Grace And The Performance Treadmill

Father we thank you that we can come this morning and Quiet our hearts before you and worship The one and only true God as Christ himself said this is eternal life that they may worship you that they may know you the Only true God and Jesus Christ whom you sent.

Father we thank you because you have revealed yourself to us you have unveiled and made yourself known to us through the scriptures and We give you all the praise Glory and honor this morning help us this morning Through your spirit as he opens the Word of God to us.

That the divine author would reveal things to us that would Continue to help us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. We ask these things in Christ's name. Amen, who can tell me the? difference in the business financial world between Chapter 7 and chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Anyone in Brian. Okay, great. So chapter 7 you don't get to keep anything you you lose everything at all gone. Whereas chapter 11 bankruptcy is not like that. You get to keep some and get to pay back a portion of it.

So we could say Chapter 7 is permanent bankruptcy. Whereas chapter 11 is temporary bankruptcy, but I want us to think about it in light of Spiritual bankruptcy not financial bankruptcy and as I begin this series on grace I Want us to consider that this morning?

So listen to this quote as we talk about spiritual bankruptcy. This is from Jerry Bridges book Transforming grace. So as you listen to this, I'm going to ask you for your response and reaction to what you hear.

Okay? Bridges writes this in terms of our spiritual bankruptcy. You and I and every person in the world are spiritually bankrupt. In the business world financially troubled companies forced into bankruptcy.

Have two options popularly known as chapter 7 and chapter 11. Chapter 11 deals with what we would call a temporary bankruptcy. This option is chosen by a basically healthy company that given time can work through its financial problems.

Chapter 7 is for a company that has reached the end of its financial rope. It is not only deeply in debt. It has no future as a viable business. It is forced to liquidate its assets and pay off its creditors often by as little as 10 cents on the dollar.

The company is finished. It's all over the owners or investors lose everything they've put into the business. So what kind of bankruptcy did? We declare. To use the business analogy. Did we file under chapter 7 or?

Did we file under which is permanent bankruptcy or did we file under chapter 11 temporary spiritual bankruptcy? He continues was it permanent or temporary? I suspect most of us would say we declared permanent bankruptcy.

However, Jerry continues, I think most of us actually declared temporary bankruptcy. Have entrusted in Christ alone for our salvation. We have subtly and unconsciously reverted to a works relationship with God in our Christian lives.

We declared temporary bankruptcy to get into his kingdom. So now we think we can and must pay our own way with God. We were saved by grace. But we are living By performance end quote. Any reaction? What do you think?

Is Jerry crazy is he on? Let's start out back. Steven go ahead. Okay, say that last part again Steven. So his first comment was yeah, we we we we have to declare it A Permanent bankruptcy chapter 7. But we carry the idea with us in our Christian life that Jesus will love us more if we are more obedient.

Okay, good point Brian. Yes. Okay VBS meeting going on for those who are VBS volunteers so the half of you can go upstairs. Now what room is it? IBS room, so if you're gonna be helping with VBS, please go to the IBS room.

Thank you, Brian. Okay, and what was your comment about the quote. No, just kidding. Okay, anybody else any any thoughts or ideas about what Jerry wrote? So how many of you exercise on a regular basis?

Okay, how many you have how many of you who raise your hand have a propensity towards lying, okay so so You know I because of my my age and my knees I've had surgery on my knees and. But you know, I don't like the treadmill because it's too much pounding on my knees physically.

The elliptical is better I think. But I think also in our Christian life I've entitled this grace and the performance treadmill. I borrowed that phrase from Jerry's book on transforming grace the performance treadmill because though we claim Verbally that no, I'm I'm permanently bankrupt before God spiritually because of total depravity and yet somehow we Revert to running the performance treadmill in our Christian life.

And so that can be very pounding on our spiritual needs so to speak. So to go back to what Steven mentioned somehow we think that okay if I am more obedient towards God that Requires God to be more loving towards me.

