What I pray is that I am not dishonoring the Lord with any of my actions, words or deeds.
But there is a trap of our adversary in this, as there are in so many aspects of the life of one who has been born-again. We could name it “toeing the line,” attempting to keep all that we do, no matter what it is, in direct obedience to the Word of God, but not out of love for Him, but more towards a Law-based life, one that still harkens back to the Old Testament, that of obeying simply because we have been told to.
“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)
To dishonor God was to not keep the Law, the problem was that although the Law is righteous, true and honorable, it could never save anyone, all one needed to do was keep the Law, the heart had no place in it, even when it was done out of a thought of righteousness.
“For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” (Romans 4:3) Before the Law.
“Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;” (Phil. 3:5) One who kept the Law, but was shown the truth of grace and faith.
Perhaps you have read this far too many times, but it bears repeating in this poorly written letter, today’s Christians, not all of course, seem to believe that not forsaking the assembling of themselves is the epitome of the work of one who has been crucified with Christ, it matters little how much they pay attention to the sermon, as long as the obligation of darkening the doorway and sitting in a pew for an hour or so is performed, they have not dishonored the Lord. If they speak not one word of the glory of the Lord, if they do not say aloud one Scripture verse to another person throughout the entirety of the week, at least they did not say a curse word or think a bad thought about someone.
My friends, we can dishonor the Living God by our lack of actions and words as much as we can by openly sinning against Him.
Attempting to be the best Christian you can be rarely means a life devoted to the will of the Almighty, rarely does that one serve with the fulness of their heart, but instead attempts to live their life by a moral conduct that is found nowhere in the Scriptures. They are good people, but they are not saved people, they serve an idea of what a Christian is supposed to be, but they do not serve Christ.
It is a life based on service to self in the hopes that their lives will be found pleasing to the Lord, not one based on service to Him solely for His glory out of a love for Him.
It is indeed a most subtle trap.
“For we walk by faith, not by sight:” (2nd Cor. 5:7)
Those who have truly been crucified with Christ do not care what anyone thinks about them, unless it is dishonoring to the Lord. What they look like means nothing to them, if they are too adamant, too contentious for His glory, it matters not to them, God must be glorified in every action, in every thought the name of the Lord Jesus Christ must be lifted up. His truths must be spoken whether the one listening wants to hear them or not.
“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8)
If the words I am led to write are the truth, it does not bother me one bit if they offend anyone, if I am speaking incorrectly, my prayer is that I would be shown my error.
