Do you think that sin normally involves sex or money? What about the first sin? Sex and money were not issues for sin in the garden, but I told the inhabitants not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, lest they die. You live in a culture that values knowledge highly, so much so that it is even called an information culture. Learning is universally sought and admired. Most people don’t think of this as a sin. Do you?
Titles of nobility are not as common as they were in times past. You can be glad this class structure is going away. Such titles were passed down through family lines, or they could be bought. But having an ancestral name or money doesn’t make you noble. Now you think of nobility more as an attribute of an individual, according to their character and conduct, and this is a positive development. This opens the door to everyone regardless of wealth or status. Strive to conduct yourself in this manner, for I have appointed you a position in my Kingdom and made you kings and priests.
Do you have a job to do in my Kingdom? This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a title and office in a church. I have a job for everyone. Are you waiting for popular demand to recruit you into this position? Who wouldn’t prefer this method of calling? You know that self-promotion is wrong, but don’t expect to wait until a groundswell of public opinion recruits you to serve me. In that case would you be serving me or them? You can only serve one master. The prophets of old were faithful in serving me even though answering my call made them unpopular.
Have you seen people who live their lives and present themselves in a way that seems false and inauthentic? Sometimes this is called wearing a mask. Do you assume that people who do this are scheming and deceptive? This may be too harsh a judgment. They may be so alienated from their true self that they do it unintentionally and unaware. It is more gracious to others not to impute evil intent to them if you don’t have to. What should you learn from this?
Are you in a position of accountability? Do you see this as a control structure imposed from without, by some authority figure you are accountable to? That is one expression of this concept, but it should start before that at an individual level, being accountable to yourself. Are you honest with yourself? Can you see yourself clearly enough to know what your weaknesses are, and know which of these are beyond your ability to deal with yourself, and seek the help you need to overcome them? Does it seem too easy to think of accountability as starting internally?
Do you see yourself as an insider or an outsider? How do you see me? Structures of power emerge in any culture, and these can be political, religious, financial, and others. Those who belong to the structures and reap the benefits thereof are insiders. Have you noticed that insiders will fiercely defend the organizations they gain from? But they are unable to address structural problems and injustices in the system. I was an outsider to the religious establishment of my own generation, and that is where my opposition came from. Are you an insider in the religious organization of your time?
Do you see certain people as your enemies? You encounter those who are openly opposed to all that you believe in. There are several ways to view this situation. One is to think of them as your enemies. In this case you should love them as I commanded you to love your enemies. Another way to view this is that you have one adversary who is not flesh and blood and that these people are his captives. Do you see yourself in a battle against evil? In this case the prisoners of war held by your enemy are normally friendly forces.
How important is it to you to be right? How do you describe your faith? Would you say it is a relationship with me? So is it more important to be correct or to be connected? Do you see truth as a series of abstract propositional assertions, or do you see it as a living person? My revelation has been progressive and some who were commended in the Bible as heroes of faith held doctrinal positions you would not affirm today. I accepted them in spite of this because of the way they pressed in with what they knew and would not be denied. I will do the same for you.
Do you find that intelligence is highly rated in your culture? Everyone wants to be smart, and you have seen those who are not pretend that they are. Do you realize that there is something more important than intelligence? Asking the right questions is more important than being clever. You won’t get the right answers by asking the wrong questions no matter how smart you are. What if you pursue the right questions but have limited cognitive ability? Do not be discouraged. You have my promise that if you seek you will find.
