Colors may appear what they are not, so can people. Navy appears black until placed alongside black. Off-white can appear pure white. People are the same. A person may seem honest and of good character until the truth is finally determined. Hypocrisy will nev-er go away as long as man has the ability to appear what he is not. Nor will a person ever rise above the standard he sets for himself. Anyone can find someone else worse than he is and generally feel good about himself. But is that someone the proper standard of measurement? Scripture exhorts us to “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith…” (II Cor.13:5) But what standard do we use?
Some use their own standard. What they think or how they feel determines what they do. If an action results in a guilty conscience it must be wrong. If they see nothing wrong with it, it must be alright. The Bible says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes…” (Prov.12:15) Also, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Prov.14:12) Wise people realize they need a higher standard than them-selves. The prophet’s lament was, “Oh Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” (Jer.10:23)
Some measure themselves by others. Jesus spoke a parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others. (Luke 18:9-14) The Pharisee thanked God that he was not like other men and then boasted about the good things he did. He considered himself better than the publican, but in reality, he did not stand justified in God’s sight, whereas, the publican did. Paul wrote, “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring them-selves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” (II Cor.10:12) It is much easier to see the mistakes of others than to see your own. When others become our standard, they will determine how we live. We never rise above the standard we set for ourselves.
God’s word must be our standard of measurement. It will be the standard of judg-ment we must meet (John 12:48); therefore, it behooves us to make it our standard for liv-ing. “But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forget-ful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:25) When we look into that perfect standard, we find the perfect example to follow. Je-sus is the one to follow, not man. We follow man only when he follows Christ. (I Cor.11:1) Now we have the right pattern for comparison. And we will never be disappoint-ed in following that pattern.
0 Comments