So let's ask and answer that question a little bit further. Is God's blessing. I'll rephrase it in a different way. It's God's blessing in my life in your life dependent on our performance. Okay Jerry puts it this way in the same book transforming grace.

We are legalistic by nature. We'll talk further about that next week. Legalism we are legalistic by nature. He says that is we innately think that so much performance by us. Earn so much blessing from God.

Not only are we legalist by nature our Christian culture? Reinforces this attitude in us we find the Bible filled with exhortations to do good works and pursue the disciplines of spiritual growth again because we are legalistic by nature.

We assume our performance in these areas earns God's blessings in our lives. End quote. So he's saying that we think because of that tendency in us by nature and because of our culture even Christian culture.

Around us that if I perform a certain amount that I somehow not salvific wise. But in my Christian life God needs to give me these temporal blessings because after all I've been obedient. How do you think Joseph would have feared if he thought that way now too good?

And we know that Joseph didn't think that way because look what came upon him. And yet he he walked up brightly before God and look what his brother didn't came upon. But we know he didn't think that way because as we know at the end of the story Genesis 50 He says you intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, but he could think that way.

He could have that right mindset because he didn't say to himself. What am I doing in here in? Egypt. I don't deserve this based upon my performance question. When we assume God's blessings in our lives is dependent upon our performance.

What does it reveal about what we believe about the character of God? When we think That God's blessing in our lives is dependent directly upon our performance. What does that say about what we think about the character of God Cory in what way we think he's a lot like us.

I'm just repeating it for the recording. Okay, so we turn him into one of the Greek gods that if we do Cory get personal with me over here, but but if we do enough, you know, it can be completion. We can change his mood around in his view towards us by doing that and we change we won't actually say that right?

But by our attitude our mindset the way we our actions it says that very good somebody else Stephen. Okay, excellent. So it highlights the character of God. That is we called God is unchangeable. We call that what he is immutable and That's true.

It doesn't depend on on on us and it affects us as not when we're born again when by God that in our Christian life as Stephen was saying it if we are Disobedient it doesn't affect we don't lose our salvation affects our fellowship with God in the same way as a parent does for a child.

Those of you who are parents understand this with your children when your children Disobey, you know and say to them, you know, I'm all about grace and not performance. So go ahead and do whatever you want.

You don't say that. But yet as I try to do with our kids after there is discipline and we talk about it say, you know no matter what you do or don't do my love for you will never change and It's sort of as Stephen said our relationship with God as our Abba father and we are his children though.

We know that Salvificly in terms of being born again, but then we carried over that mindset unfortunately into our Christian life. Jerry continues and he says this to kind of highlight this from a different angle.

He says quote we are saved by grace. We all acknowledge that correct. We are saved by grace by sovereign grace by distinguishing grace. But We are living by the sweat of our own performance. We give lip service.

He says to the attitude of the Apostle Paul First Corinthians 15 10, but by the grace of God I am what I am but our unspoken motto is God helps those Who help themselves and quote we would never say that.

Of course if we had a Doctrinal a theological discussion a biblical discussion. Do you believe God helps those who helps himself? Oh, absolutely not. But what do your actions say? What did your mind to say in terms of performing in the Christian life or?

The other extreme might be let go and let God right. God started working in this area of my life back in and he still continues to do so but back in seminary back in the early 90s it's so much so that I pursued an intensive study on the topic of grace from the Bible and.

And I recall a funny story that when I graduated a Commencement I put on my cap the reference not the whole verse couldn't fit but first Corinthians 15 10. I wrote first Corinthians 15 10 that by the grace of God I am what I am that should be that wasn't only the Apostle Paul's testimony.

It ought to be our testimony not only for salvation. But throughout the entirety of our Christian life. It was funny because one of the guys next to me says, you know, my I have a lot of family here. They don't know where I'll be standing.

