Justice and Grace.

            Charlie was driving a canyon road drinking coffee his wife so lovingly prepared for him that morning.  It slipped from his hand and the steaming hot coffee covered his legs. In that instant, distracted by the burning, the car drifted into oncoming traffic. What Charlie did not know was that Betty, wife and mother of 3, was taking her kids to school that day.  Turning the car hard left to avoid the distracted oncoming driver, she lost control. She went off the road landing upside down in a blind ravine 100 feet below.

Charlie meant no harm that day. In fact, it all happened so fast he was completely unaware that Betty’s car even left the road.  On that day, he took the life of Betty and two of her three children.   

Christian Self Esteem

Wikipedia defines Self-esteem as “…a term in psychology to reflect a person's overall evaluation or appraisal of her or his own worth”[1] Do you have a high or low self esteem?  Our culture has blamed “low” self esteem for bad behavior, underachieving in school, work and even families. The twist of low self esteem is that it is really not low at all.  On the contrary, it is an attitude that thinks we deserve better than we are getting.  From our point of view this then justifies whatever actions we take to make things fair.   

This error has its roots in a good idea, all be it a good thing taken too far.  Self esteem has been confused with the value of the human, which is truly beyond price.  There is respect and dignity due a human just for being human.  However, everything a human does are not equal and do not and should earn esteem and respect.  

The Apostle Peter says through Jesus’ right to give life, we take on His “esteem and valor”[2] by grace, as a gift not something we earn.  This good esteem becomes valid not because we are good.  It is valid by His right to pardon our bad behavior.  With his right to pardon He broke down the wall[3] between us and God.  This allows us to interact with Jesus and thus acquiring what CS Lewis calls, “a good infection”[4].  That good infection infects us with Jesus himself.  The symptoms of this infection sets us free so we can be like Him and do the things that deserve “esteem”.

How is your “infection”, or should I say, self esteem?  Paul suggests that it is best not to preoccupy ourselves or judge such things.  All this being said, the best way is to ignore self esteem altogether[5].  The best way is to take Jesus’ simple words and choose to look after God’s[6] best interest or to love[7] Him.  We do this by choosing to keep[8] His word. The good we do then becomes a natural byproduct of the good infection that comes by interacting with Jesus. Interacting with Jesus[9] is our privilege and exceeding great reward[10].

Question: Should your ability to keep God’s word then be the proper measure of your esteem?  Absolutely NOT! Stay tuned!

 

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-esteem

[2] 2 Peter 1:2-7” Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.  3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;  6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;  7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness”  

New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica.

http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-International-Version-NIV-Bible/

Exposition: This is taken from the interlinear Greek and New Testament Greek Lexicon, by review each key word and applying contemporary words and sentence structure so the sentence makes sense today.

2 Peter 1:2 – 7 Grace and peace to you be multiplied in recognition of the God and Jesus the Master of us, as to us all the divine ability of him toward life and respect (devoutness), having been given gratuitously to us through the recognition of the one calling us to own esteem and valor through which the valuable and great promises effect us, have been given gratuitously that through these you become divine communioners by nature fleeing from the system of desiring the forbidden. Give diligence beside this to supply to your faith the valor, in yet the valor add knowledge, in yet the knowledge add (in-holding) self control, in yet the (in-holding) self control, under-remaining, in yet and in the under-remaining respect and yet in the respect brotherly-affection, in yet the brother-affection the agape. 

[3] Ephesians 2:14”For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;  15Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;  16And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:  17And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.  18For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.  19Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;  20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;  21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord”

 King James Version (KJV) Public Domain.  http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/King-James-Version-KJV-Bible/

[4] C.S., Mere Lewis Christianity (1952; Harper Collins: 2001) 176-177.

[5] 1 Corinthians 4:3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.

King James Version (KJV) Public Domain. http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/King-James-Version-KJV-Bible/

[6] John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14&version=NIV

[7] John 14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments.”. King James Version (KJV) Public Domain http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14%3A12-17&version=KJV

[8] John 14:21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14&version=NIV

[9]  1 John 1:3 ³That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

King James Version (KJV) Public Domainhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%201:3&version=KJV

[10] Genesis 15:1 ¹After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

King James Version (KJV) Public Domain. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2015:1&version=KJV

 

 

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