Grace Devotional Study & Journaling Prompt
In 2 Tim chapter 3 the Apostle Paul tells us that within Christendom there will be believers who become narcissistic because they have walked away from the grace message.
He says in 2 Tim 3, speaking about what happens to the church when they turn to legalistic teachings, "For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
All of these traits are what psychologists might call narcissism. A narcissist isn't just someone who is excessively interested in themselves, they are also people who are not capable of fully loving others or of having empathy for others. In other words, they are INSENSITIVE.
Paul also says that these people will have a seared consciousness. 1 Tim 4: 1-3 "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith [leaving the grace message], giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats [they turned to legalistic teachings], which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth."
Unbelievers are spiritually lost in their trespasses and sins and Paul explains what unbelievers are like in Romans chapter 1, but for a believer to have a seared conscience means that something has happened to cause them to become narcissistic. Believers should have a lot of sympathy, empathy, compassion as well as charity [see 1 Cor 13], especially for the lost. Our sympathy, empathy and compassion for the lost compells us to share the gospel (a charitable act) with others. It will also compell us to help fellow believers to grow spiritually in the truth. It is through Gods spirit living in us and the teachings of grace (sound grace doctrine from the Holy Bible rightly divided) that we develop these spiritual gifts in our inner man. We can only grow spiritually through the word.
With sympathy we understand intellectually what it's like to have been spiritually lost at one time or caught up in legalistic teachings. With empathy you remember what it feels like to be spiritually lost or what it felt like trying to keep the law for your salvation before you learned about grace. Compassion is when you desire to have that person come to know Jesus and the grace message. And charity, which is the greatest gift of all, is when you share the gospel with them so that if they choose to believe it, they can be saved.
We develop all of these gifts by reading Gods word rightly divided, which teaches us about the origin of the sin nature, who we were before salvation, what Christ did for us so that if we simply BELIEVE the gospel (1 Cor 15:1-4) we can be saved, who we are now as believers, how to live godly, etc. The gift of charity is the result of having studied and believed sound grace doctrine.
So what is it that causes a believer to become the opposite of this? Legalism.
As we leave the doctrines of grace, we become increasingly less charitable, empathic, sympathetic, loving, kind, compassionate and gracious towards others. We then become more susceptible to other worldly teachings as well, which hardens us even more. It becomes all about what we can GET rather than what we can give. We then no longer focus on the love of God and His grace, but begin to focus more on our self-effort and trying to appear to look a certain way that fits in with an increasingly narcissistic world. We are no longer SENSITIVE to the greatest needs of others, which is to be saved and learn sound grace doctrine.
There are religious narcissists, like the Pharisees were, within the church who appear to be doing good, but are actually completely insensitive to the deepest needs of others (salvation and then edification) and they merely desire control, fame, fortune and self gratification.
Paul tells us to stick with grace. It might not make you popular to be more sensitive [referring to a healthy sensitivity] in an insensitive world, but it will bring glory to God and keep you from developing a seared conscience.
2 Tim 3: "But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned [the grace message] and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them."
Journaling Prompt: Find one of your favorite grace verses, write it in your journal and meditate upon it. Then ask yourself how you can share this message of grace with others today through words and/or deeds.
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