The minister of God’s Word is a servant of God to God’s people who has been called to teach and remind, to rebuke and comfort, to bring God’s Word again to the worshippers that they might be more and more sanctified, more and more conformed into the image of Christ. As a minister I can confirm that this is a noble, and necessary, and needling work. By needling I mean pointing and pushing the sharp end of the needle into the sin spots.
I admit that I do sometimes take for granted that among us there is a certain sort of familiarity with the mirror of God’s Word. And though my goal is to be more clear than clever, I do sometimes try to say things in different ways than are familiar so that we don’t take for granted our responsibility to God’s Word. Even when I may be less direct, I pray that wouldn’t be a distraction but rather a help to see better.
I have an growing bald spot that currently can’t be seen straight on. I have to get a couple mirrors angled the right way to get an idea. The bald spot is not sinful, but spiritual blind spots could be. Are you looking in the mirror of the Word in such a way that ignores what needs fixing?
Some among us are doing that. And whatever the sin, it is a greater danger to deceive ourselves in Jesus’ name.
Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror, for he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets that he was like. (James 1:22-24)
Are you disrespecting your parents? Are you bad-mouthing someone who is working harder than you that you’re envious of? Are you taking offense, angrily, without even thinking about love? Are you lying? This is not how you have learned Christ. That is not the image you are being saved unto.