The Spirit of Christ and Liberalism

As a result of an article I wrote in the past, I was accused of lacking the spirit of Christ in that I opposed adulterous marriages and gay marriage, and the accuser surmised correctly that I also opposed freedom of choice for women as pertains to abortion. It was implied that I was intolerant, unloving, and lacked the spirit of Christ. I determined then to write an article dealing with the spirit of Christ.

There are many people in America today who have built their own Christ. He bears only a vague resemblance to the Christ of the Bible, although those who built him refuse to see it that way. Building one's own God does have its advantage in that you can design him as you desire and make his character and nature out as best suits your fancy and your own concept of sin and righteousness. The only problem is the obvious one—it is all a facade. A manmade Christ can no more save than could Jeroboam's two golden calves (see 1 Kings 18:25-30).

It is said Christ loved all people, even those from the worst class of sinners, and that he associated with all. Well, who has ever denied that? Not me. But the idea is, from those who have built a Christ after their own fancy, that with Christ it is okay to continue on in sin as long as you believe in him, love him, and love your fellowman. Christ would and will forgive you anyway, and did not then or now demand repentance and reformation of life. He, it is supposed, just accepted people as they were in their sinful state. Really!

Matthew says Jesus began his preaching career preaching repentance. "From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" (Matt. 4:17 NKJV) In Matt. 11:20 we read, "Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent." (Matt. 11:20 NKJV) Furthermore, in the next few verses, he warns those cities of what lies ahead on the Day of Judgment for them. To give one example, he says it will be more tolerable for Sodom in the Day of Judgment than for Capernaum, which he says "will be brought down to Hades." (Matt. 11:23 NKJV)

When Jesus sent the 12 out to preach, what were they sent to preach? Mark says, "So they went out and preached that people should repent." (Mark 6:12 NKJV) Jesus himself said, "Unless you repent you will all likewise perish." (NKJV) He says this twice, in Luke 13:3 and then in Luke 13:5. Don't let anyone tell you that the spirit of Christ was such that he so loved people to such an extent that he would save them while they continued on in an impenitent state, unwilling to repent and render obedience to God the Father.

In the very first gospel sermon ever preached after Christ's ascension, as soon as the crowd was convicted in their hearts, by Peter's preaching, that Jesus was indeed the Christ, they asked, "What shall we do?" (Acts 2:37 NKJV) The first word out of Peter's mouth in reply was "repent." (Acts 2:38 NKJV) At Athens, Luke records Paul's preaching there, saying "God…now commands all men everywhere to repent." (Acts 17:30 NKJV)

But one must beware of this crowd of people who have made a Jesus who does not require repentance but allows one to live on in sin and yet be saved. Some of them want to make Paul out to be a renegade, a rebel against Christ who preached a different theology, a different gospel than Christ taught. The idea they have is that you can live a life based on what Jesus said and did in the gospel accounts and pay no heed to Paul who was out there just doing his own thing—so they say and believe.

For them to be right about Paul, several things have to be proven true. (1) It must be proven Paul was a liar—a liar about his conversion experience (see Acts 9, 22, 26), a liar about how he received the gospel (Gal. 1:11-12), a liar about having the Holy Spirit (1 Cor.2:13, compare Eph. 3:5 with 1 Cor. 15:9 and 2 Cor. 11:5) and not just that he lied about having the Holy Spirit but that Ananias also lied about Paul receiving it (Acts 9:17).

(2) If Paul was uninspired and a rebel against God and Christ, just a man who had his own theology, then it destroys the book of Acts written by Luke for the reason that Luke would then become an unreliable historian, a man no one could believe, because he writes about Paul's conversion three times as historical fact and mentions that one of the purposes of Ananias' visit to Paul was that he might be filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17) which would be untrue. Paul's miracles, recorded by Luke, then come into question. If the book of Acts is unreliable history, then what about the book of Luke itself? Why should it be considered reliable? The same man wrote both books.

(3) If Paul was not a Holy Spirit inspired man but only a rebel against Christ with his own theology what does this say about Peter who wrote of Paul saying, "Consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation--as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures." (2 Peter 3:15-16 NKJV) Peter says Paul's writings are scripture—"as they do also the rest of the Scriptures."

