People in the world are generally quite self-centered. Even saved people are often lovers of their own selves instead of preferring one another.
It was said that Peter’s death would “glorify God.” Obviously, it is not only necessary to glorify God in one’s life but also possible to glorify God in death.
Murder is an act of hatred originating in the heart. Man, however, is not the inventor of murder. It is, in fact, the will and work of Satan.
The Lord warned His followers about the wickedness of those who have an inordinate desire to be in authority over others. “The princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them” (Matthew 20:25). The people of God should not be controlled by such men (or women). Those who know and love the Lord should sincerely desire to serve others rather than to be in authority over them. The chief example is the Lord Jesus Christ who “came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). John gave a similar warning when he spoke of “Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence” (3 John 1:9).
Discerning the difference between the workings of God and the mischief of Satan sometimes serves as a difficult task for believers. Although the Devil is called the tempter in Matthew 4:3 and 1 Thessalonians 3:5, the Bible also shows that God uses temptation to try a man (Genesis 22:1). Other than the association to instigating temptation, God and Satan have no other common ground in this matter. The Devil’s motive and method of temptation is simply wicked. On the other hand, the Lord tempts only for the sake of trying one’s faith to bring about a righteous outcome. Do not discount the fact that God never tempted anyone with evil (James 1:13).
With the need so great, Christians frequently wonder why they are not used more in the Lord’s service and work. They fail to realize that their reputations have limited many of their opportunities. Until their reputations are repaired, their opportunities will remain hindered. In the early church, a problem came to the attention of the apostles when the “widows were neglected in the daily ministration” (Acts 6:1). As the apostles gave counsel for a solution, they suggested that the believers look out among them “seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom” (Acts 6:3). Why was it so important to consider the reputations of those men who were potential candidates? The apostles knew that the reputation of man hinders or helps in the service of the Lord.
For the most part, David’s reputation is one to be admired. That reputation as a servant of God and of Saul was established by his pattern of godly behaviour. According to scripture, David’s “name was much set by.” Why? Because he “behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul.” The way in which David conducted himself even during times of extreme adversity caused the people of God to speak of him often and he became elevated in their minds and hearts. David moved ahead of Saul in popularity not by eloquent speeches of self-aggrandizement, but merely because he allowed God to use his good behaviour to gain a godly reputation among the people. In similar fashion, men today are still not going to develop good reputations apart from the right behavior.
As it is with all sin, rebellion originates within the heart. Long before it manifests itself in the individual’s actions, it finds life by taking root within his heart. The Lord described a rebellious generation by saying that they were “a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.” A man with a wicked heart and the wrong spirit cannot enjoy sweet fellowship with the Lord. As rebellion takes root in his heart, the rebellion pushes out the desires for prayer and for God’s word. Humility is crowded out because of pride and self-will to the extent that a man justifies, perhaps even with scripture, his rebellious spirit. His once soft heart becomes hardened because of the deceitfulness of sin.
Most men have no trouble creating and recognizing the trouble they have created but often experience great difficulty in finding any necessary solutions. In the wilderness, the children of Israel readily identified problems, but rarely, if ever, offered suitable solutions for these problems. Their expectation was that someone else could provide the solutions so long as they found satisfaction in complaining. Even today, this scenario repeats itself in businesses, churches, and family lives. People can complain about problems and often lack the ambition or the wherewithal for finding any lasting solutions. The average person finds enjoyment in expressing his complaints but leaves the solutions to others. This has greatly troubled the workplace, the home, the church, and every nation.
The apostle Paul wanted to educate the Corinthians concerning the deeper things of God; however, he was unable to do so because of their inability to grasp such spiritual truths (1 Corinthians 3:1-2). These believers displayed a carnality like none other found within the scriptures. As a result of their carnality, they also exhibited envy, strife, and divisions (1 Corinthians 3:3). As their boasting concerning the individuals they chose to follow escalated, the divisiveness also increased. Some of them boasted of following Paul, while others boasted of following Apollos (1 Corinthians 3:4). They were full of pride and Paul had to enlighten them concerning the foolishness of this strife. The strife birthed from pride yielded a foolish behaviour. Strife was all the evidence Paul needed to rebuke these believers concerning their carnality.
