The Very Appearance - Take Up Your Cross

"Avoiding the very appearance of evil speaks "of values of a different kind. The words call for sensitivity to the lifestyle struggles of others. they cautioned against wounding the conscience of a fragile believer or causing young faith to turn cynical. They spoke of Audis - the honest and right things in life that mus be relinquished for the sake of others. The Audi was something good. But using the money given for the urban ministry among the poor to support the luxurious lifestyle of an urban worker, that was evil. Even its appearance was to be shunned.

So what was the higher value - - Good stewardship or avoiding the appearance of evil? What about the hypocrisy of of driving a 'humble' car when we could really afford better? Our motives are never pure anyway. Christians are supposed to judge each other, so why become captive to uninformed opinions?" - Robert D. Lupton

I often play this same tug-of-war with myself and Jesus. And it helps when I have other people pulling on my side: "O you don't have to do that" "You need to think about yourself" "That's legalism" "You're talking it too far, chill out. Jesus will be proud of you no matter what" "It's not that big of a deal" "You're too hard on yourself" "Be happy" "You deserve . . " "Don't burn yourself out" "They just want. . . " "You're not Jesus"

Well, actually as far as God is concerned, I am kind of Jesus. When God looks at me, He sees His son. I believe that these same "Helpful suggestions" though coming from a good place, are the same words (in a different form) that Peter spoke in Matthew 16:

22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

And how did Jesus respond?

 ²³ Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

I would much rather receive Peter's comforting words and allow them to put my mind at rest than resist him by seeing them for what they really were: Lies from the pit of hell.

Lupton goes on to finish his story:

"I would have liked to continue this rational filibuster for the next several years while I enjoyed driving the Audi. But when I became quiet before God I was aware of that gentle nudging, familiar to all believers, toward the laying down of life an the other valued things for the sake of brothers and sisters."

Is this not what Jesus Christ requires of all of us?:

 ²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ²⁵ For whoever wants to save their life^[f] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

We complain so often of not knowing what to do. Which path to take. Which choice we should make. I believe our Lord makes it very clear. If the choice is self-sacrificing and cross-carrying and life-giving, surely it is the right choice. It will bring glory to our King and be a heavenly aroma before Him. And surely He will give us the strength to do the work He requires of us.

To our God and Father be praise for now and ever more through His Son, our Brother, Jesus Christ! O how I love Him! O how I love Him!

Morgan }|{ "Look at Jesus only."