If Paul's writings are not from the Holy Spirit, then please tell us how one could twist his writings to their own destruction. If he was uninspired you could twist his words a thousand different ways and it would have no bearing whatsoever on your salvation. Paul had the spirit of Christ, his detractors to the contrary notwithstanding.

Those who want to pit Paul against Christ and claim that Paul's teaching was not of Christ will need to delete Luke's writings from their Bibles, as well as Peter's and all of Paul's, and I hope to soon show that they need to get rid of John's writings also. How?

Have you ever read Gal. 2:9, Paul speaking? "And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised." (NKJV) If John gave the right hand of fellowship to Paul, a man who taught falsely about the commands of God, what does that say about John and his writings? If Paul deceived John, how can we believe the things John wrote, for he might have been deceived about those things as well.

Furthermore, if this James, who is mentioned in Gal. 2:9, is, as scholars think, the James who wrote the book of James, then he too was deluded in giving Paul the right hand of fellowship and his writings, as well as John's, then come into question. I guess, of course, one could say Paul was lying about this since he wrote the book of Galatians, but the book of Acts teaches that Paul was in good standing with the apostles and the church in Jerusalem.

You do see, do you not, where all of this business leads about Paul having his own doctrine separate and apart from the Lord's? You end up having to delete every book of the New Testament Paul wrote, that Luke wrote, that John wrote, that Peter wrote, and that James wrote. That leaves but little of the New Testament. Only a liberal could believe it.

This liberal crowd that wants to make Christ out as a God made after their own image err in another way as well. They define love for God the way they so desire rather than the way God has defined it. Here is God's definition, the definition that they will not accept. "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome." (1 John 5:2-3 NKJV)

Their desire is to override any concern about keeping the commandments of God, thus keeping the door open for continuing on in adulterous marriages, homosexuality, open the door for gay marriage, and keep it open for abortion. This was not the spirit of John the Baptist, "For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her. Because John had said to Herod, 'It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.'" (Mark 6:17-18 NKJV) There had been a divorce and remarriage but God did not recognize it for he said through John that Herodias was still Philip's wife. John was going to break up an adulterous marriage. No need to worry about that among those who have made their own Christ, for their Christ does not demand repentance and reformation of life for salvation.

Their claim is that God is satisfied with adulterous marriages, homosexuality, gay marriage, abortion, etc., because it would be intolerant not to be, and it is an act of love to accept those things in people, accept them without repentance. Passages like 1 Cor. 6:9-10 mean nothing to them (Paul wrote it after all). "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." (NKJV) They do not believe what their eyes read. They claim Christ is on their side, and Paul was a renegade and a rebel. Who do you think had the spirit of Christ? Was it Paul or the modern-day liberal?

Now, how about the spirit of Christ in his own being? Did Christ have the spirit of obedience to the Father or the spirit of disobedience? First, let it be known that Christ was assuredly under commandment from God just as much as you and I are. Jesus said, "This command I have received from My Father." (John 10:18 NKJV) "For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak." (John 12:49 NKJV) "As the Father gave Me commandment, so I do." (John 14:31 NKJV) "I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love." (John 15:10 NKJV)

Jesus says, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." (John 6:38 NKJV) "I always do those things that please Him." (John 8:29 NKJV) "I do know Him and keep His word." (John 8:55 NKJV) Finally, in Rom. 5:19, Paul speaking of Jesus said, "So also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous." (NKJV) One cannot obey unless one has something to obey, a commandment.

Now I ask again, after quoting these passages, was the spirit of Christ one of obedience to God's commandments or one of disobedience? Let my liberal friends answer. Let them answer this question also—who gave them the right to decide what commands of God love can override? Are not all of God's commandments based on love? When a man says this command can be overlooked or ignored (disobeyed), is he not saying that the commandment lacks love? Is he not saying God gave a commandment here that has no love in it, that is, in fact, unloving? Does he really want to stick his neck out on the chopping block like that?

Why does not Mark 7:9 apply to those who so approach the Bible as do these liberals? "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition." (NKJV) As long as I think I know more about sin and righteousness than God does, as long as I believe my love and my way of showing love is purer than God's way, just that long do I prove myself, not Paul the apostle but myself, the true rebel against God. 

