Dressing Up The Deeds Of The Flesh

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. --Proverbs 16:18

In certain countries there has been an emphasis made by foreign preachers that God wants us wealthy. These "teachers" say that they can demonstrate their faith by how many material possessions they have. This has been a very vexing message for the local pastors to deal with, because many people are poor and have a tendency to see poverty as a curse. A cow zipped up in a horse suit is still a cow. Likewise, it is amazing how deeds of the flesh can be worked around until they are actually presented as spiritual virtue. Someone may say with pride and boldness, "I told him he offended me!" That person just admitted complete spiritual defeat. Another admits spiritual defeat when he says, "I believed God, claimed a jet airplane, and God gave it to me." We are to be seeking the things above. One fellow even said, "I cannot look at pornography too long because it is vexing to my spirit." He can look at it for a while, but he is too spiritual for a prolonged look? It is one thing to avoid thinking about our flesh, but quite another to actually make it out to be something spiritual; that reveals the heart of a true Pharisee.

Michael’s title for this day’s writing speaks volumes, doesn’t it?  How sad, man is so prone to doing just that.  We love our flesh.  We love “dressing it up.”  To the point that we can zip ourselves up in another suit and play like we are something we aren’t.  That’s a beauty, isn’t it?  Not.

What’s crazy is that we can even do as Michael says, work the deeds of the flesh around “until they are actually presented as spiritual virtue.”  How far fetched is that?!?  When the mind is not in tune with God, anything can be concocted. 

And so it is that pride can rear its ugly head…  Pride is the root of every sin and evil.

Truly, as Michael says, “We are to be seeking the things above.”  That is a remedy for pride.  That is the direction of humility.  Andrew Murray has said, “Humility, the place of entire dependence on God…is the root of every virtue.”  Well, amen.