Your Motivations Are Not Your Master (Lk 6:46)

Resolved:  That sinful motivations ought not  keep one from obedience to Jesus

   Paul commands the Christians in Rome to present their members as slaves to righteousness rather than slaves to sin.  Like the Christians of Paul’s time, we understand that the fight to present our members as slaves to righteousness is difficult.  It is difficult for the flesh is both compelling and crafty.  Like Satan, the flesh will even use God’s written Word to pit the Christian against his Master.     

     One of the most crafty methods the flesh uses to pit the Christian against his Master is an over-preoccupation with his own motives.  What do I mean by this?  A Christian is overly preoccupied with his own motives when his own motives keep him from submitting to the direct commands of the Lord Jesus.  Practically, this looks like a Christian deciding not to be baptized because he knows that in his flesh he desires to be seen and admired by men.  This also looks like a Christian not serving in a specific capacity or not sharing the gospel with one's neighbor because he feels he might fuel his sense of self-righteousness.    

     At first glance, this refusal to go through with an action out of awareness of wicked motives seems good, but some simple questions shed light on the actual state of things.  If Jesus were to appear before the one who waited to be baptized and say, "Go. Be baptized." and the believer responded, "I would, but I am aware of wicked motives in my heart." would the Christian then be submitting to his Master or arguing with his Master? - he would be arguing.  Is it a slave’s place to argue with his Master? - No!  The presence of sinful motives is not grounds for disobedience. For the one who asks, "What then is the Christian to do with his sinful motives?" look on and see the purifying effect of submission.    
     The Christian who submits to Christ, even in the presence of his own sinful motives, purifies his motives.  Using the illustration above, if Jesus were to appear before the one who waited to be baptized and say, “Go. Be baptized.” and the Christian, though he is aware of his sinful motives said, “Yes; Lord.  Your will be done.”  Would he then be acting out of sinful motives or a desire to please his Master?  His actions would no longer be driven by sinful motives but by the desire to submit to the good, pleasing, and perfect will of his Master.     

     We must remember that it is not about whether or not the motivations of the flesh are present, but rather, which Master we choose to present ourselves to.  It is not about us or the quality of our motivations;  it is about our Master, His glory, and His good, pleasing, and perfect will. 

If you find something that you think is  iffy in this note, or any note I post for that matter, please feel free to point it out.