Many Christians like myself look at how they are doing according to their flesh and use that as their measurement to gauge how they are doing in the Spirit. Not only is this in error, it can be detrimental to how we view ourselves before God and incorrectly alter how we think God sees us. For this reason it's important that we preach the gospel to ourselves daily. Therefore I'm writing this in hopes to encourage you, and remind you (and me) according to the truth of the gospel.
Naturally as humans we are raised with the ability to measure our own merits. We see ourselves learn, increase, and grow, and on the other end of the spectrum we see ourselves forget, fail, and fall and somewhere in there we judge where we should be. We put our trophies on the wall of our house, window of our car, the wall of our minds, the wall of our Facebook page or our attention is drawn to our failures, faults, shortcomings and disabilities. Through all these things we are constantly measuring how good we are, or aren't, according to a standard of measurement we've adopted. For some that standard of measurement was our siblings, our friends, our parents, our kids, our neighbors, society. For some it's the law, for some it's the law of the old testament, for some it's themselves, their heart, their own mile markers, the law which they've made up to themselves (Romans 2:14-15). For some it's the bible. Regardless of our standard of measurement we all naturally react the same way to our standard of measurement. We either feel vindicated or found lacking. Some, according to their standard of measurement feel they are superior, 1st-class, and they are prone to becoming arrogant and prideful. Others, according to their standard of measurement feel they are inferior, second-rate, and they often enter in to some level of despair (unfortunately suicides have increased as our society stresses focusing on self). One person is their "own worst enemy" another is their own "biggest fan".
To start things soberly, it's important to note as Christians our "standard of measurement" is God Himself and nothing less. I do not write this to discourage, but as you will see I can not properly encourage you without first making this truth known. The standard of measurement by which we are to properly judge ourselves is our heavenly Father.
48 Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. - Matthew 5:48
16 because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” - 1 Peter 1:16
Make no mistakes here, these are very real requirements of you from God and if you are wondering what standard of measurement you should use to judge your success, that's it. God cannot look at sin (Habakkuk 1:13), if you want to be in His presence than it stands to reason that you need to meet these requirements, anything that comes short, comes up short of a very real commandment God has laid out for us in the bible. And if you understand accurately the perfect perfection and absolute holiness of our heavenly Father; if you indeed accurately understand it in any measure, you also understand that you do NOT measure up. For my kinsmen who are in a measure of despair, this is no new news to you. Perhaps you are reading this nodding your head in full agreement, having no need of a reminder that you don't measure up. For my kinsmen who feel vindicated by the above bible verses, I would say to you that perhaps you have not accurately understood neither the magnitude of God's holiness or His perfect nature. Furthermore you have failed to accurately see the requirements of you He's laid forth in both the old and new testaments. For my kinsmen struggling with arrogance in this matter, I pray your eyes will be opened and that your need for a savior will become truly evident to you (1 Corinthians 10:12).
For my kinsmen struggling with despair who feel like David when he wrote "For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me" (Psalm 51:3), this article is for you. If you feel that you are not measuring up, may I first encourage you by telling you that very feeling was the intent of the law?
23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. - Galatians 3:22-24
The full law of God is the standard of measurement (Matthew 5:17-20, Galatians 3:10, James 2:10) by which men who desired to measure their merits were to gauge the success of those merits. We know by the above verses that all were "in custody," why? Because all have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) in keeping the law and therefore no flesh will be justified in God's sight (Romans 3:20). This means none of us measure up, no not one (Romans 3:9-12). Paul does not discredit the law for if the law had not come there would not be knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20, 7:7) but for my brothers and sisters who have measured themselves according to what God expects of us and accurately found themselves lacking; I'm glad you are in such a state. According to the above verses you are being tutored! (Count this as a blessing, it is!) And the end result, if that tutor and this article are to be successful, is to lead you to Christ.
