do not know Jesus Christ? If we are, would it not be highly likely that at some juncture we will hear this criticism and receive it with gratefulness, even satisfaction?

My friend, Life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.

I'm M. Clifford Brunner.

"Oh she's just a 'holier than thou' sort. You know, she thinks that she's just a little bit better than everyone else." How often have you heard that said? Because envy is a very real source of satisfaction in our sinful society, you're going to hear it frequently. Certainly when someone is acting haughty, proud, and vain, they deserve our scorn. Nevertheless, when someone simply acts in a charitable way and evokes this sort of jealousy, the criticism and scorn can be quite hurtful. Is there a time, however, when such criticism, fairly given, ought not to rankle us at all? I mean, should you and I be living the type of lives that set us apart from those who do not know Jesus Christ? If we are, would it not be highly likely that at some juncture we will hear this criticism and receive it with gratefulness, even satisfaction?

Clark Tanner writes: "Years ago I sold used cars and worked with a lovely young woman named Sheri. She had recently lost 50 pounds. So when she pulled out a photograph of a very overweight woman and handed it to me, I didn't recognize that I was looking at her. 'Who’s this?' I asked. And she said, 'That's me about 6 months ago.' Several months later she asked me if I'd go with her to shop for clothes. She had no one else to ask so I went. I noticed, however, that everything she tried on was too large. So I said as much. Oh, no. She couldn’t do that. She was too fat she said. It was months later that she came into the dealership beaming! 'Clark, guess what? I'm skinny!' She said, 'I walked past the hall mirror this morning and when I looked up I saw this stranger looking back at me; then all of a sudden I realized, I’m thin! It’s the first time I've seen myself thin!' That weekend I went shopping with her again, and she bought a whole new wardrobe of clothes that fit her. And she acted differently. She walked with a more erect posture. She approached her customers with more confidence. Her mind had been renewed as to how she thought about herself and saw herself." (Clark Tanner)

When you and I behold the risen Christ, the one in whom all righteousness is perfected, can we but help seeing the transformation in ourselves? When God scattered the seeds of His Holy Word in our hearts and the Holy Spirit went to work reclaiming and transforming our hearts for Christ, we ceased to be the person we had always envisioned ourselves to be. We are made holy in Christ and that makes us distinctly righteous in God’s sight. It's impossible to live lives that don't set us apart from the many who don't know Jesus. When we look into the mirror of God’s Word we don't see ourselves, we see Jesus. We're not the same person any more. We are holy, righteous and that will always set us apart from mortal man. If that makes us "holier than thou" it really isn't a bad thing after all, is it?

We pray. Heavenly Father, you make us holy in Christ and that makes us distinctly righteous in Your sight. It's impossible to live lives that don't set us apart from the many who don't know Jesus. When we look into the mirror of Your Word we don't see ourselves, we see Jesus. We're not the same person any more. We are holy, righteous and that will always set us apart from mortal man. Forgive us Father when we forget this even for a moment. If that makes us "holier than thou" in the sight of those who don’t believe, it really isn't a bad thing after. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!

If you have a special prayer request, please send your request to ”This Passing Day!”

<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.

Holier?

(09.17.21– Rebirth –1 Peter 1: 13-25)

My friend, may I ask you a question? Should you and I be living the type of lives that set us apart from those who do not know Jesus Christ? If we are, would it not be highly likely that at some juncture we will hear this criticism and receive it with gratefulness, even satisfaction?

My friend, Life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.

I'm M. Clifford Brunner.

"Oh she's just a 'holier than thou' sort. You know, she thinks that she's just a little bit better than everyone else." How often have you heard that said? Because envy is a very real source of satisfaction in our sinful society, you're going to hear it frequently. Certainly when someone is acting haughty, proud, and vain, they deserve our scorn. Nevertheless, when someone simply acts in a charitable way and evokes this sort of jealousy, the criticism and scorn can be quite hurtful. Is there a time, however, when such criticism, fairly given, ought not to rankle us at all? I mean, should you and I be living the type of lives that set us apart from those who do not know Jesus Christ? If we are, would it not be highly likely that at some juncture we will hear this criticism and receive it with gratefulness, even satisfaction?

Clark Tanner writes: "Years ago I sold used cars and worked with a lovely young woman named Sheri. She had recently lost 50 pounds. So when she pulled out a photograph of a very overweight woman and handed it to me, I didn't recognize that I was looking at her. 'Who’s this?' I asked. And she said, 'That's me about 6 months ago.' Several months later she asked me if I'd go with her to shop for clothes. She had no one else to ask so I went. I noticed, however, that everything she tried on was too large. So I said as much. Oh, no. She couldn’t do that. She was too fat she said. It was months later that she came into the dealership beaming! 'Clark, guess what? I'm skinny!' She said, 'I walked past the hall mirror this morning and when I looked up I saw this stranger looking back at me; then all of a sudden I realized, I’m thin! It’s the first time I've seen myself thin!' That weekend I went shopping with her again, and she bought a whole new wardrobe of clothes that fit her. And she acted differently. She walked with a more erect posture. She approached her customers with more confidence. Her mind had been renewed as to how she thought about herself and saw herself." (Clark Tanner)

When you and I behold the risen Christ, the one in whom all righteousness is perfected, can we but help seeing the transformation in ourselves? When God scattered the seeds of His Holy Word in our hearts and the Holy Spirit went to work reclaiming and transforming our hearts for Christ, we ceased to be the person we had always envisioned ourselves to be. We are made holy in Christ and that makes us distinctly righteous in God’s sight. It's impossible to live lives that don't set us apart from the many who don't know Jesus. When we look into the mirror of God’s Word we don't see ourselves, we see Jesus. We're not the same person any more. We are holy, righteous and that will always set us apart from mortal man. If that makes us "holier than thou" it really isn't a bad thing after all, is it?

We pray. Heavenly Father, you make us holy in Christ and that makes us distinctly righteous in Your sight. It's impossible to live lives that don't set us apart from the many who don't know Jesus. When we look into the mirror of Your Word we don't see ourselves, we see Jesus. We're not the same person any more. We are holy, righteous and that will always set us apart from mortal man. Forgive us Father when we forget this even for a moment. If that makes us "holier than thou" in the sight of those who don’t believe, it really isn't a bad thing after. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!

If you have a special prayer request, please send your request to ”This Passing Day!”

<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.