Job CCCXLVII

 You may need grace and mercy, but I surely don’t. I’m spiritually superior, don’t you see? I’m the apple of God’s eye, as a once-famous alcoholic televangelist was fond of saying. Sure, the Bible says there is no partiality with God; yes, we’re all equal, but come on, you and I both know that some are more equal than others. Unscrupulous men have created a caste system within the household of faith, and we’ve allowed it.

And yet, as we get a glimpse of the lives of those who came before us, the man whom God declared to be blameless and upright said, “I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes, because I have seen your glory with my eyes.”

The man to whom Christ said, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it,” fell at His feet and declared, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”

Is it just me, or do you get the sense that the modern crop of those who deem themselves spiritual leaders are needlessly and undeservingly arrogant? Is it just me, or is the pride, haughtiness, and conceit off-putting and unpalatable?

But you don’t get it; the figurehead of a ministry or a church has to have presence and charisma. They have to have swagger and flash; they have to look the part! Show that to me in the Bible, though. If you can, then sure, grab a Patek or Piguet off the shelf, and for the middle tier, perhaps a Rolex, or a TAG Heuer. Array yourself in fine linens, and do your best to look like some Arab sheik fresh off of signing a billion-dollar oil deal, but if those are not attributes to which the Bible says we should aspire, then cut it out.

At this point, the gullible and those who tend to idolize individuals rather than worship God and serve Jesus will angrily begin to shout ‘touch not God’s anointed’, even though that passage is taken out of context, and by the sheer absence of fruit, it’s questionable whether some of those who think so highly of themselves are God’s anointed to begin with. It’s an easy way to ensure there’s never any pushback, and that no one questions their lack of Christian living, isn’t it?

I’m God’s anointed, so you can’t touch me! But if your life does not reflect what you claim to be, is there any danger in challenging your view of yourself as one of God’s anointed? No, there isn’t, and it is our duty as believers, and those who comprise the body of Christ, to admonish and correct those who’ve taken it upon themselves to twist, mutilate, and distort the Word of God for their own selfish gain.

Yes, there are noble pastors, shepherds, preachers, and evangelists, but more often than not they’re not the flashy sort. It’s far easier to wrap a piece of coal with a shiny piece of foil that draws the eye than endure the pressure required for the coal to become a diamond. Diamonds don’t need wrapping. They don’t need fancy boxes. They stand out all on their own. It is because of what they are that they are exposed to the light, so all can behold their brilliance. Nobody buys a diamond sight unseen. Nobody purchases the box hoping there’s a diamond inside.

Unlike Beanie Babies, or any of a hundred other flash-in-the-pan must-have things that came and went, a diamond retains its value without influencers shilling it, insisting you click their link for an extra-special discount.

Scripture is truth. It is the diamond. It retains its value and relevance from generation to generation, and those who strive to discover it are never disappointed, let down, or feel as though they were underwhelmed by the treasures contained therein. It has the power to enlighten, transform, challenge, correct, and instruct, without decreasing in its potency, because it is the Word of God, and remains constant and unchanging as God Himself is.

Ephesians 3:14-19, “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

This was Paul’s heartfelt desire for the church at Ephesus: not to form cliques, castes, or hierarchies, but that together, as one, they would comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height of God. To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, and be filled with all the fullness of God. How can one know God without knowing His word? How can one follow God when men are all they seem to want to follow?

Does Christ dwell in your heart through faith? Are you being strengthened with might through His Spirit? These are the relevant questions we must ask ourselves consistently, not whether this denomination is better than that, or who the next luminary that the world will foist upon a pedestal will be. Let nothing distract you from intimacy with God. Not men, not denominations, not fringe ideologies, or tertiary doctrinal issues. The goal is to be filled with the fullness of God, and know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, not shill for a particular individual and defend them even when their actions become indefensible.

Man is flawed; God is not. If your desire is to know God, go directly to the source. Go to Scripture, and devour it like a starving man who's been out to sea for a month with no food would devour the first meal after his rescue. Do you think such a man cares whether he uses the proper fork, or if his napkin should be on his lap or tucked under his shirt collar? No. He’s starving, and all pretense of propriety flies out the window at the sight and smell of food.

Read your Bible as often as you can, wherever you can, even if it’s for fifteen minutes on your lunch break, or waiting in the lobby for your dentist appointment. There is no place or time more special than the other; you don’t need to be sitting in an atrium, accompanied by a symphony, in a leather-backed chair to read Scripture; the cab of your pickup will do just as well. Food is food, whether it comes in a wrapper, from a food truck, a greasy spoon, or a Michelin-starred restaurant. And, unlike the food we eat, whose ingredients may be suspect, the Word of God is never spoiled, rotten, or of unknown origins. It is always pure and nourishing to the spiritual man.

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea, Jr.