Now I'm heading to the crux of this article. What about those of us who have been Christians awhile now. Shouldn't we be seeing a change, some measure of success in those areas? For me and fellow brother's I've talked with, we look at the areas of life of our Christian walk that we are struggling with and we want improvement in those areas. In our understanding of God's hatred of sin we also feel God wants improvement in those areas. Then we look at how those areas are left unchanged and we are left feeling hopeless, confused, frustrated, and our conclusions leave us feeling abandoned by God because we're not where we should be. We feel like Asaph in the first half of Psalms 77:
My voice rises to God, and I will cry aloud;
My voice rises to God, and He will hear me.
2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
In the night my hand was stretched out without weariness;
My soul refused to be comforted.
3 When I remember God, then I am disturbed;
When I sigh, then my spirit grows faint. Selah.
4 You have held my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I have considered the days of old,
The years of long ago.
6 I will remember my song in the night;
I will meditate with my heart,
And my spirit ponders:
7 Will the Lord reject forever?
And will He never be favorable again?
8 Has His lovingkindness ceased forever?
Has His promise come to an end forever?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious,
Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion? Selah.
10 Then I said, “It is my grief,
That the right hand of the Most High has changed.” - Psalm 77:1-10
First let me say it's a noble desire to want to become more Godly (praise God for that desire! [Romans 8:7]). I was talking with my brother yesterday afternoon and we were discussing our experience and observation of how a Christian, the further along he is in his maturity the more sensitive to sin he becomes. Let me reiterate, the more we become conformed to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29), the more we are exposed to the Light (John 1:9, John 3:19-21), the more our sin becomes evident and undeniable. As we are drawn closer to God our sin becomes even more utterly sinful (Romans 7:13) and there's more of a contrast as we are migrated away from the shadows into the light. Thank God you hate your sin! But here is the mistake we make. This is the pivotal mistake that we make when the light comes. Instead of looking (by faith) at Jesus Christ and His accomplishments we turn our attention with our eyes at the sin which is becoming more evident with maturity and we then rule by the now more obvious and seemingly increasing sin in our life that we are failures as Christians. We take what is seen with our eyes and rule ourselves according to our standard of measurement; whether that it be the law, new testament scripture, or a set of rules we've derived ourselves and we eventually arrive at the same conclusion as Asaph did above; that God has failed us, bailed on us, or given up on us altogether. We lose site of verses stating "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5), or we conclude that such biblical promises simply weren't meant for us and we are tempted to stop believing such a promise because we can't "see" it.
Paul stated we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Do not let this next fact escape you; did you know your flesh will ALWAYS look terrible? It's no wonder that if you are walking by sight that you would be discouraged. You see the flesh of a man is never improved; the flesh of a man is never regenerated. While in Christ the spirit of a man is made alive, the flesh profits nothing.
63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. - John 6:63
6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; - Romans 6:6
The old self isn't repaired, but rather done away with. Not only does the flesh profit nothing, it's still a slave to the law sin (Rom. 7:25) and because it is never regenerated it is still decaying.
22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, - Ephesians 4:22 (emphasis mine)
If your eyes are on your flesh and you are equating the state of your flesh in it's corruption with the success of what Christ has done and is doing in you, then it's inevitable that you will feel like a failure because that's what the flesh does, it fails, falls short, is being corrupted and desiring/chasing after evil things (Galatians 5:16, Romans 6:12, 8:12, 2 Peter 2:10, 3:3, Jude 16, 18) and if you are using that as your standard of measurement then it's inevitable that you will come to the same woes as Asaph did. You might even feel like Christianity is "too hard" and feel like throwing in the towel.
I'm a fan of Casting Crowns and one of my favorite songs of theirs is "Just be Held". In the latter part of the song are these lyrics.
"If your eyes are on the storm
You'll wonder if I love you still
But if your eyes are on the cross
You'll know I always have and I always will"
I believe this was written from experience. Actually if you've listened to Casting Crowns through the years you may have noticed the growth reflected in the songwriters lyrics. Notice in the song excerpt above what the difference was between the one confident in God's love for him and the one wondering if it's still there. The answer? It's what your eyes are on. As far as Asaph goes, when you read Psalm 77 in the first 10 verses quoted above, what were Asaph's eyes on? Both the songwriter and Asaph then make a crucial discovery. Reread Psalm 77, the entire chapter, and notice the change that takes in Asaph starting at verse 11. Verses 1-10 Asaph is focuses on the storm, on his flesh, on his circumstances. But then Asaph decides not to focus on himself nor his circumstances anymore but deliberately puts his eyes back on God and God's accomplishments.
