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NASB | Romans 12:3 ¶ For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 12:3 ¶ For by the grace [of God] given to me I say to everyone of you not to think more highly of himself [and of his importance and ability] than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has apportioned to each a degree of faith [and a purpose designed for service]. |
Bible Question:
Ah, EdB, you make it sound so easy. Part of my motivation for asking the question was a conversation I had with a client yesterday afternoon. She confided that she has been saved for 12 years. And yet, up to this point she has thought of herself as worthless. The fact that she was abused as a child and also in her marriage has something to do with it. It is apparent that some of our brethren are like that sister was, walking around with low self-esteem. Others are haughty, arrogant, even proud. Some answer the telephone with, "Can I help you", giving the impression they are only here on this earth to give help. So I guess I think the matter is not quite that simple. And I should have known. Why did Paul think it necessary to "say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think"? It seems to me that some think too highly and some think too lowly. Or am I wrong about that? |
Bible Answer: Aixen7z4 Too many Christians allow themselves to be convinced they have to live in the past. We have learned to explain our behavior pointing to things in the past whether good or bad and how they effect us, how we should deal with them and even what to expect should issues change. We are in fact allowing ourselves to be made slaves to our old self. I once had a man enter my office he couldn't face life enough to even go to work. He had been in Christian counseling for 5 years and he talked like a counselor, he knew every word, every diagnosis, every symptom, every treatment option, every stumbling block. He sat down and told me exactly what was wrong with him, what psychological blocks were holding back any change for him. He declared himself codependent, effected by a dysfunctional family, which was shifting reality in attempts to avoid the hurts of his past. He had been Psycho-babbled. I asked one question, “are you saved?” He answered, “yes” then I said the Bible must lie because since in 2 Cor. 5:17 it says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” I told him, “if he was really save the old things couldn’t have a hold on him.” I asked him how the old things could still effect him if he was in Christ? He looked at me in wonder and instantly he realized that he had been using all of this as his crutch. His father had abused him and this man refused to forgive him. It was easier to accept all the symptoms of the world, holding low self esteem, depressions, feelings of worthlessness than it was to accept the fact that he needed to forgive his father. That day we prayed for him and his father, he left my office and went to his father’s house a place he hadn’t set foot in, he told his dad he forgave him and loved him. He then went to work and has been free from any form of problem for years. His problem wasn’t the past, his low self esteem, his feelings of worthlessness. His problem was it was easier to blame all of that than to allow himself to become the new Creation Christ called him to be. To put away the past to live for the future, knowing nothing on this earth can effect his position in Christ. That God loved him and thought him special enough that He willingly gave His only begotten Son to die for Him. Will this work for everyone? Not that quickly probably in most cases but if we stop trying to excuse behavior by putting a name to it, by pointing to the past, and in effect validating it and start pointing to the future and the victory we have in Christ Jesus we would have a lot more healthier people in the church than we do today. Is it that simple not always, but unless we forget all the pyscho-babble and hold tightly to 2 Cor. 5:17 we will never realize the worth esteemed to us through Jesus Christ. EdB |