I AM’S IN TWO DIFFERENT KEYS

Last week I noted how, if one truly listens to the intended meaning of Scripture and then listens to the popular Motivational Gospel of Self-help/Self-esteem, one would find the Motivational Gospel as out of key with Scripture as a saxophone playing in G while a piano was being played in Eb. Take a message of one of those most famous American preachers today and listen to it next to a message of Jesus. Someone is out of key—and it’s not Jesus. Let me give you a specific example: One part of the Motivational Gospel is an encouragement for people to confess and declare—in exaggerated positive terms—who they are. Congregants at church are encouraged to go through a liturgical litany of “I am” statements. Listen to what the motivational preacher prompts people to say: “I am blessed. I am prosperous. I am successful.” “I am victorious. I am talented. I am creative.” “I am wise. I am healthy. I am in shape.” “I am energetic. I am happy. I am positive.” “I am passionate. I am strong. I am confident.” “I am secure. I am beautiful. I am attractive.” “I am valuable. I am free. I am anointed. I am accepted.” “I am approved. I am prepared. I am qualified.” “I am generous. I am excellent. I am equipped.” “I am empowered. I am well able.” Notice this is a kind of lying. A person is encouraged to declare these things whether or not they are in reality descriptive of that person. But, that’s not the point I’m making. The point is to take these coaxed self-declarations begun with an “I am” and followed by all those positive, elating, self-commendatory descriptions and listen to the music of that message. Now, as that music is playing in your head, listen to the music of the I am’s of the people of God in Scripture: “I AM not worthy of the least of all the mercies…Thou hast shewed.” (Jacob, Gen. 32:10). “I AM the least in my father’s house.” (Gideon, Jdg. 6:15). “I AM undone, a man of unclean lips.” (Isaiah, Isa. 6:5). “I AM not worthy [to unloose His shoe strings]” (John the Baptist, Joh. 1:27). “I AM a sinful man.” (Peter, Luk. 5:8). “I am the least of the apostles.” (Paul, I Cor. 15:9; note also Phi. 3:1-10). “I am a worm” (Psalmist, Psa. 22:6). Now, honestly, was the music of the I am’s encouraged by the motivational preacher even remotely in key with the I am’s of the people of God in Scripture? A qualifier is important: I am not saying one should declare negative things about himself. If a person is saying things like “I am so dumb. I am ugly. I am nothing but a failure. I am worthless. I am #@%*#@,” that is not right nor in tune with the Good News of the Scripture. Never is such a sadistic fixation on how flawed I am right, healthy, or God prompted. Those declarations come from my absorption on my own brokenness, flaws, lack, etc., or are suggestions from satanic voices, or are impressed upon me by some abusive, controlling, or bullying person in my life, or are symptoms of some mental illness. They are just wrong. Never is cutting oneself down right. Neither is it genuine humility but often a form of pride, self-fixation. The difference between such and the examples I quoted above, is that the people in the Bible by stating, “I am____” were responding to how they actually appeared when in the presence of and compared to God. It was the reality of who they were. The music of the motivational message’s I Am’s leaves me wondering, “If I am so good, why do I need Jesus.” The music of the I AM’s of scripture reveals to me just how badly I need Jesus. See, when I am united with Jesus, God looks at me and sees, not my sin, flaws, twistedness, disobediences, etc.” He sees the righteousness of Christ (and begins to make me like Christ). What joy. If I declare all the above I Am’s of how great and whole and complete I am, what need or joy is there in being clothed with Christ’s righteousness—a very inherent ingredient of the True Gospel. What joy in singing, “He is all my righteousness, I stand complete in Him and worship Him.”? In the end, it is not a matter of who I am, but who He is. There is only room for one “I AM.” (But, that’s another blog.)

I AM’S IN TWO DIFFERENT KEYS

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