11 I shall remember the deeds of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate on all Your work
And muse on Your deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy;
What god is great like our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;
You have made known Your strength among the peoples.
15 You have by Your power redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.
16 The waters saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were in anguish;
The deeps also trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
The skies gave forth a sound;
Your arrows flashed here and there.
18 The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was in the sea
And Your paths in the mighty waters,
And Your footprints may not be known.
20 You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron. - Psalm 77:11-20
Did Asaph's circumstances change? No. There's nothing there recording any change in Asaph's previously perceived peril. Did his focus change? Absolutely it did. The circumstances that caused him to write the first 10 verses remained the same. As with the songwriter it was not his circumstances that got better it was where his gaze was. In the second 10 verses Asaph completes Psalm 77 with his eyes no longer on himself, but he deliberately fixes his gaze on God and on God's accomplishments. Asaph opts to no longer walk by sight but by faith (2 Cor. 5:7).
It's been my experience that men with such a self-focus only feel good when they are performing well, rather I should say when their flesh is performing well. Because they walk by sight and are measuring their merits they require a visible, tangible reason to merit a good feeling or else they simply won't feel good about their Christian walk. They have a conundrum. They won't be joyful unless their flesh is regenerated, and because their flesh is never regenerated they're never joyful. What they fail to realize is, if they walked by faith, that is, with their eyes on Jesus, they would understand that Christ has given them--given us cause by His finished work on the cross (John 19:30) to be abounding with joy! (John 15:11) And because His faithfulness to us is not contingent on our performance (2 Timothy 2:13) We have a hope that will not disappoint! (Romans 5:1-5). Unfortunately because of their conundrum such men spend more time fretting before the Lord in an almost vicious downward spiral, living free but from a prison cell, not seeing they've actually been freed up to be able to rejoicing in the Lord.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:4-7
Some of us started out good. Our eyes were on Christ, the cross, and we walked as such men who confidently carried the accomplishment of Christ upon us wherever we went as walking trophies of Christ proving His accomplishments, His grace, His mercy! So what happened? What changed? May I take a stab at it? Your eyes were taken off of Christ (Matthew 14:29) and put back on the storm (Matthew 14:30). The enemy, the world, or perhaps you were the culprit but someone has bewitched you. First please know you are not alone (1 Peter 5:9). The very opening of Galatians chapter 3 was to us:
3 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? - Galatians 3:1-3 (emphasis mine)
This is known as legalism. Legalism is defined by relying on the flesh rather than relying on the Spirit. Paul here is addressing the Galatians who at first put their trust in Christ and have since returned to a reliance on the flesh. Which really offers no victory against the flesh at all. This is what is meant when Paul says:
23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence. - Colossians 2:23
The flesh cannot win against the flesh. That's like a crew of a ship throwing the anchor on the bow of the boat expecting it to hold them steady. We have not the means within our flesh to deal with our flesh. We never had a way in the first place and we still don't. On the contrary, success is only ever found outside our ability by the only means available, the Holy Spirit.
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. - Galatians 5:16
Notice a few crucial elements in that verse. First, walking in the flesh (or walking by sight) does not mean an absence of the Spirit inasmuch as walking in the Spirit does not mean an absence of the flesh. Second, the flesh still has it's evil desires, even though the Spirit is present the flesh hasn't changed a bit! The flesh is still very much present with it's evil desires and is in full opposition to the Spirit. (1 Peter 2:11).
