Saturday 1/27/20 notes
‘Know Your Place’
We had three verses yesterday:
Acts 12.20-23 (the voice of a god)
Acts 8.19-24 (Simon the Magician)
Luke 14.7-11 (place at the table)
All three are demonstrations of knowing our place, our pay grade. Presuming to break outside of it will face correction.
This issue of Identity, specifically desiring/choosing/assuming/promoting it is fraught with danger. Step outside of it and risk correction. The correction will likely be measured by the heart behind the infraction (Herod agrees with the crowd, gets smoked); (Simon ask in ignorance ad gets a sincere warning); (The guest presumes position and is shamed with public removal, while the humble is publicly advanced to the right, higher place).
Of the difficulties facing society, social media has emerged as one of the main opiates of our vanity. Like anything else, it can be used rightly, but it’s wrong exercise breeds all degrees of sin.
Choosing our identity is grossly inferior to realizing the one given to us by the Master. Anything we presume which is outside or beyond what He has granted will take us off of the path. And so, He tells us to begin our understanding as meek and subservient, then accept and reside in any advances He might show us. His way and wisdom is perfect, and so His assignments for us. To presume and assume a station or responsibility outside of His prescription is foolish and possibly even dangerous.
There is one other aspect I forgot to mention. While it is evil to assume a higher station for ourselves, it also is when we presume a lower station and responsibility than He intends. The first is sedition (rebellious action against right authority and the order of things), the latter is dereliction (failure to do what we should). Or, don’t pull on the leash, nor be dragged by it!
Everything on this topic revolves around knowing who we are in Christ. Embracing a self-prescribed identity/station/responsibility other than what He declares or reveals – be it above OR below – is a dismissal of His Sovereign assignment to us.