Can I just tell them that I'm going to be standing next to you so they can see your cap? I said you could do that. That's fine. I'll be gracious to you, but Truly, but by the grace of God I am what I am.

We say that for salvation, but do we say that? Post-salvation now. Let's look at it from a little bit more theological paradigm. Okay salvation the full Orb picture of God's salvation in our lives. It begins with what God declares us righteous.

We call that what? Justification then when we when we leave this body and we've received our glory that's called what Larry. Glorification and everything in between is called what? Sanctification which literally means to be set apart to be made holy.

To become more Christlike. So looking at it from that vantage point Jerry writes this. All true Christians readily agree that justification is by grace through faith in Christ. We'll agree that If we stop to think about it, we also agree that glorification is also solely by God's grace but Sanctification.

The entire Christian experience between justification and glorification. Well, that's another story at best. The Christian life is viewed as a mixture at best. He says as a mixture of personal performance in God's grace and quote.

I mean we don't want to get rid of God's grace. God forbid that. But it's a mixture. We got to add a little performance. I mean from the time. We're kids you know. We talk about kids who play sports, and they receive awards and you know or grading.

You know everything is based on performance or on the job if you don't perform well. It's all related to our culture, and then we take that mentality subconsciously. Maybe we don't think about it and say yes.

Oh for sure. Obviously we're justified by God's grace. Obviously we're going to be glorified by God's grace. But in our sanctifying process is it all by God's grace, or are we running the performance treadmill question.

Why do we see our justification and our glorification as by God's grace and Yet we see our sanctification based upon performance or Human merit. Why is it easier to see the other two? Tailings of our salvation by God's grace and yet everything in between our lives here on earth as.

Go ahead Amelia. Okay. Okay, okay. Okay, good, so she's talking about the distinction between scripturally biblically between positional sanctification. That we are sanctified. We have been set apart.

We have been made holy versus progressive sanctification, okay? Now here our Line of thinking is we're talking about progressive sanctification positionally that can't be changed. But we're talking about our progression in sanctification our continuing in growth In the Christian life, but we have to distinguish as she said between positional and progressive sanctification.

But why in progressive sanctification do we seem to resort without maybe even understanding that oh, yeah, I got to perform somehow. It's not by God's grace as justification and glorification is. Why do we let that creep in Cory?

Okay, naturally prideful. Okay, right of course. Yes works based salvation yes. Okay. So his main thesis says he is that we do that in Progressive sanctification in the entirety of our Christian experience of growing and maturing in Christ because of pride though.

We might acknowledge though sometimes as people Cory said have a hard time with justification that before God I have to be declared righteous. By some kind of effort of my own yet as God opens our eyes and saves us yet.

We can that we know it's by God's grace Salvation not by works yet in the entirety of our Christian growth and experience sanctification. We can go down that slippery slope Ferdie. Okay, good. So you're kind of highlighting a little bit on the broader perspective what Stephen mentioned earlier?

Kind of in a solution you're you're getting to them, which is very nice. So, what do we do how do we help ourselves in a way to Not get into that slippery slope and it's to focus even not just for justification as Freddie said.

But even in our progressive sanctification to focus on the character of God who he is. I mean Stephen highlighted the immutability that aspect of God's character. But the highlight his character even throughout our Christian experience here on earth.

Which that'll help us not to fall prey to the trap of I got to perform perform. Turn with me just on that since we're talking about justification sanctification and glorification Romans 8 if you will and they'll have somebody read that.

So grace and the performance treadmill as I'm trying to highlight our mutually exclusive. They're not in even in the same Venn diagram. I was a math major. I Mean, there's no crossover whatsoever. And I'm not just talking about here we're not just talking about justification.

I am talking about Sanctification. Okay, but let's look at Romans 8 here for a second specifically. Let's see verse 30 if somebody can read verse 30, it's kind of the culmination from verse 28 on nice.