17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. - Galatians 5:17
Why then are we surprised that we too have this battle? We carry this marred flesh with us and for some reason we are shocked that we have sin in our life and are discouraged because it's waging war on us. Praise God you have this battle! If the Holy Spirit was not in you there would be no battle (Romans 8:7). Without the Holy Spirit you would be in one accord, in full agreement with your flesh. All Christians struggle with this battle and the Apostles would be the first to tell you that they are no exception. In fact, 1 John 1:8 states that anyone who says they don't have sin is deceiving themselves. In 1 Timothy 1:15 the Apostle Paul had some time of self reflection of which he adamantly concludes "I'm the worst!" In the 2nd half of Romans chapter 7 Paul gives an intimate look at this battle between the two natures that are warring within him. On one hand with his eyes seeing his flesh, on the other hand by faith seeing the accomplishment of God through Jesus Christ our Lord! It was estimated that he was a Christian for about 23 years when he wrote this.
14 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. 16 But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. 17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. - Romans 7:14-25
"For what I am doing, I do not understand..." (v. 15)
"...I am not practicing what I would like to do..."(v. 15)
"...I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh..." (v. 18)
"...I practice the very evil that I do not want." (v. 19)
"...I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind..." (v. 22)
Can you relate to Paul here? Does this sound like you? I know it sounds like me. Do you see Paul's self examination and consequent loathing of himself? When I read Romans 7 here I feel every word. Like Paul wrote in Timothy I often feel like "I'm the worst!". I imagine this is how David felt when he wrote "...my sin is ever before me" (Psalm 51:3). If you are relating to these verses I have good news. Let me now highlight this good news within the context of the same verses in Romans 7.
"But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me." (v. 16-17)
"But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me." (v. 20)
"For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin." (v. 22-25)
Please don't miss the separation! Jesus Christ has set you free from "the body of this death". He didn't fix the body of death He set you free from it altogether! Though in Christ we cry out "God please fix me!", he replies, "There's nothing left to fix" (2 Cor. 5:17), we say "but God look at this sin", Justly He replies, "that's not yours" (2. Cor. 5:21).
16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. - 2 Corinthians 5:16-17
You see the new you that is the actual you in Christ has been separated from the old you that was attached to the body of death. The bible speaks heavily of the old self and new self as being separated. It does not speak of a regeneration of the old self or a fixing of the old self as so often we cry out for, rather it speaks of this separation heavily in scripture and urges us to recognize that and to "put off the old self" and "put on the new self".
6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; - Romans 6:6
22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. - Ephesians 4:22-24
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. - Galatians 5:16-18
16 But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results. 17 Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.” - Matthew 9:16-17
When we view our state in the old man (the body of death [Rom. 7:24]) to be an accurate assessment of our current state in the new man (new creation in Christ Jesus [2 Cor. 5:17]) we walk in a manner that resembles the old man. We forget who we are in Christ! As James puts it:
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. - James 1:23-24
Those that don't deliberately walk in faith forget who they are because they can no longer see it. Don't forget what kind of person you are! This is the very thing the enemy wants, to get you to walk like one who is defeated, not seeing that we are children of God (1 John 3:1). It's not that we are actually defeated, Jesus Christ is greater than the world (John 16:33) greater then him who is in the world (1 John 4:4) and even greater than your self-condemning heart (1 John 3:20), but if the enemy can convince you that you are defeated, you'll walk as if you are. Fortunately, because God is faithful, when we don't walk by faith and return to walking by sight, putting on the old self, it does not nullify Christ's accomplishment in us. It may make us think so, but it doesn't change the reality that God is greater!
The solution was never to fix our flesh but rather to separate us from it altogether. It wasn't to put new wine in old wine skins nor to put a new patch on an old garment. This wouldn't work, it wouldn't be sufficient, as Paul said, if that would work than Christ died needlessly (Galatians 2:21). We needed a new self altogether, "...the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." (Ephesians 4:24). Are you not astonished that so great a gift was the will of God in this made possible by Jesus Christ and carried out in you by the Holy Spirit!
My encouragement to you then comes full circle back to the title of this article. Don't equate your success in the flesh to your success in the Spirit, the two are not tied together but by His doing are separate and independent from one another (Romans 7:25). Having this very real accomplishment of Jesus Christ in you, you really are freed to:
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! - Philippians 4:4
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:1-2