BACK WHEN THE TELEGRAPH WAS THE FASTEST METHOD OF LONG-DISTANCE COMMUNICATION, A YOUNG MAN APPLIED FOR A JOB AS A MORSE CODE OPERATOR.
ANSWERING AN AD IN THE NEWSPAPER, HE WENT TO THE OFFICE ADDRESS THAT WAS LISTED IN THE PAPER. WHEN HE ARRIVED, HE ENTERED A LARGE, BUSY OFFICE FILLED WITH NOISE AND CLATTER, INCLUDING THE SOUND OF THE TELEGRAPH IN THE BACKGROUND.
A SIGN ON THE RECEPTIONIST’S COUNTER INSTRUCTED JOB APPLICANTS TO FILL OUT A FORM AND WAIT UNTIL THEY WERE SUMMONED TO ENTER THE INNER OFFICE.
THE YOUNG MAN FILLED OUT HIS FORM AND SAT DOWN WITH THE SEVEN OTHER APPLICANTS IN THE WAITING AREA. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THE YOUNG MAN’S EARS PERKED UP. HE QUICKLY STOOD UP, CROSSED THE ROOM TO THE DOOR OF THE INNER OFFICE, AND WALKED RIGHT IN.
NATURALLY THIS GOT THE ATTENTION OF THE OTHER APPLICANTS. THEY QUICKLY WONDERED WHAT WAS GOING ON. THEY WHISPERED AMONG THEMSELVES THAT THEY HADN’T RECEIVED ANY INVITATIONS YET.
THEY ASSUMED THAT THE YOUNG MAN WHO WENT INTO THE OFFICE MADE A MISTAKE AND WOULD BE DISQUALIFIED. WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, HOWEVER, THE EMPLOYER ESCORTED THE YOUNG MAN OUT OF THE OFFICE.
THE MAN SAID TO THE OTHER APPLICANTS, "GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING, BUT THE JOB HAS JUST BEEN FILLED." NEEDLESS TO SAY, EVERYONE WAS SHOCKED.
THE OTHER APPLICANTS BEGAN GRUMBLING TO EACH OTHER, AND ONE SPOKE UP SAYING, "WAIT A MINUTE, I DON’T UNDERSTAND. HE WAS THE LAST TO COME IN, AND WE NEVER EVEN GOT A CHANCE TO BE INTERVIEWED. YET HE GOT THE JOB. THAT’S NOT FAIR!"
THE EMPLOYER SAID, "I’M SORRY, BUT THE LAST SEVERAL MINUTES WHILE YOU’VE BEEN SITTING HERE, THE TELEGRAPH HAS BEEN TICKING OUT THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IN MORSE CODE: ’IF YOU UNDERSTAND THIS MESSAGE, THEN COME RIGHT IN. THE JOB IS YOURS.’
NONE OF YOU HEARD IT OR UNDERSTOOD IT. THIS YOUNG MAN DID. THE JOB IS HIS."
WHY DOES THAT SEEM SO MUCH LIKE THE WORLD TODAY? WE ARE SO BUSY LIVING IN A WORLD THAT IS FULL OF NOISE AND CLATTER, LIKE THAT OFFICE.
PEOPLE ARE DISTRACTED AND UNABLE TO HEAR THE STILL, SMALL VOICE OF GOD AS HE SPEAKS IN CREATION, IN THE SCRIPTURES, THROUGH HIS PEOPLE, THE CHURCH AND IN THE LIFE AND WORK OF JESUS CHRIST.
IT IS SADLY AMAZING HOW MANY PEOPLE COME TO CHURCH SUNDAY AFTER SUNDAY, READ THEIR BIBLE DAY AFTER DAY, AND RECITE PRAYER AFTER PRAYER WITHOUT ALLOWING THESE THINGS TO SINK IN AND BECOME AN EFFECTIVE PART OF THEIR LIFE.
HOW DO WE KNOW WE ARE NOT ALLOWING THESE THINGS TO MAKE US EFFECTIVE? WHEN THERE IS NO OBVIOUS FRUIT BEING PRODUCED IN OUR LIVES.