Good. Go ahead. Well, yes, brother. Thank you. The Apostle Paul's writing is he writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit? You sure about that? I Don't know because it seems to me if my theology is correct.

He went from Predestination to calling to justification to what then. We're sanctification. It seems to have been bypassed there. By the Apostle who's under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Spirit of God knew what he was doing.

He's trying to say that as one package apart from the other truths that are in this text that relates to Romans 8 that You know salvation we think about when we say we've been saved we usually refer to what justification don't we?

That God had by his great has declared us righteous. But in the Bible many times sometimes it distinguishes whether there's justification sometimes it talks about glorification sometimes about progressive or positional sanctification.

But here he's just saying from beginning To end. It's all of God, that's why it's secure my Sure. Yes, so the point is that we're justified as we're talking about that by faith. We're not robots. It's our faith that before in the Christ alone that brings.

What's that? That that it's voluntary. Yes. Yes, so it is my faith. It's not somebody else's faith, but at the same time as the scripture highlights to us a person who is. I mean, I just recently did a blog and we were just reminiscing and through the scripture about who.

We are not in Christ. But in Adam and I mean it's just a plethora of truth there that we are dead in trespasses and sin following the course Of this world following the Prince of the power of the air children of wrath our hearts are calloused.

We're The our father is the devil. We don't do what God wants us to do we do what we want to do and yes. It's voluntary, but in order for it to become voluntary for faith in Christ God takes an unwilling heart a heart of stone that will never in and of its own.

Not because it will never but it cannot so not only is it total in a person cannot but a person will not. And then eventually when God changes the heart that person comes by faith to Jesus Christ so as we continue talking about sanctification and not looking at it as By our performance, but continuing to think of it by God's grace.

Listen to what Jerry continues to say here from the whole gamut of our salvation from justification to glorification. He says in this book continuing transforming grace quote. We are brought into God's kingdom by grace.

Now notice these five other things. He says we are sanctified the process of growing in our faith to become more like Christ by grace. We receive both temporal and spiritual blessings by grace. We are motivated to obedience By grace, we are called to serve and enabled to serve by grace.

We receive strength to endure trials by grace and. Finally, we are glorified by grace. The entire Christian life is lived under the reign of God's grace. So let me ask you some questions. He begins with being brought into the kingdom by grace and Being finally glorified by grace, but in between he makes some five comments.

And I want to ask you about each of these he says we receive both temporal and spiritual blessings by grace. How is that By grace, how is the blessings that we receive Stephen kind of highlighted earlier that?

Oh, you know if I if I obey God more consistently, you know he's gonna love me more and I highlighted it earlier that my that my obedience towards God somehow is Determining how much God is gonna bless me, but how is God's blessings in my life not contingent on my performance.

But it's based upon grace. Brian. Okay. Okay, so he's Brian is saying that even in our progressive sanctification. He mentioned two verses Philippians one that he who began a good work in you when we were cold and dead and stone-hearted.

That he will complete it. But also he referred to the reference that I had from first Corinthians 15. Where Paul continues and say I worked harder than all of them referring to the Apostles, but yet it was not I but the grace of God.

Very good. How about in terms of serving the Lord and serving? The church he says that we are called to serve and enabled to serve. By grace, I mean, but I mean we talk about service usually about you know.

It's it's not an easy thing sometimes it requires our effort our time our sacrifice when we serve other people. But how is serving by grace? Who can help us out with that Corey? Yes. Okay. The second part for that God is the one who prepared them.

We are his workmanship. Interesting word in the Greek workmanship is a word where we get the English term poem so once God saves us we are his Poetry of grace as we as he continues to work in our Christian lives.

Excellent, how about also Jerry mentions Strength which will segue into my next section that the strength we need when we go through trials. When we go through a difficult time when we're faced with The trials of life which is guaranteed in the scripture Jesus.

Did he not say to the disciples John 16 33 in this world? You may have trouble. No, he didn't say you may have trouble in this world. You will have trouble. What did James says? Consider it pure joy my brother James 1 if you encounter various trials.

