No More Know-It-All

"If we lean into the Spirit, we won't be 'me' anymore, lost in our need to fix people, but will look and sound like Him."

THE WAY OF THE WORLD with acquired knowledge is to Lord it over men. This is not concrete, meaning not everyone does so, but the tendency is for one having more knowledge or thinking so, to continually speak correction. They say, you should alter your behavior and instead do this or that. This is how the natural mind reacts, and believers falling into their human thinking also follow along in this pattern.

The apostle Peter knew what it was like to think in the flesh, and thus, to react in the flesh, so in his letters, he gave ample warning about heeding the thoughts of the mind and instead, walking in the Spirit. Upon salvation, you are never not in the Spirit, as in "in and out" of Him. When saved by Christ, you cannot help but walk after Christ. He consumes your spirit man with His presence and is not separate from it. Being in the Spirit is your new manner of life. But the tendency of the mind to pull one back into natural behavior can remain if not put under and into the Spirit's control.

What do I mean by this? Take the acquiring of knowledge again. A man, saved and walking after the things of God, another way of stating the same thing, will hold back his knowledge in favor of strengthening the one with lesser understanding. The love of God is without dissimulation, a big word meaning false behavior (Romans 12:9). Someone displaying God's love, having received His love to them, does not seek to press down others in any manner. This includes being smarter than anyone else and acting like it. Criticism and overt display of opinion are outside of the love of God shown from the man or woman saved by Christ and acting like Christ.

“So let’s agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; don’t drag them down by finding fault… Don’t eat or say or do things that might interfere with the free exchange of love.” (Romans 14:19, 21 MSG)

The Spirit of God is all knowledge. He has said this to me in another manner—that He is not looking into the future, but He is the future. We, as humans, desire to look into it, not being there yet, but He is outside of our time limits. He holds the future, it being present with Him. In the same way, He is all knowledge. It comes from Him, and is Him, yet He does not seek to oppress or condemn anyone who is not speaking from His complete wisdom. Many speak from pulpits and podiums, things which are not exactly according to the Word. This sounds awful, but it is not necessarily those things which go against the truth of God in salvation. The doctrines of men are often not in Scripture but have become common among groups of same-thinking individuals. The Spirit of God does not seek to correct where it damages faith and fortitude and hope. Better to think butter is best beside the pancake and not on it than to grow frustrated and angry when an argument ensues over it. Frustration, worry, and anger are from the devil, who from the beginning, sought to destroy peace. God will cause none of those.

The apostle Paul sought to become all things to all people so that he might win some (1 Corinthians 9:22). He did not mean he would emulate sin, but that where there were differences, he would adapt himself to individuals and walk in the ways of God and the love of Christ toward them. We cannot show men God loves them if we berate them for their lifestyle, their hair and clothing, or any other incorrect behavior, whether it is stated in the Word as ungodliness or is simply not our preferred habit. Love loves without qualification and lying. It speaks truth, which is only the Word of God through the Holy Spirit. Truth is not man's knowledge and opinion.

The child of God is given a living (zao) hope. He seeks after truth and in his love for God, desires to grow in truth. A man like this will be rewarded with revelation of truth for his seeking. We are ever-growing in spiritual things. This is not a dormant faith, one meal eaten and digested, but a table placed in front of you to be continually dined at, constantly eaten, and one that sustains you. Correction comes as we learn, and the teaching of the truth is the Spirit's job within us. It is not we teaching ourselves but Him speaking to us and through us. We must remember this. What I know is because He is with me forever and He showed it to me. All the mind's capabilities come from Him, and our behavior reflects it. This then is the fullness of being in the Spirit now and yielded to Him. We will not seek to destroy the other person because our love for them gives the Spirit room in us to guide us and He works in them, the understanding they need to reflect Him and move away from error.

Our biggest error is thinking we know it all, and it is our job to fix people. No, it is our job to love people, which often means not speaking at all. Jesus warned Peter to pray so that he would not fall into temptation. Peter slept instead, and Jesus loved him anyway, knowing what he would do, a short time later. He didn't rail on him, but He forgave him and made him a leader in the church. We should, in like manner, emulate Christ because the truth is, if we lean into the Spirit, we won't be "me" anymore, lost in our need to fix people, but will look and sound like Him. Which is why He came to earth in the first place. We were no longer like Him, no longer in His image, but now, we are.

“For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!” (Luke 7:33-34)

Image by Jorge Franganillo from Pixabay


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com