I know people who think Christians think they're better than other people. I know Christians who think that, too. I also know Christians who think they are better than other Christians. I am not guilty of any of this because, well, I'm better than that.
Truthfully, there is nothing more boring than an attitude of superiority. It is SO predictable. Dripping condescension, or silent smugness are both the same sort of thing, and after a nanosecond or two, their entertainment value degrades sharply.
It is extremely difficult to have a real conversation with someone who thinks you are an inferior. They can, after all, discount everything you might say because they think you really don't know what you're talking about. Like I said, BORING. I would much rather engage in a lively interchange with a person who is at least not sure I am an idiot. I can then play the secret interactive game of trying to keep them guessing as to how much of an idiot I really am. The hard part, of course, is keeping the incontrovertible evidence of my idiocy secret. That takes a certain amount of cleverness, or at least that quality commonly referred to as "animal cunning". The best tactic, no doubt stumbled upon soon after the Fall in the Garden, is to say as little as possible.
However, if people really knew what the Bible says about humanity's quality, there would be no room for feeling superior. While we are, for some inexplicable reason, beyond price to our Creator, He makes no bones about the fact that even at our very, very best, we are complete idiots (Isa 64:6).
Let me go even further along these lines. Idiocy implies a level of innocence, You really can't blame an idiot for being an idiot because they ARE an idiot. If they knew better, they wouldn't BE an idiot. Even an idiot knows that much. But the Bible declares unmistakably that mankind's idiocy is not innocent at all. It is in fact, WILLFUL. You, me and all our idiot friends and relatives are WILLFULLY ignorant (Ps 73:22, 2Pe 3:5, Jude 10). Understanding what Scripture says about us AND having any sort of feeling of superiority is logically impossible. It is the quintessential oxymoron, a mutually exclusive proposition. Only an idiot would be able to entertain such a thought. Oh wait…
In fact, the more you understand how God looks at us, the more ridiculous any kind of SELF-righteousness, or SELF-esteem becomes. At bottom, our stubborn insistence and inclination to feel good about ourselves flies in the face of all revealed facts. But that doesn't appear to matter. Despite massive evidence to the contrary, we WILL think we are better than we are. We are experts at self-justification and moral cover-up. One moment we can be completely broken about what miserable slugs we are, and the next we can be up and about as if pond scum has a RIGHT to a MacDonald's Happy Meal. (Yes, I am well aware that the world thinks we all need even healthier doses of self-esteem than we are already naturally gorged with, but, given the facts, that is just too idiotic to even take seriously.)
Here's what the Bible says about us:
As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:10-18, NKJV).
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (Romans 1:18-25, NKJV).
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21, NKJV).
The BOTTOM LINE IS THIS: while it may be understandable for a non-Christian to harbor a feeling of superiority because they don't know the truth, it is INEXCUSABLE for a well-taught Christian to do so. Whatever good we have or do is through God. Whatever value we possess is His gift. Paul says it best, "O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24, NKJV).
The truly amazing thing is this: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8, NKJV).
Truthfully, there is nothing more boring than an attitude of superiority. It is SO predictable. Dripping condescension, or silent smugness are both the same sort of thing, and after a nanosecond or two, their entertainment value degrades sharply.
It is extremely difficult to have a real conversation with someone who thinks you are an inferior. They can, after all, discount everything you might say because they think you really don't know what you're talking about. Like I said, BORING. I would much rather engage in a lively interchange with a person who is at least not sure I am an idiot. I can then play the secret interactive game of trying to keep them guessing as to how much of an idiot I really am. The hard part, of course, is keeping the incontrovertible evidence of my idiocy secret. That takes a certain amount of cleverness, or at least that quality commonly referred to as "animal cunning". The best tactic, no doubt stumbled upon soon after the Fall in the Garden, is to say as little as possible.
However, if people really knew what the Bible says about humanity's quality, there would be no room for feeling superior. While we are, for some inexplicable reason, beyond price to our Creator, He makes no bones about the fact that even at our very, very best, we are complete idiots (Isa 64:6).
Let me go even further along these lines. Idiocy implies a level of innocence, You really can't blame an idiot for being an idiot because they ARE an idiot. If they knew better, they wouldn't BE an idiot. Even an idiot knows that much. But the Bible declares unmistakably that mankind's idiocy is not innocent at all. It is in fact, WILLFUL. You, me and all our idiot friends and relatives are WILLFULLY ignorant (Ps 73:22, 2Pe 3:5, Jude 10). Understanding what Scripture says about us AND having any sort of feeling of superiority is logically impossible. It is the quintessential oxymoron, a mutually exclusive proposition. Only an idiot would be able to entertain such a thought. Oh wait…
In fact, the more you understand how God looks at us, the more ridiculous any kind of SELF-righteousness, or SELF-esteem becomes. At bottom, our stubborn insistence and inclination to feel good about ourselves flies in the face of all revealed facts. But that doesn't appear to matter. Despite massive evidence to the contrary, we WILL think we are better than we are. We are experts at self-justification and moral cover-up. One moment we can be completely broken about what miserable slugs we are, and the next we can be up and about as if pond scum has a RIGHT to a MacDonald's Happy Meal. (Yes, I am well aware that the world thinks we all need even healthier doses of self-esteem than we are already naturally gorged with, but, given the facts, that is just too idiotic to even take seriously.)
Here's what the Bible says about us:
As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:10-18, NKJV).
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (Romans 1:18-25, NKJV).
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21, NKJV).
The BOTTOM LINE IS THIS: while it may be understandable for a non-Christian to harbor a feeling of superiority because they don't know the truth, it is INEXCUSABLE for a well-taught Christian to do so. Whatever good we have or do is through God. Whatever value we possess is His gift. Paul says it best, "O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24, NKJV).
The truly amazing thing is this: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8, NKJV).