When you encounter various trials, so it's guaranteed so knowing that that's going to happen. How is the grace of God? Helped me through those trials. Bob excellent, so Bobby's mentioning the pastors in 2nd Corinthians 12.

Which is what I have next in my nose. Good segue about how Paul highlights Bob said that it's not through our own strength but in our weakness. In the time of weakness when God's power his grace is sufficient as the Holy Spirit enables us.

So let's look at that a little bit further. Let me let's define if somebody were to ask you I'm gonna do a little a little bit maybe twist on the on the term of grace somebody came to you and asked you.

Can you define grace for me? What would you say to them you're helping somebody they're a new Christian and they say would you disciple me? Help me understand grace. What would you say to them Brian? Okay, so Brian says a lot of times people don't understand when we ask for somebody for a favor.

What that means and grace is really bestowing somebody a kind of favors. Expressing to them a sort of love what that's demerited. They don't deserve that. So in that sense it's a favor and expressing love to some to somebody who has demerited that has not merited that at all.

Very well somebody else. What is grace? Okay. Amen. Grace is every breath. We breathe when you wake up in the morning. By God's by God's grace. Right every breath that we breathe is by God's grace. Let me give you a little different Definition if you think I'm a heretic we can talk later.

Defining grace here it is and we'll look at the scriptures on this grace is. And again, we're talking about progressive Sanctification, but I'm going to show you how this applies to the whole of salvation from justification to sanctification to glorification.

Grace is this God's strength God's power His divine enabling in our weakness. Grace is God's power God's strength His divine enabling in our weakness. Let's look at it first from the Salvific side from justification turn with me to Romans 5 verse 6 familiar passage Romans 5 6 through but we're just gonna read verse 6.

Somebody read that for us. Yes. Thank you while we were still weak. Okay. At the right time Christ died for the ungodly the term weak there in the Greek is After nice which Usually nowadays it's refer if refers to in contemporary Greek language it usually refers to.

When we say somebody is astonished we means they're they're sick. They're bedridden. Physically speaking, but here of course the initial meaning the original Greek. They put the a as you know in front of a word it negates what it says before that right a and the key word Stanis means to strengthen to be strong.

So a astonish means Then the opposite to not be strong. To be literally weak to be as some translations put it Romans 5 6 while we were yet powerless powerless to do what to save ourselves. We had no power no strength in and of ourselves.

We were too weak to save ourselves. How weak how weak is a dead person? That's how weak we were. So now jump to 2nd Corinthians 12. The passage that Bob referred us to and we'll see the same term used here 2nd Corinthians 12 9 through 10.

You mind reading that Bob since you mentioned that please. What term there do you think is the same word that Paul used in Romans 5 did you catch that? Where is it? Weakness same exact term. Asthenes to be without strength.

To be literally spiritually bedridden. To be spiritually sick. To be weak powerless. So Christ the risen resurrected Lord Jesus Christ at this point talking to Paul for my power Christ power my grace.

He's talking about grace here grace not just for Salvation for the start of the Christian life. But now continuing Paul is saved already my grace is sufficient not only for salvation but for Sanctification.

Why is it sufficient. Because my power Christ power? In our weakness in our current weakness in our progressive Sanctification. So therefore when we come to that realization that we're not by the performance treadmill in our sanctifying Life here on earth, but it's by Christ sufficient grace then we can say of course the context in the midst of the thorn and the trials that Paul was facing.

Then we can say like Paul. I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses. There's that same term again. I mean boasting if you just did a topical study on boasting. We're supposed to boast in the cross, right?

Galatians 6 was opposed to boast in Christ alone first Corinthians 1 but How many of you when you wake up in the morning say Lord? I'm gonna boast in my weakness today. Now we want to boast in our performance by the sword of our performance.