WHEN THE CHURCH FINDS FEWER AND FEWER VOLUNTEERS FOR HER PROGRAMS. WHEN THE CHURCH ENDS UP CANCELING MORE PROGRAMS THAN THEY ARE STARTING DUE TO LACK OF SUPPORT. WHEN THE CHURCH BEGINS SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME AND EFFORT ON JUST KEEPING THE PASTOR PAID, THE DOORS OPEN AND THE LIGHTS ON.
ACCORDING TO PAUL, WE HAVE IT GOTTEN IT ALL BACKWARDS. PAUL SAYS WE ARE TO COUNT ALL THINGS AS LOSS AND "IN THE WAY" OF TRYING TO GET TO KNOW GOD MORE INTIMATELY THROUGH A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST.
INSTEAD OF COUNTING THE THINGS OF THE WORLD AS LOSS, WE CONSIDER THEM AS GAIN! HOW DO WE KNOW THIS? BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME WHEN FACED WITH HAVING TO "CHOOSE" BETWEEN THE CHURCH AND THINGS OF THE WORLD IT IS USUALLY THE ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH AND THE THINGS OF GOD THAT "GET THE AX" FIRST.
"THE LODGE MEETS ON SATURDAY NIGHT SO WE BETTER FIND ANOTHER NIGHT TO HOLD THE CHURCH SOCIAL." "IT LOOKS LIKE IT MIGHT RAIN SO I BETTER FINISH UP THE YARD WORK. DOESN’T LOOK LIKE I’LL GET TO BIBLE STUDY TONIGHT!"
"THE SOFTBALL LEAGUE ONLY PLAYS DURING THE SUMMER SO I GUESS IT WON’T HURT TO MISS YOUTH GROUP AND SUNDAY SCHOOL FOR TWO OR THREE MONTHS."
"WHAT? COME TO PRAYER GROUP? I JUST DON’T HAVE THE TIME. AFTER ALL, THAT’S MY BOWLING NIGHT!"
WHATEVER OUR EXCUSE MAY BE FOR NOT COMING TO BIBLE STUDY, PRAYER MEETING, WORSHIP, SUNDAY SCHOOL OR SUPPORTING ANY OTHER MINISTRY, IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO THE STATUS OF MY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD!
A STATUS THAT SHOWS IT IS EITHER NON-EXISTENT OR ONE THAT IS SO DISTANT FROM GOD THAT I AM NOT ONLY INCAPABLE OF FEELING THE HOLY SPIRIT’S CONVICTION, BUT I AM BEGINNING TO BELIEVE MY OWN EXCUSES!
BUT WAIT! IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY! THERE IS GOOD NEWS! THERE IS A REMEDY! WE MUST ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT TO BRING US UNDER CONVICTION IN THE AREAS OF OUR LIVES THAT HAVE GAINED HIGHER PRIORITY THAN GOD.
PAUL KNEW THAT HE COULD NOT LET ANYTHING IN HIS LIFE INTERRUPT OR DISRUPT HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. HE KNEW THAT IN ORDER TO CULTIVATE THAT RELATIONSHIP IT WOULD TAKE MORE THAN JUST HAVING HIS HEAD FILLED WITH "FACTUAL" INFORMATION ABOUT GOD.
PAUL KNEW THAT IN ORDER FOR ALL THAT FACTUAL INFORMATION TO MEAN ANYTHING TO HIM HE WOULD NEED TO DIGEST IT INTO HIS HEART BY ENTERING INTO A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
HE NEEDED TO EXPERIENCE THE RIGHT KIND OF RIGHTEOUSNESS! PAUL REALIZED THAT HE HAD BEEN STRIVING AFTER THE WRONG KIND OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. HE WAS TRUSTING IN HUMAN PERFORMANCE, GOOD WORKS AND LIVING BY THE LAW TO OBTAIN RIGHTEOUSNESS.
THE SAME IS TRUE FOR US! IT IS ALL TOO EASY FOR US TO CLING TO OUR FEATS OF HUMAN RIGHTEOUSNESS SUCH AS FAITHFUL CHURCH ATTENDANCE, CHRISTIAN CONDUCT, AND ADHERING TO THE MORAL STANDARDS OF OUR DAY.
