Holier than thou
Sunday 17th August
”Lord, when we are wrong, make us willing to change. And when we are right, make us easy to live with.” This quotation is from a prayer given by Peter Marshall in his capacity as Chaplain of the United States Senate. This reminds us of the prayer of the little boy who prayed, ”God please make all the bad people good and the good people nice.”
These prayers point up two problem areas we all face. First of all it is possible for us to be wrong. This may come as ’a shock to some who have filed away a set of beliefs so long ago that they are quite unwilling to re-evaluate them to even see if they are correct. We constantly find this when we try to preach ”the Truth” to others. They are so sure of their beliefs in an immortal soul and Triune God that they are unwilling even to listen. We must be sure that we do not h’ve a wrong belief or opinion so deeply imbedded in us that we too are unwilling to listen. God is looking for humble hearts, for those who have a contrite spirit, and tremble at His Word. Paul was completely wrong and until he was struck down on the road to Damascus he was so set in his ways that not even the preaching of Stephen was able to convert him.
Let us be sure that we ’are not like Paul was in his unconverted state. He was sincere, no one could question that, but he was wrong and in his zeal he was breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples making havoc of the church. It is possible for brethren of Christ in these last days to be just as wrong on a certain point and to be just ’as stubborn as was Paul. Let us follow the wise advice of Gamaliel who counseled the Jews to be patient lest haply ye be found even to fight against God. Many sincere Christadelphians have at times fought against God by either holding a wrong position or defending those who held one.
The second danger we face is in being right but not easy to live with, in being good but not nice. It is possible to be so right that the poor sinner can’t stand to be around us. Isaiah speaks of some who said, ”Come not near to me; for I am holier than thou.” We can be so sure that we are standing firm with a pure faith that we assume an air of superiority which lets those we oppose know that they are not welcome in our midst, though we be brethren. Surely this is just as abominable in God’s sight as the more obvious sin. Remember that true love is not puffed up and does not vaunt itself. Anything less than pure love is of no more use than sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. True love is kind and suffers long. This means we are patient with our erring brethren and we continue in ”meekness to instruct those who oppose themselves, praying that God will peradventure give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.”
We need to remember that we are going to need all the mercy we can get and with what measure we mete, it shall be measured to us. If the Lord should mark iniquities, none of us shall stand but there is forgiveness with God. Let us be sure there is love ’and forgiveness with us and mercy and love for those that may be wrong when we are right. Let us be nice as well as good, and easy to live with when we are in the right, for very soon the Judge of all the earth will be here and we had better be one of those smiting ourselves on our breasts pleading for forgiveness, than those with heads held high telling him how righteous we’ve been.