It's easy to find fault. And the greater the fault in the "faultee" the easier it becomes. I sit at my computer almost every day and find fault with the government and governors of North Korea. It's soeasy. It's become second nature. But a Christian who practices this activity for very long will sooner or later be asked to deal with his own faults. His wretched condition minus Christ.
Who was the greatest sinner who ever lived? Nero, Hitler, Stalin? The Bible's answer is the apostle Paul. Paul said he himself was the chief of sinners. The worst. He killed and had killed a multitude of God's people. Not like the ignorant head of state who knew no better, but as a "good Jew" whose God was the same as the Christians' God. Paul never forgot who he was before Christ changed him.
Today I must answer a bit differently. Paul may have been the worst of his day, but I have moved into contention for the prize in our day. I who have known the Light streaming from the Word of God for over 50 years. I who have understood great portions of the Great Book. The same I who is still disobedient. Proud. Lazy. Fearful. And more. Tyrants don't know any better. They've not had an encounter with Christ, to our knowledge. Christians are a threat to them. So they try to hurt them. They were raised to believe what they believes about life. Just as I was.
But I have no excuses. I have had everything life can offer. This life and the next. I am well aware of my culpability and cry out to God often for change, for renewal, for His fire. Just so you know, while I launch once more into an expose of things North Korean.
The North Korean government has adopted the "self-criticism" tactic, and used it, like the Roman Catholic "confessional" system of the Medieval Church, to control its people. A man or woman or even child who is forced to stand in a public meeting or sit in a private box and confess faults of all kinds is controlled by that audience be it priest or government. Beaten down inwardly. Kept from advancement.
How different is confession of the Christians , from whom Rome and Pyongyang and all the others copied. For example, the confession I gave in the paragraphs above was not in any way coerced, yet from the inside I knew it was time to even the score, to place myself, but for the grace of God, in the same boat with the worst of men who have ever lived. We Christ-followers don't just look down at evil. We recognize it instinctively when the Spirit is in our lives. We confess it freely, and it is forgiven by Christ just as freely. We are well aware that evil is not just something "out there" but that it is lurking within each of us at any moment, ready to attack our new life in Him.
May all of our fault-finding start with the chief of sinners. Me. But may we never be afraid to speak the truth about evil in our world either.
http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!
And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.
Goal Planning For Success
No comments:
Post a Comment