Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked — Revelation 3:17
We humans have a rather bizarre way of assessing ourselves. In terms of our natural self, we tend to assess ourselves rather negatively. We tend to be rather critical of ourselves. We tend to think small of ourselves. We tend to think more of everyone else…and less of ourselves.
In contrast, relative to our spiritual self, we tend to assess ourselves rather positively…and everyone else rather negatively.
It there is sin in our life, we tend to excuse, pardon, and justify it…to the point we nearly turn our sins into virtues.
In contrast, we tend to judge even the smallest hint of wrongdoing in others as a monstrous, dastardly transgression.
The point is, it would do us good to see ourselves as God sees us.
Really think about this…
We can see what each other looks like on the outside. We can see that most of us look normal and healthy.
But, what would we see if our spiritual inner-self…the parts that nobody sees…was manifested in physical form for all to see?
If we were able to see each other as God sees us…if we were able to see the real person hiding behind the designer clothes and the big smiles…what would we see?
Would we appear sick and decrepit…would we appear weak and frail…would we need a wheelchair…all of which was a manifestation of our lack of Bible reading and prayer…a manifestation of our lack of spiritual nourishment?
Would parts of us be missing…illustrating the lack of wholeness in our spiritual personhood?
Would parts of us be rotten, poisoned or bile-filled…representing the negative kinds of feelings we harbor within ourselves towards certain other people?
Would we appear black, vile, and nasty…a manifestation of the sins we partake of and participate in?
Would we appear broken and mangled…as a result of how we have hurt, broken, and mangled other people?
Would we see unhappiness, haggardness, and raggedness…a manifestation of our refusal to fully surrender and submit to God through Jesus Christ?
If we are hiding and harboring sin and unrighteousness inside of ourselves, how might those things appear in a physically manifested form?
Or, is our spiritual and inner man just and righteous…washed in the blood of Jesus Christ…surrendered and submitted completely unto God through Jesus Christ…such that we would appear strong, whole, and healthy…such that we would appear clean, classy, attractive, and desirable?
Again, if we could all see each other’s spiritual inner man manifested in a physical form, what would we see?
This concept of our inner self being manifested externally in physical form is something we should honestly consider within ourselves because our inner person IS in fact what God sees.
And, if our assessment of ourselves…compared to what the Bible teaches…reveals that our inner person manifested externally and physically would not be beautiful, desirable, and healthy, then let’s go ahead and get ourselves cleaned up before God.
cleanse first that which is within…that the outside…may be clean also. — Matthew 23:26
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. — Isaiah 55:7
Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die? — Ezekiel 18:31
Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. — 2 Corinthians 7:1
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hears, ye double minded. — James 4:8