2 Kings 14, 2 Chronicles 25

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2 Chronicles 25:14-16 "After Amaziah came from striking down the Edomites, he brought the gods of the men of Seir and set them up as his gods and worshiped them, making offerings to them. Therefore the LORD was angry with Amaziah and sent to him a prophet, who said to him, "Why have you sought the gods of a people who did not deliver their own people from your hand?" But as he was speaking, the king said to him, "Have we made you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?" So the prophet stopped, but said, "I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel."

In today's readings, we read of the King Amaziah. In verse 2 of 2 Chronicles 25 we read,

"And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, yet not with a whole heart."

Yesterday we discussed being half hearted in our obedience to the Lord. Today, we'll focus on having a heart that is not fully for the Lord.

Amaziah had it all. He was the King of Judah, from the royal lineage of David, had wealth and possessions, and yet it was not enough in his mind. He became spiritually proud.

When the prophet of God comes to rebuke Amaziah for worshipping the gods of the Edomites, Amaziah basically tells him to keep quiet.

Amaziah's true character is written in God's Word when Jehoash, the king of Israel tells him,

"You have indeed struck down Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Be content with your glory, and stay at home, for why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you?" (2 Kings 14:10)

Of course, Amaziah did not listen and he was defeated by Jehoash.

Spirtual pride is devastating to the Christian. We can think we have done something, when in reality all the glory and credit should go to God.

The Lord Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount said,

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." (Matthew 5:5)

The Apostle Paul wrote,

"Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall." (1 Corinthians 10:12)

Speaking of Paul, he is a great example of Christian humility. He could have boasted about what he had done. But he knew all that he had done was through the power of God, not by his flesh.

Let's look at how Paul talks about in himself in his epistles.

In the book of Galatians, probably the earliest book written by Paul, Paul introduces himself as an apostle. (Galatians 1:1) Nothing wrong with that, as it is the truth, and perhaps he did this to state the authority by which he was speaking.

Then, in the book of Romans, written probably around 53-55 AD, Paul writes of himself as a servant of Jesus Christ. He no longer is talking about his authority, but about how he is a slave for Christ. (See Romans 6 for more on this theme of slavery to Christ.)

And lastly, in 1 Timothy 1:16, 1 Timothy was one of the last books Paul wrote, Paul calls himself the worst of all sinners. (1 Timothy 1:16)

As Paul grew in Christ, so too did his humility. He relied more and more on Christ and what He had done in His life and what He was yet to do.

None of us has attained full Christian humility in this life. Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:10, tells us what the proper attitude should be of ourselves,

"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain...."

We are not what we were, we should thank God for who we presently are in Christ, and thank Him for what we are to become.

John the Baptist said a saying that is pertinent to all of us today about Christ and how He should be reflected in our lives.

"He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30)

May we all strive to live lives in which ourselves are decreased and Christ is increased.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Today's post was submitted by Russ Shellhamer.