"False comparisons" (Study 45)
We asked ourselves what makes a comparison "false", as opposed to "true". A "false comparison" is so if certain things are not meant to be compared in the first place, and this includes aspects of our relationship with the Lord. It is also "false" when the attitude behind wanting to know more about another person is incorrect.
It is certainly not wrong to be concerned about another Christian or to compare ourselves to one another. In fact, when we "stir up one another to love and good works" (Heb 10:24-25), and interact with one another as "iron sharpens iron" (Pr 27:17), comparisons are necessary for our spiritual growth. A certain competetiveness is not unchristian (c.f. Paul's use of this to encourage the Corinthians to give in 2 Cor 9:1-5).
What would be wrong is when comparisons are done because of insecurity, self-gratification of curiosity and a desire to be superior to others.
Busybodies and gossips seek and disseminate knowledge for self-serving pleasure. Their main goal is not the good of the person learned or spoken of. We, being sinful, often have our Christian love and concern for others tainted with the pleasure of knowing for knowing's sake.
Jesus had previously rebuked Peter most severely ("Get behind me, Satan!" (Mt 16:23), so his rebuke in John 21 is mild by comparison. He tells Peter to mind his own business, because there are things that we just should not ask God about when they concern the situation and destiny of others.
Psalm 139 teaches us that God has ordained all the days of our lives, and that He deals with each one of us in full sovereignty and in complete love. Each follower of Christ must therefore be grateful that all we go through will work out for our best. There is no room for comparing our situations with others in a complaining spirit. Romans 12:1-2, on the other hand, teach us to surrender ourselves to God and not to think in a worldly way, but with renewed minds, to grasp God's good and perfect and pleasing will for us as individuals.
2 Cor 10 teaches us Paul's attitude to his critics. He used Christian irony (sarcasam) and rested on the fact (v.18) that he was commended by Christ. There is a place, then, to ignore unjustified criticism because all our hope and strength and security rest on the only One whose opinion matters. Because we are imperfect, though, we need to be humble enough to seek kernels of truth even from unjustified criticism and to try to grow thereby.
We also talked briefly about what it meant to "follow Christ". I said that it meant obedience to His revealed Word so as to conform to His character. We discussed the "What Would Jesus Do" (WWJD) movement. The good thing about this idea is that there is a praiseworthy desire to do what pleases the Lord. The difficulty with execution is that, if our knowledge of Scripture is incomplete, we can use the WWJD idea to justify many foolish things (like approving of sexual sin because "Jesus loves everyone and will forgive them". There is also the truth that we do not have (and will never have) Jesus' role or degree of knowledge and anointed power. His calling on earth was different from ours.
It is certainly not wrong to be concerned about another Christian or to compare ourselves to one another. In fact, when we "stir up one another to love and good works" (Heb 10:24-25), and interact with one another as "iron sharpens iron" (Pr 27:17), comparisons are necessary for our spiritual growth. A certain competetiveness is not unchristian (c.f. Paul's use of this to encourage the Corinthians to give in 2 Cor 9:1-5).
What would be wrong is when comparisons are done because of insecurity, self-gratification of curiosity and a desire to be superior to others.
Busybodies and gossips seek and disseminate knowledge for self-serving pleasure. Their main goal is not the good of the person learned or spoken of. We, being sinful, often have our Christian love and concern for others tainted with the pleasure of knowing for knowing's sake.
Jesus had previously rebuked Peter most severely ("Get behind me, Satan!" (Mt 16:23), so his rebuke in John 21 is mild by comparison. He tells Peter to mind his own business, because there are things that we just should not ask God about when they concern the situation and destiny of others.
Psalm 139 teaches us that God has ordained all the days of our lives, and that He deals with each one of us in full sovereignty and in complete love. Each follower of Christ must therefore be grateful that all we go through will work out for our best. There is no room for comparing our situations with others in a complaining spirit. Romans 12:1-2, on the other hand, teach us to surrender ourselves to God and not to think in a worldly way, but with renewed minds, to grasp God's good and perfect and pleasing will for us as individuals.
2 Cor 10 teaches us Paul's attitude to his critics. He used Christian irony (sarcasam) and rested on the fact (v.18) that he was commended by Christ. There is a place, then, to ignore unjustified criticism because all our hope and strength and security rest on the only One whose opinion matters. Because we are imperfect, though, we need to be humble enough to seek kernels of truth even from unjustified criticism and to try to grow thereby.
We also talked briefly about what it meant to "follow Christ". I said that it meant obedience to His revealed Word so as to conform to His character. We discussed the "What Would Jesus Do" (WWJD) movement. The good thing about this idea is that there is a praiseworthy desire to do what pleases the Lord. The difficulty with execution is that, if our knowledge of Scripture is incomplete, we can use the WWJD idea to justify many foolish things (like approving of sexual sin because "Jesus loves everyone and will forgive them". There is also the truth that we do not have (and will never have) Jesus' role or degree of knowledge and anointed power. His calling on earth was different from ours.
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