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Keep Your Heart with all Diligence

If you are like me you were always a little fearful in your youth, in your immaturity, that you were perhaps not normal.  That is to say, you struggled being the person you ought to be and like Eve desired forbidden things from time to time and the thought came to your mind that is not normal, not normal for those who want to do what is right and be a good person.  Perhaps you got to the point where you questioned your heart.  Maybe you just had a bad heart.  Maybe you were just a little more depraved than others.  Since it is not possible to look inside another individual and see what they are inside (“For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?” 1 Cor. 2:11 NKJV) you doubted yourself.

As I grew older in life I came to realize we are all pretty much the same.  “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” (Gal. 5:17 NKJV)  I think the TEV translation of the last phrase of this verse nails the meaning.  It says, “This means that you cannot do what you want to do.”  So, I have not been the only one.  You must have had the same problem.

Yes, life is a struggle to do what is right and refrain from sin.  Perhaps this is why I get upset with Christians of a liberal bent.  They come across to me as saying “You go ahead and struggle, I am depending on God’s grace.”  Translated that means I will do in my life what I want and let God’s grace cover me in the end.  We are supposed to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim. 6:12 NKJV) and have been given a sword (the word of God--Eph. 6:17) and a shield (faith--Eph. 6:16).  Where is the fight in liberal Christianity (a misnomer)?  Paul said he had “fought the good fight.” (2 Tim. 4:7 NKJV)  It is a cop-out to live as you want, not being overly concerned about doing wrong (sinning), feeling that grace will take care of it all.  It is a bad attitude toward God.  But, I digress. 

In the book of Proverbs, chapter 23 verse 7, we read of man, “As he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (NKJV)  Make no mistake about it--our struggle is with our hearts within.  “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.  These are the things which defile a man.” (Matt. 15:19-20 NKJV)  Take special care here to notice that the first sin Jesus lists is “evil thoughts.”  Paul says we are to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5 NKJV) 

We are even told what to think about.  “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.” (Philippians 4:8 NKJV)

No wonder Solomon wrote, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” (Prov. 4:23 NKJV)  The TEV translates this in a way that makes it even clearer, “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.”  How true it is.  How many times in our lives have we heard the words “If you think you can, you can?”  Everything we do in life first begins with a tiny thought that grows and matures.  A seed is sown in our hearts by something we have seen, heard, read, or experienced and a thought begins to take shape as we begin the thought process.  That eventually leads to action.  I do not know of anything we do where there has not first been the thought that then led us to act.  Yes, we sometimes act instinctively but I think the reader realizes I am not talking about those kinds of things.

We say, myself included, it is so hard to control our thoughts and I agree it is but God would not give a command if we could not do it, do it at least to a major degree.  The thought comes to mind from the book of James (James 3:1-10) where we are instructed to control our tongue but it is also said that no man can tame it.  I believe James is telling us we are commanded to give it our very best shot.  The same is likely true with our thoughts.

It is hard to see how a person could be tempted without going through a thought process.  What is the difference between an evil thought and a temptation?  James says, “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.  Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15 NKJV)  Paul, like James, in 1 Cor. 10:13 teaches that temptation itself is not a sin.  “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (NKJV)  Please note that Paul says temptation is “common to man.”  That means, of course, that you and I are not alone when it comes to being tempted by evil.

Temptation while not a sin can lead to sin.  On the other hand, evil thoughts are sinful in themselves (Matt. 15:19-20).  The difference seems to be what we do with the negative or evil thought that enters our mind (heart).  If it is transient it would seem to fall into the category of being only a temptation.  If it remains in the heart and we mull it around in our minds and do not let go of it but entertain it finding some satisfaction in doing so then it would seem to pass into the realm of sinful thought.  At least that is the only explanation I can see.  You will have to decide for yourself.

Perhaps a few Bible examples would help us out.  I was recently reading of the account of Achan’s sin in Joshua 7:20-21.  The Bible says, “And Achan answered Joshua and said, ‘Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done:  When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them.” (NKJV)  We are aware of temptation when it occurs.  Achan knew he was being tempted but rather than immediately running away from the temptation what did he do?  He entertained the thought in his heart, gave it thought as to taking the items, and ended up doing so.

David’s sin with Bathsheba is another example.  David’s adultery began when he saw the naked Bathsheba and began to think about it in his heart, to dwell on it.  He was not keeping his heart with all diligence nor did Achan.  One who did keep his heart and reacted properly was Joseph.  Joseph like David was tempted to engage in sexual sin.  We find the account in Gen. 39.  His master’s wife was after Joseph day after day to lie with her as Gen. 39:7 and 10 puts it.  Joseph, however, unlike David, did not entertain the thought in his heart. 