LIVING AS IF WE ARE STRIVING MORE FOR A WORLDLY REPUTATION INSTEAD OF A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THROUGH CHRIST!
BUT THIS IS NOT HOW IT SHOULD BE! MATTHEW 6:23, "BUT SEEK FIRST GOD’S KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS…."
EXODUS 20:3-4, "DO NOT WORSHIP ANY OTHER GODS BESIDE ME. DO NOT MAKE IDOLS OF ANY KIND…." IT IS A MATTER OF LETTING GOD BE GOD IN EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES!
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS PAUL IS TRYING TO SAY TO US IS THE SIMPLE, BUT POWERFUL TRUTH, THAT WE SHOULD NEVER TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR SALVATION BY SITTING BACK AND BEING SATISFIED WITH JUST BEING SAVED.
IN OTHER WORDS, USING SALVATION AS A "FIRE INSURANCE" POLICY TO KEEP US OUT OF HELL AND AS A "GRACE ERASER" SO WE CAN GO ON LIVING HOWEVER WE WANT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT GOD WILL FORGIVE US.
ROMANS 6:1,13, "WELL THEN, SHOULD WE KEEP ON SINNING SO THAT GOD CAN SHOW US MORE AND MORE KINDNESS AND FORGIVENESS? OF COURSE NOT! DO NOT LET SIN CONTROL THE WAY YOU LIVE…GIVE YOURSELVES COMPLETELY TO GOD…."
WHAT, THEN, IS THE "RIGHT" RIGHTEOUSNESS? REAL RIGHTEOUSNESS IS STRIVING AFTER THE GOAL OF BECOMING CHRISTLIKE! LIVING TO BECOME LIKE CHRIST IS TO STRIVE AFTER TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS.
AFTER ALL CHRISTIANS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE FOLLOWING JESUS CHRIST IN THE FIRST PLACE! TO BE A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST JESUS IS ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING THAT WE WILLFULLY CHOOSE TO PATTERN OUR LIVES AFTER HIM.
JESUS CHRIST IS THE ULTIMATE EXAMPLE OF HOW TO LIVE A LIFE THAT IS PLEASING TO GOD. IF WE PATTERN OUR LIVES AFTER JESUS, WE WILL PLEASE GOD. THAT IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO! IT IS WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING!
AS CHRISTIANS, WE WANT TO THINK HIS THOUGHTS, SHOW HIS ATTITUDES, OFFER HIS LOVE, AND LIVE AS HE WOULD LIVE HERE ON EARTH TODAY.
IT IS THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS HONOR ONE COULD HAVE TODAY KNOWING THAT THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT WE HAVE THE POWER AND ABILITY TO BECOME JUST LIKE JESUS!
ALTHOUGH WE ARE NOT PERFECT AND WE WILL NEVER BE SINLESS LIKE CHRIST WAS, WE CAN STILL STRIVE AND WORK HARD TOWARDS BEING PERFECT LIKE CHRIST.
THIS, AS JOHN WESLEY SAID, IS WHAT "GOING ON TOWARDS PERFECTION" WAS ALL ABOUT. IT IS "BEING, DOING, AND LIVING" UNDER THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO COME AS CLOSE AS WE CAN TO ACTUALLY BECOMING PERFECT!
2 CORINTHIANS 3:18, "…AND AS THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD WORKS WITHIN US, WE BECOME MORE AND MORE LIKE HIM AND REFLECT HIS GLORY EVEN MORE."
1 PETER 1:14,16, "OBEY GOD BECAUSE YOU ARE HIS CHILDREN. DON’T SLIP BACK INTO YOUR OLD WAYS OF DOING EVIL; YOU DIDN’T KNOW ANY BETTER THEN. BUT NOW YOU MUST BE HOLY IN EVERYTHING YOU DO…FOR HE HIMSELF HAS SAID, ’YOU MUST BE HOLY BECAUSE I AM HOLY.’"
LET US, THIS DAY, RECOMMIT OURSELVES TO BECOME RIGHTEOUS IN THE RIGHT WAY BY DENYING OURSELVES AND BY SEEKING AFTER GOD, WITH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH A PERSONAL, INTIMATE, LOVING RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST. CAN WE DO THAT TODAY?