I've made it in the Christian life now in the last remaining moments. We have I want us to focus on if We succumb to this kind of thinking. What are the negative negative results of running this treadmill of the running the performance treadmill if we're gonna think that?

My Christian life. Yeah, I was saved by grace initially, but now it's based upon the sword of my performance. What are the negative results of this performance treadmill? I'll give you two and then I'll give you some Questions that can kind of you determine what you know, is that me?

Am I on this treadmill? I'll give you some questions for you to consider towards the end to see if you are two results let me give you the first one if you're running the performance treadmill for Your sanctification your progressive sanctification the first negative result is this self-righteousness.

In another book That Jerry wrote co-wrote the book ends of the Christian life. He says this When we respond by resting in the assurance that we're successful enough We harbor self-righteousness not self-righteousness in the sense of The Pharisee in the tax collector that he's talking about the only time by the way where Christ uses the term justified Justification he said who went home justified that day the tax collector because the Pharisee was self-righteous for the sake of salvation.

But here in the context of what bridge is running. He's talking about our progressive serve sanctification. You say you will you might say this about you. You don't know. I I've been I've been a Christian a long time.

I've been walking with God for years. What would Jerry say to that Quote. Even long-standing believers can fall into a similar trap not with regard to our salvation. But with regard to our perception of our standing with God.

Unless we're vigilant about this. We're unlikely to recognize the remnants of self-righteousness in our lives at times. Our approach to God becomes like preparing a resume for a job application. We carefully include all our accomplishments anything that one might present us in a good light and make us more acceptable.

Gradually before we know it our Christian life consists of continually trying to update our spiritual resume to remind God and others of What we've done and not done but in reality the whole of our resume is either sin or filthy rags Isaiah 64 6 so every time we approach God in prayer Or worship or any other spiritual discipline.

We must see our resume only as he sees it overlaid by Christ's perfect resume end quote and again I remind you as he said here not with regard to salvation. But with regard to our standing before God in our sanctification.

It's you would not claim if I asked you. And You are you right before God for eternity because of your own self-righteousness within yourself. We would say no of course not it's a foreign righteousness a righteous outside of myself Philippians 3.

That's Paul's testimony right by faith in Christ not having not having a righteousness of my own. But that which is through faith in Christ the imputed perfect righteousness of Christ, okay? But how about through the rest of your Christian life as you progress in sanctification?

John Owen Puritan gives us great insight listen to this from a book communion with the triune God listen to what Owen writes quote. When we have our quiet times for the day when we have given a tithe we are confident of God's love toward us.

But when our days become crowded and personal devotions end up neglected We start to avoid God same thing that we are under his wrath and anger. We imagine that God is waiting for us to get ourselves together before we again enter his presence.

Such thinking John writes betrays our failure to grasp the security of our union with Christ and the depth of God's love and Consequently disrupts our communion with him. Making God's love contingent on our action is a sad, but common misunderstanding in the church.

Remember a believers union is never in jeopardy. He continues to write for God's love is an eternal love that had no beginning. That shall have no ending that cannot be heightened by an act of ours that cannot be lessened by anything in us.

While our sense of communion with God may fluctuate his love does not grow and diminish. And he finishes this portion with this listen carefully. The wrath of God against the sin of Saints was completely exhausted on the cross.

Do you believe that the wrath of God? For the sin of Saints was completely exhausted on the cross when we say forgiveness of sins. What are we talking about sins past? Present and Future which if I'm not mistaken would seem to refer to our Christian life our progressive sanctification.

Does it not? Freddy go ahead. Yes, that's a good insight. Yes. Sometimes we mistaken the wrath of God because we're not under the wrath of God. We're covered by Christ's blood but Hebrews 12 you're referring to right that whom the Lord loves.

He disciplines and I kind of alluded to that earlier as parents even we do that. We discipline our children. But our love for them is just like Jerry Ohio his love for us is not Contingent upon his blessing on us is not contingent upon our performance.