One who kept his heart with all diligence as did Joseph was Daniel.  The Bible says of Daniel in Daniel 1:8, “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies … ". (NKJV)  Later it is said to Daniel, by a heavenly visitor in a vision, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved … Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard.” (Dan. 10:11-12 NKJV)  A man has some control over his heart.  We are not forced to be what our fleshly nature leads us to be.

How a man reacts to a situation where he is tempted depends on how he has prepared his heart.  David was at heart a good man but he let his guard down.  One must use all diligence in keeping his heart where it ought to be.  This does not come naturally.  Sin, other than sins of ignorance, originates in the heart.  Of the Jews who came out of Egypt with Moses God said, “They always go astray in their heart.” (Heb. 3:10 NKJV)

I used to hear it said that heaven was a prepared place for a prepared people.  I believe that is true.  Our preparation must begin within.  We must gain control of our thoughts which is just another way of saying we must gain control of our hearts for as a man thinketh in his heart so is he (Prov. 23:7).  Gaining that control begins first with a desire to do so.  It then takes self-discipline.  We need to give it our best effort making heaven our treasure for “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:34 NKJV)  Our heart determines not only how our life here on earth will be lived and where we will be led (led by it) but also how our life in eternity will be lived and where.  Keep your heart with all diligence is some of the best advice you or I will ever be given.   

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Regrets

While it would be wonderful to live life with no regrets there are few if any of us that will.  Regret is common to mankind for no one lives a perfect life always making the right decisions and doing the right things.   I think it would do us some good to look back at some of the Bible's famous men and see if they had any regrets.  By doing so it may give us a degree of strength to go on and not give up. 

Adam, the first man, no doubt had great regret.  He once lived in an earthly paradise with an unending life ahead of him having free access to the tree of life.  For food all he had to do was reach up and pluck it from the trees on which it grew.  There was no need to store it or do hard labor for it, as it would always be there.  God walked with him in the garden and thus for a time he had full fellowship with God.  Adam gave it all up. 

Do you not think while he was toiling the soil by the sweat of his brow fighting the thorns and thistles and realizing his destiny was to become dust himself, that he must die, that he had also brought this same destiny upon his children, that he was responsible for what they would have to go through, that he often looked back on how it once was and deeply regretted what he had done? 

Samuel was a great man of God.  I do not recall a single passage that speaks ill of Samuel.  He was God's man and judged Israel all the days of his life (1 Sam. 7:15) and, furthermore, he was a prophet of God ((1 Sam. 3:20).  In the New Testament we find him listed in the book of Hebrews, chapter 11, along with others in what one might call faith's all of fame.  And, yet, we find this, "Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel." (1 Sam. 8:1 NKJV)  And then a little later we find this, "But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice." (1 Sam. 8:3 NKJV) 

Do you not think this grieved Samuel greatly?  The thought comes naturally to mind when a child goes wrong where did I fail, where did I go wrong in raising him or her?  There is possibly no other regret that cuts deeper than this one.  We think to ourselves if I had just done this or that differently.  We blame ourselves.  I failed my child or my children. 

I do not claim Samuel sinned in the way he raised his family for I have no way of knowing but I do believe parents naturally blame themselves, at least to an extent, and have regrets about how they parented their children when their children go astray, singular or plural.  When one looks back in time there were a number of great men of God listed in the Bible who could not have qualified to be an elder in the church in the New Testament era, one of the requirements being "having faithful children" (Titus 1:6 NKJV), due to the kind of lives one or more of their children lived.  I also suspect being the godly man he was that Samuel regretted making his sons judges of Israel after him. 

David was another great man of God.  Here is what God thought about David after his death, speaking of King Abijam, the scripture says, "His heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father." (I Kings 15:3 ESV)  Then in the latter part of verse 4 of the same chapter we read, "David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite." (1 Kings 15:4b ESV)  He also is listed in faith's hall of fame in Hebrews 11 verse 32.  Certainly, we all expect to see David in heaven. 

