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Poisonous Pride
January 31st, 2019
Luke 10:13-24
John Wesley wrote in A Plain Account of Christian Perfection, “Good works do not receive their last perfection, till they, as it were, lose themselves to God” (112, 1966). His warning is that our acts of love can become a kind of poison that separates us from God unless we give it back to him. The poisoning of our good deeds happens when our attention is turned toward the act itself rather than kept on the recipients of God’s love.
How often have we seen Christians who have committed themselves to God and over the years have forgotten who they were prior to meeting Christ. Their hearts become bitter and judgmental towards those who have yet to receive the grace of our Lord.
Jesus reminds his disciples who come back boasting about their newfound spiritual power that their joy should not extend beyond the joy of their salvation. All that God has given them is a gift that must not be appropriated for their own pride. They must give it back to God so that it does not become a good work in itself.
Author: Timothy George