But yes, there is discipline for those whom he loves exactly. So, how do I know? How can I know? Okay, I'm not clinging to any self-righteousness for salvation. For justification, but am I is there any?

Leftover in my sanctifying Life in my progressive Christian life. Here are some questions. You can ask yourself. If these are true of you, you might be clinging on to some self-righteousness in your Christian life.

Do you live by a list of do's and don'ts is your Christian life do this and or don't do this. Now before I move on these are questions that Jerry poses are not my own. So, uh, these are questions he's written in in his book the book ends of the Christian life can't improve them.

So they're very insightful, but let me say this some of you might be thinking. Okay, and it's a right thought to think. Okay. But what do you mean? I if I'm if I'm gonna live my Christian life by grace.

Does that mean oh. So if I go to you and say so what you've been reading in the Bible lately, oh, you know pastor I Only live by grace. I Don't read my Bible. I live by grace. Well when Paul wouldn't have time to look at it when he when he met with the Ephesian elders and and he exhorted them He said for three years I didn't stop crying night and day for the savage wolves that would come into the church and draw people away from them.

So he told the the Ephesian elders be on your guard for yourself and for the church. Of which the Holy Spirit has made you over she's under the church which Christ bought with his own blood. But you know what his ending part to that we never look at it is in Paul says to them in Acts 20 32 I now commend you to the word of his grace.

He refers to the word as the word of his grace. What is prayer after all? How does the writer of Hebrews talk about prayer. Hebrews for? The throne of. What grace the Puritans and early reformers used to refer to the disciplines as the disciplines of grace?

So if I am relying on God if I'm not in the Word of God I'm I'm living by the sweat of my Performance because I'm not relying on the grace of God that I need through the scripture if I'm not in prayer my spiritual breath I'm relying on my own performance for the Christian life because I'm not drawing on the throne of grace.

So that's one question to ask who I live by. List of do's and don'ts for self righteousness. Another question. Do you assume that practicing spiritual disciplines should result in God's blessing. In other words is a cause-and-effect relationship.

Third question. Do you resent it when others point out your spiritual blind spots? How about if it's your wife who does that? Do you readily recognize the sin of others. But not your own. Which is really an immature thing.

I think I know with with my children, you know, I I have a policy I've told them I said when you come to me, I don't want you to tell me what your sister did wrong. I don't want to hear about it. I Want to hear what you did wrong?

And then they said to me. Well, how are you gonna know what you my assistant did to me? I'll find out from her but she's not gonna tell you anyway, that's my concern not your concern. We do that's something we've picked up as children.

Oh, but do you know? Last question. Do you seldom think of the cross? Not for salvation. But for your sanctification. Second result besides self-righteous if you're running the performance treadmill the other end of the spectrum of Self-righteous is this persistent guilt.

Jerry puts it this way quote when we respond with anxiety over the inadequacy of our performance. We harbor persistent guilt. We saw if it's all about performance and we haven't performed where we think we ought to be performing.

I Got to do better. I got to do it longer. I got to do it deeper. Then there's a sense of guilt. I Love this interesting scenario. Bob George in a book called classic Christianity talks about what he refers to as the phantom Christian.

It's funny. But it's true unfortunately many times he says this. There's a certain mindset that is especially destructive called the phantom Christian. The phantom Christian is that imaginary person that many of us are continually comparing ourselves to?

He is the super spiritual man who gets up every day 4 a .m. So he can pray for four hours. Then he reads his Bible for four hours. So let's let's do the math for 4 to 8. He's praying 8 to noon. He's reading the Bible doesn't stop there.

He goes to work at which he is top in his field where he effectively shares Christ with everyone in his office. He teaches several Bible studies goes to church every time the doors are open and serves on several committees.

He is also a wonderful spiritual leader at home a Sterling example of a loving husband and father who leads stimulating family devotions every day for his Proverbs 31. Wife and perfect children end quote.