Yet, David had occasion for regret in his life.  Yes, the most obvious was committing adultery with Bathsheba and having Uriah her husband murdered.  No doubt he looked back on that occasion many times in his life with deep regret.  Not only had he done this great evil it also brought with it great consequences resulting in much harm later to others.  Hear the words of Nathan the prophet, "Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.  Thus says the Lord, 'Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house.  And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.'" (2 Sam. 12:10-11 ESV) 

What was the evil that came down the road?  Absalom, a son whom David loved, murdered another son of David--Amnon.  Awhile later, Absalom sought to take the kingdom away from his father and even have his father put to death.  David had to flee to save his own life.  In a battle that brought defeat to Absalom, David commanded those in charge of his army, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom." (2 Sam. 18:5 ESV)  You know the story of how in disobedience to David's orders Joab killed Absalom.  You also remember the deep grief David suffered over this. 

The Bible says when David learned of Absalom's death he was deeply moved and wept.  "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom!  Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!" (2 Sam. 18:33 ESV)  What sorrow, what regret!  Had David not brought this upon himself by his sin?  Much like Adam, he could look back with deep regret over his sins.  It had cost him dearly and resulted in much harm to others he loved deeply.  To me the Bible is clear that had David pursued a different course in his life regarding Bathsheba and Uriah the life of his own family would have turned out differently.  Solomon later had another son of David's put to death--Adonijah.   Prophecy was most certainly fulfilled. 

Sin can have deep consequences in this life not only for ourselves but also for those we love and care about.  It is not as we sometimes hear "my life" and no one else's business.  There are always consequences for good or ill for others in our acts or lack thereof.  But the subject is regret.  There is no doubt about regret being in David's life as he thought about these things in reflection from time to time. 

In the New Testament, we also find great men of God who undoubtedly had regret.  We can readily name two--Paul and Peter.  Paul said he was "not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God." (1 Cor. 15:9 NKJV)  Elsewhere he calls himself the chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15).  I believe there is every reason to believe that Paul was at the least indirectly responsible for the deaths of some Christians.  When Stephen was stoned to death the Bible says "Saul was consenting to his death." (Acts 8:1 NKJV)  In Acts 22:4 Paul says, "I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women." (NKJV)  Paul says the persecution was "to the death."  One wonders how many mothers were in the group of those who were persecuted leaving behind children as orphans.  Do you think Paul had regrets?  Do you think those regrets ever completely passed from his thoughts as he lived day by day? 

Peter's case is too well known to recount here but we are all well aware of his regret having denied Jesus just at the time when Jesus could have used support the most. 

A lesser-known case is that of James and John.  Do you remember when Jesus was heading to Jerusalem how he sent messengers before him and as they came to a village of the Samaritans how those living there refused to receive him?  James and John responded by saying to the Lord, "Do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them"?  (Luke 9:54 NKJV)  Jesus answered by saying, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them." (Luke (:55-56 NKJV)   As you know James was killed not long after the church was established but John lived a long life.  Do you not think that John looked back with regret when he thought about the kind of man he once was, a man willing to bring about the death of others?  He is known as the apostle of love and yet there was this in his life, the very opposite of love.  It had to hurt as he looked back.  There had to be regret concerning the kind of attitude he once had. 

Then there was the other time when James and John came to Jesus asking that they might sit, "one on your right hand and the other on your left, in your glory." (Mark 10:37 NKJV)  There would have been no problem with this if it had not been for leaving others out seeking only glory for themselves.  The Bible says, "When the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John." (Mark 10:41 NKJV)  In time to come James and John could look back and regret the attitude they once had. 

We have seen enough examples to make the point.  There are often in the best of men things they look back on with regret.  Things they wish they had done differently, attitudes and actions they deeply regret or things they wish they had done but didn't.  These regrets can drag us down and destroy us if we allow it. 

When I look at you or you look at me we think we know the person we are seeing if we have been acquainted with them for any length of time.  That is not necessarily the case.  We do not know the inner man and the sorrow he or she may be carrying deep within.  Paul said in 1 Cor. 2:11, "For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?" (NKJV)  There may well be a very deep regret within others that we know not of and cannot see, a burden that is carried every day.  

Sometimes we see those who are overly righteous so to speak.  They feel they have led exemplary lives and perhaps their sins have not been as great as that of others except for one thing--their attitude.  One is reminded of the two men who went up to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee prayed thanking God he was not like the tax collector. (Luke 18:10-11)  He busied himself telling God the good things he was doing and how he was not doing evil and yet Jesus says of the tax collector "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other." (Luke 18:14 NKJV)  The Pharisee did not deep down feel a need for God for to him his works were of such a quantity and quality as to fully justify him.  He had no sense of sin and guilt, had no regret.  

