Title: Self-discovery (4) 2000.01.16
Text: Philippians 2:5
Today, following on from the last time, I would like to testify in detail about what kinds of false frameworks exist in the truth.
Practical Examples of False Truth Frames
There is one thing that is difficult for us to discover in the framework created by the thoughts and theories of the flesh, that is, it is the ‘wrong frame of truth’. In other words, it was created by saying, ‘This is the truth’ in one’s mind. When there is such a framework, not only one’s own spiritual growth is blocked, but it also makes others difficult. If this gets worse, you may even think that you are following God’s will, even though you are going on the path of death from the truth altogether. Let’s take a closer look at what such cases are.
1) The wrong frame of the high priests, priests, scribes and Pharisees
The high priests and priests, and the scribes and Pharisees, were people who thought they were practicing the truth, even when they went completely against the truth. Because they did not understand the true meaning of God’s law and God’s heart, they did not practice inner holiness, that is, circumcision of the heart, but leaned toward the outward life of faith.
They particularly valued the inheritance of elders. The original purpose of creating the inheritance of elders was to regulate the details of the laws that God gave through Moses so that the people could better observe them. However, rather than realizing the true meaning of the law, he gradually leaned toward the formal aspect, and there were some things that deviated from the true meaning of the law that God had given him.
In Luke 13:10-16, after seeing Jesus healed the sick on the Sabbath, a synagogue leader was teaching people not to even heal on the Sabbath. This was the tradition of the elders. However, if you knew the heart of God even a little, you would not condemn doing good as breaking the Sabbath.
So, Jesus said to the Pharisees and scribes who taught by creating a mold with the traditions of elders that were not fit for the truth, and in Matthew 15:3, “Why do you transgress the commandments of God with your traditions?” Mark 7:8 says, “You have forsaken the commandments of God and keep the traditions of men.”
They already had the wrong frame of truth, but because they firmly believed that they were practicing the truth, they did not want to accept Jesus’ words. Rather, they thought that Jesus’ words or actions that did not fit their thoughts and frameworks were deviating from the truth. So, in the end, they did the great evil of judging and condemning even Jesus, who is one with God and the truth itself, due to the wrong frame of thinking that they believe it is the truth.
2) Reactions of people who saw a woman pouring perfume on Jesus
In Mark 14:3 and below, there is a scene where a woman comes out with an alabaster jar of very precious perfume and pours it on Jesus’ head. At this time, it is recorded that ‘some people rebuked the woman, saying that it would have been better if they sold this perfume for more than three hundred denarii and gave it to the poor.’
So, in what sense did these people say this? They probably thought that it was better for them to sell the expensive perfume and give it to the poor and give alms. However, the root of what they said was the fact that they had their own evil, that is, their greed for material things.
In John 12, which records the same scene, it is recorded that the person who said this was Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus. Go steal it.” In this way, he thought that he was good in his own eyes and judged others based on that standard, and he had an evil heart.
People with really good hearts would never have judged this woman carelessly when they saw what she did, and they must have been moved by the good and beautiful deeds of this woman who poured perfume on Jesus without regard to the harsh gaze and criticism that would be poured out on them. is.
Even among those who profess to believe today, I see that there are people who judge and criticize the good they do before God in the light of their own goodness. For example, seeing God’s temple being built beautifully or planting materials in front of God with sincerity, we say, ‘I’d rather help the poor with that money’.
However, to think that the temple of God, which should be beautiful above all, should be used to help the poor, or to think that it is better to use it to give out the gifts to be presented before God, is proof that you do not know the truth well. It’s not that helping the poor is never a bad thing, it’s that you don’t really know what’s good and what’s important as a child of God.
Therefore, we must know that if we say ‘this is good and true’ in our own way without knowing the truth well, we may not realize that even though we are completely deviating from the truth.
3) A frame of claiming that the truth one knows is all that is right
If we resemble the heart of the Lord and cultivate it in the spirit, then there can be no frame. There is no frame in the heart of our Lord, whose depth, breadth, and height are immeasurable, so he can embrace anything and get along with anyone, and there is only Amen and loyalty.
However, those who have heard the truth and know it but have not yet resembled the heart of the Lord claim ‘this is right and that is wrong’ only with the truth they know, so disputes and quarrels arise. In other words, if the truth is 100, what you know is 30, but if you believe that you know 100 with it, this becomes a ‘frame’ as it hardens.
For example, in Matthew 18:21, there is a scene where Peter asks Jesus, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how many times shall I forgive him or up to seven times?” Peter believes that he followed the truth at that level, saying, ‘I can only forgive one or seven times.’ If someone commits a sin more than seven times, he cannot forgive any more and can condemn the other person.
But Jesus said, “Not seven times, but seventy times seven times” (Matthew 18:22), and He spoke of forgiveness to infinity. Through this very conversation, Peter would have been able to break his own wrong frame by realizing the limits of the truth he had been thinking about. Therefore, we, too, should know that we can grow spiritually only when we discover and break these frameworks of our own.
Then I’ll give you some examples to help you understand.
First, let’s say that there is a person with strong righteousness in the world. However, this man came into the truth and was greatly impressed by Daniel’s faith. The way he kept his faith until the end without compromising even in the face of death was consistent with the truth he thought. At the same time, it enters into the mind that ‘the truth is never to compromise’.
Then, no matter what happens to this person, there is seldom any kind of concession, so he will start to think that doing what he thinks is good is following the truth. In this way, he has one truth he knows and thinks that it is all, so he ends up escaping from the truth of peace.
On the other hand, there are those who think that it is the truth to follow the other person’s instructions unconditionally. As a result, there are times when you cannot step forward when you should be bold. Of course, if you are not following the untruth, you must yield, sacrifice, and pursue peace, but if you stay still even though you know that it is clearly wrong in the light of the church’s policy or God’s will, it is because of the wrong frame of thinking that silence is good in your eyes. It interferes with work.
In addition to this, there are many things that happen because of the lines or frameworks that you know.
Some people tend to point out and rebuke others well, but of course, it is in the spirit of enlightening others so that they can go on the right path. However, at this time, if the opponent does not become a vessel to be pointed out or reproached, the opponent will lose strength and become discouraged.
Therefore, when it is necessary to point out and rebuke for the sake of the kingdom of God, first examine whether the other person is an intellectual or reprehensible vessel, and always check whether you are doing it with the heart of the Lord who does not break a bruised reed or quench a burning wick. have to look back.
Next, there are cases where he leads the subordinates at his own will. Of course, as a spiritually advanced person, it is a good thing to guide and lead the deficiencies of those below you, but the truth is that it is not right if it is true and no matter how good it is, if it is one-sided without considering the other person’s position.
For example, let’s say that the head of a certain organization decides to his subordinates, ‘Let’s gather from what time to what time each day to pray’. Also, people who do not attend the prayer meeting are forced to attend and are pointed out. Of course, it is a natural truth to pray without ceasing. However, if you lead the way unilaterally without considering the other person’s faith or circumstances, the subordinates will have a hard time and it will become formal later on.
Therefore, when leading a partner spiritually, you should consider the age of spiritual faith, that is, the measure of faith, as well as your physical age, and adjust it to the other person’s eye level.
Finally, we can take the case of following the servant of the Lord as an example, and that method should not be right in our own eyes. It is not right to follow unconditionally as it becomes a stumbling block for many people by ignoring order and inability to discern the time and place. is. We will continue to testify next week.
Through today’s Word, I pray in the name of the Lord that you will become a blessed saint who can pursue peace and holiness with all people by breaking away from your own frame.
