PRACTICAL TRUTHS by Roy McEwen

HOW GOOD & BAD BEHAVIOUR are enemies of Spiritual Authority

Roy McEwen Praying.Works T o say we are living in interesting times is an understatement! The status quo is being overturned. The voiceless are given a voice. Darkness in every area of life is being exposed. Light is being shone into every aspect of life.

Leaders in political and religious life are struggling for answers to life’s challenges today. If you feel bewildered at times, I don’t blame you; however, be encouraged.

The status quo of ‘good behaviour’ is being overthrown in our generation, and it’s very uncomfortable for many people, because it’s their anchor.

For hundreds of years, people holding forms of power on earth have used good behaviour as the measure of what’s acceptable and what’s unacceptable.

We are seeing the very people who publicly disciplined others over their bad behaviour being publicly disciplined themselves by the Great I AM for their own very bad behaviour.

A spiritual light is being shone on the clergy of all denominations - the epitome of good behaviour - and many are being found wanting.

Even in our evangelical movement, God is shining that light, exposing good behaviour as filthy rags. God is revealing how good behaviour is the enemy of spiritual authority.

Where spiritual authority is fearless, good behaviour is fearful. Fear of making mistakes that - in their minds - will incur the wrath of God. This is a lie from the enemy, though, because who in the Bible, except Jesus, never made a mistake?

Of course God will punish sin 100% - this isn’t in question - but good behaviour itself is a very sinful thing. Being a spiritual person in the Bible does not look like ‘good behaviour’.

What do Abraham, Moses, Joseph, David, Jacob and Mary all have in common? Their spiritual authority was not based on the appearance of good behaviour.

Abraham was worshipping idols when God promised him the greatest honour imaginable. Moses had the blood of an Egyptian on his hands when he was asked to lead God’s people from slavery to worship. Joseph went from prison to prime minister with an accusation of rape on his record.

Are you getting the picture? Good behaviour was never and is never the marker of spiritual authority. In fact, good behaviour can be the enemy of spiritual authority.

When the highest authority within the kingdom of Israel was being bestowed, Mr Jesse completely forgot about his ruffian son. In fact, even the prophet Samuel, on seeing Jesse’s first son, was convinced this was the ‘Lord’s anointed’ (his words).

David was not an example of good behaviour, but he received the mantel of spiritual authority to take the land and establish the throne of God in Israel.

Mary was put in a perilous situation; she became pregnant before marriage - literally a death sentence. Hence Joseph, a man of peace, wanted to put her away ‘silently’. One word out of turn from Joseph, one slip of the lip… and Mary would have been dead. Literally. Everyone used mightily by God at the outset were not examples of ‘good behaviour’, but they became mighty examples of spiritual authority.

An evil, inherent in good behaviour, is that the heart never needs to change -just make continuous adjustments in behaviour to ensure they always ‘look’ right. Jesus our Christ was made of no repute, taking on the sins of the world – past, present and future. His behaviour towards Levitical priests and those in power at the time appeared bad. Even to many who followed Him, His behaviour wasn’t as they expected.

Today, many of us focus on good behaviour at the expense of a spiritual heart. God reminds us that while men look at the outward behaviour, He looks at the heart.

After reading God’s Word, do you find yourself asking: How do we outwork that? (Or similar). Well, STOP! The question should be: How can my heart’s desires be changed to desire what Jesus would desire?

In Psalm 139:23-24, the Psalmist asks God to search and check his heart - not his behaviour.

I love how Psalm 1:1 (NIV) reads: ‘Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked, or stand in the way that sinners take, or sit in the company of mockers…’

A ‘good behaviour’ person reads this and decides: I won’t walk with wicked people or be found in the same way as sinners, and I won’t sit with mockers. Reasonable? In the flesh, yes.

But to maintain good behaviour requires you to judge people - something we are commanded NOT to do. Good behaviour requires a judgemental spirit, which is an evil spirit.

So, whose heart does God want our hearts to be aligned to? His!!! This is the key: good behaviour is what is left when there’s no heart connection with God.

Let’s engage God with our hearts, and worry less about how our behaviour appears to men, because men can’t help but look at the outward. Let’s be like Jesus and embrace our spiritual authority, knowing it is not going to look acceptable to men but to God. Be encouraged. Everyone used mightily by God at the outset were not examples of ‘good behaviour’, but they became mighty examples of spiritual authority.