When we begin to think too much of ourselves we ought to stop and consider.  If I am so good why do I need Jesus' blood?  There is not a person on the face of the earth who has lived such a life that on its own merits deserves anything other than eternal hellfire.  A nasty attitude toward others is just as bad as anything else and even more distasteful to others.  It is disgraceful and unbecoming a Christian. 

It matters not how bad a life a person, or even a Christian, has lived in the past.  When a person repents and comes to God or back to God, as the case may be, they deserve all the honor and respect that can be given one of God's children whom Jesus came to earth to save.  No matter how bad a life they may have lived they are just as good as you in God's eyes no matter how good a life you have lived or think you have lived.  You probably never committed the sins David did but would you dare say, because you have not, that God sees you as superior to David?  We sometimes, despite ourselves, carry about a sense of superiority.  We did not do this or that and we become the Pharisee that went up to pray. 

Remember the account of the man who sent workers out into his field at different times of the day in Matthew 20?  When evening came those who had worked longer felt they deserved more money than those who had worked fewer hours and in some cases far fewer hours.  They felt the landowner was unjust when he gave the same amount to every man regardless of the hours worked.  It seemed unfair to them.  We have to be careful that we never develop that kind of attitude toward our fellow man and especially toward one another, brethren in Christ.  The attitude of we have done more, we have been better, we deserve more, is unchristian.  The truth is we deserve nothing, nothing that is but punishment for our sins, the sins we think we don't have. 

Why do people sometimes develop this kind of negative attitude?  Perhaps there are other reasons as well but here are a couple that come to mind.  One, they are unwilling to be honest with themselves for they find more comfort in self-deception.  The Bible says, "Every way of man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts." (Prov. 21:2 NKJV)  God said in Jeremiah 17:9 (NKJV), "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?"  If we want to be self-deceived it is not hard to do so. 

A second reason some develop this negative attitude is their ignorance of the scriptures.  Some do not know the scriptures well enough to know what is and is not sin.  There are all kinds of sins apart from just sins of commission but some are relatively unaware of this.  If I do not love my brother have I sinned?  Some act as though as long as they do a man no harm all is well.  Is it?  Did you do him any good if and when he needed it? 

We sometimes blame a person for his or her past and want to see it corrected before we accept him or her.  There are a ton of things in our past we cannot correct and if that is to be the standard of Christian love toward another it is a standard that sinners can never attain to.  How do you correct the past?  There is only so much any of us can do to correct the past. 

We want mission impossible out of people sometimes rather than accept them as full-fledged brothers and sisters in Christ.  We will love them later when everything has been corrected.  The trouble is that it is often impossible to correct the past no matter how much we might desire to do it. 

I would like to reflect on the men mentioned in this study.  Of the men we have studied some were already children of God at the time events unfolded in their lives that brought them regret.  I guess Paul would be the only exception.  Of the six men we have mentioned I believe we all agree that we expect to see at least five of them in heaven.  As for Adam, I am only willing to say that I do not know what happened in the many years after his fall in the garden.  Did he repent?  Did God forgive him?  I suspect he did but the Bible does not say so I cannot know.  

Because we are all in the same boat together should we not fully accept one another with all of our faults of the past and count them as but nothing (the assumption being we have repented and turned to God)?  We have all sunk our own boat and all of us are reaching up to Jesus for salvation.  We are all hoping with Christian expectation that Jesus will reach out his hand to us as he did to Peter when Peter was sinking in the water he had been walking on.  Only Jesus can save us. 

The past is the past but we can help one another, comfort and console one another, and help one another get to heaven.  We all have regrets but we all can have hope if we will, as the old song goes, but trust and obey.  The time comes when we must move on.  The past cannot be undone and we do not want it to destroy us.  Paul gave us inspired advice when he said, "But one thing I do:  forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  Let those of us who are mature think this way."  (Phillipians 3:13b-15a ESV)  

The inspired advice is let the past go.  Look to the future.  That is the best advice you will ever get on this subject--inspired advice.  Turn loose of the past, let it go.  Christ has called us to freedom, not to bondage.  

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