Demolish Self-righteousness and Framework (1)
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April 18, 2010 |
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 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9).
What is the reason that religious leaders rejected Jesus in His time? When Jesus healed the sick on the Sabbath day, the religious leaders blamed Him for violating the commandment of the Sabbath. Keeping the Sabbath is the will of God, but they judged and condemned Jesus because they had wrong thoughts of the Sabbath. Similarly, some believers seem to lead a fervent believing life but do not grow anymore but get stagnated in spirit because of their self-righteousness and frameworks. What then do the self-righteousness and frameworks refer to and how can we destroy them?
First, self-righteousness is to insist that we are right.
Actually, an ordinary meaning of 'righteousness' is doing the right things that men are supposed to do. Also, in the truth, righteousness is to act in honesty and justly following the will of God (Psalm 11:7). Many people insist their opinions are right with their own standard of judgment (Isaiah 55:8-9). Even though men think something is right, it is not always right in the sight of God. If we insist that we are right and hold fast to our opinions, it is self-righteousness.
One part of this self-righteousness is the worldly righteousness, which is the righteousness that is certainly against the will of God. For example, in some historical novels or martial arts novels, the hero lives his life only to take revenge for his parents, because he thinks it is his duty to take vengeance for his parents. If he absolutely believes it and acts that way, it is in accordance with men's righteousness. But what is the will of God? It is to love even our enemies. Therefore, vengeance is worldly righteousness and it is contrary to the will of God.
Next, another aspect of self-righteousness is that it is a righteousness formed on the foundation of the truth. This righteousness is masked with the truth, so you cannot really differentiate it from the righteousness of God. This righteousness formed within the truth is shown more often in the third level of faith than the first or the second levels of faith.
In this level, you have extensive knowledge of the truth, practice the truth to some extent, and fulfill your duties well, too. You can even bear fruit in your duties. So, you are apt to overestimate your level of faith. Without noticing it, you think that your ideas are right and your actions are right.
Second, a framework is a hardened way of thinking that whatever is thought to be right is right.
People form their framework of thoughts based on what they see, hear, and learn. Based on their knowledge or experience, they harden their opinions on as to what is morally right, what is an educated act, and what is really right. It is so hardened that it cannot be easily changed; this is a "framework of thoughts".
These frameworks are different from person to person. It's because their personalities and the environments in which they were raised, and the knowledge and education they received are all different. But this framework is often not right according to facts or the truth of God. But most people discern between the right and wrong based on this framework. Self-righteousness starts from this framework. Based on their frameworks, they persist in the belief that they are right. This is self-righteousness.
Thus, self-righteousness and frameworks are very closely related. But you have to check yourself very carefully.
The frameworks can also be categorized into worldly frameworks and frameworks in the truth. Worldly frameworks, simply speaking, are the frameworks that you make with the worldly knowledge, education, and social etiquette. For example, if we say men were not evolved from apes but created by God, they can't believe it. Because of the frameworks of knowledge thinking that only scientific knowledge is the best, they cannot accept the word.
Next, the frameworks of the truth are the frameworks made based on the truth, the Word of God in faith, unlike the frameworks of the world. This framework of truth is the major obstacle that hinders you from going into spirit. At the time of Jesus, one of the reasons why the religious leaders persecuted Him was because of this framework of truth.
In Jesus' time, the Pharisees kept the Law very strictly. They strictly kept not only the commandments given by God but also the traditions of the elders. But the Pharisees judged and criticized Jesus, who is the truth itself, due to their wrong frameworks. This is an example of frameworks that are wrong but are formed based on the truth. To be more precise, it is a framework that is wrong because it is formed by distorting the truth.
But the bigger problem than these is to make a new framework of truth with the truth that you learn in your life in faith. You think something is the will of God and the truth, but in so many cases it is not. Details and examples of such cases will be explained at the next issue.
For additional information or to read the message's text in its entirety, please visit Manmin Central Church on the web at (www. manmin. org), select the "English" menu, and click on "Words of Life."
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