When Are We Going To Deal With It?
When did Grandma turn into an ax murderer?
Perhaps you have known or know of an elderly person who has been a pleasant person all their life and then suddenly experience a severe shift in personality. This can be shocking. A man in his 70s told me that his dear wife “would never say $#@! even if she had a mouth full of it”. All of a sudden one day she starting saying profanities and curses. She had been the sweetest old lady. It seemed that one day she turned into an ax murderer. The doctors had medical explanations for her condition. Barring any demonic activity, there could be another reason.
From childhood we are taught to control our behavior. This is a good thing to be able to function in a family or function in society. We would like to steal but the threat of possible imprisonment gives us the capability to restrain ourselves. We would like to get in bed with the neighbor's wife but the memory of him cleaning his shotgun on the back porch on weekends helps us to resist the idea. We feel like angrily shouting at someone but experience has taught us that they often are able to think up much worse insults than we can. This history with people can give us the strength to hold it in and not say anything audible.
When old age comes upon us, often these tendencies are more difficult to control. We cannot find the psychological energy to harness these impulses. And we just don't care anymore. The inhibitions that enabled us to function in earlier years are not there anymore. The real person comes out for all to see (and hear).
When did Grandma become an ax murderer? That's the wrong question. When did an ax murderer become a grandmother? I can answer that one. When time happened. The simple passing of time brought the person to this latter season of life. It weakened the inhibitions and the real person came to the surface.
Help! I don't want that to happen to me. Interestingly, it does not seem to happen to everyone. Some kind, young people become even kinder old people. Why the difference? Some people have learned to modify and control the outer appearance. Others have learned to
...be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, (Rom 12:2)
This takes place (or fails to take place) in the inner man where no one sees and no one knows. It is when we exchange our naturally occurring thoughts and impulses for what God says in the Holy Scriptures. It happens when we repent and turn from the very thought and motive of evil in our hearts. So, when are we going to do that? When are we going to deal with it?
When? There are several options that appear to be available.
Never. This option seems to be very popular. We just decide to live like the neighbor's dog. We can let appetites and impulses drive us and run our lives.
Too late. Perhaps many will wait until weakness overtakes us and we feel ourselves beginning to lose control over our words and actions. The problem here is that when we try to control behavior in old age we will not be have the strength to keep up appearances in front of others. Nor will we even desire to.
Rapture. We are told that our transformation will be
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Cor 15:52)
I have some good news and some bad news. Big changes are coming. We are promised a new resurrection body like that of Jesus' body (except for degree of “brightness” v. 41, 42). One little problem. This is talking about the resurrection body, not the inner person (v. 42). When are we going to deal with that?
Purgatory. This is the idea that we will soak in fire for a certain amount of time to have the hell burned out of us. There is no Biblical support for this idea. This was a financial scam invented by the Medieval church to raise money. No amount of suffering could pay for sins. No human payment could match the work of Jesus at the cross.
Judgment seat. We Believers must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ to have our life and service evaluated by Jesus. We are told that
Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. (1Cor 3:13)
Here we see that fire reveals. It does not heal. It does not transform anything. It is too late to make any course corrections. It is too late to make any changes. Those who are in Christ are never condemned. The fire just reveals what is inside of our soul.
When are we going to deal with anger, secret evil desires, inferiority, superiority, and such things?
Now! This is the only real option. While we have relative strength, we need to turn from all things that oppose the will of God. We need to arrive in the presence of the Lord, having decided to turn away from that which is against His nature. We must deal with the root of bitterness and anger now.
We cannot save ourselves but by the help of God we can allow Him to reveal our faults now instead of when it is too late.
Dec. 25, 2024