Luke 14:11 “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Sometimes Jesus’ teaching just seems like common sense, but that just shows how uncommon common sense is! It also explains why you get a lot of parallel teaching in various moral religions. Buddhism and Confucianism, for example, have plenty of good teachings in them. However they, and every other religion apart from Christianity, lack a Savior. There are those who try to separate the moral teaching of the Bible from the Person of Jesus Christ, but that removes the foundation for the morality. Human conscience itself is a testimony to our Creator, but unless we acknowledge that Creator, we are on shaky ground indeed. As numbers of people have pointed out, one logical extension of atheism is a total negation of morality. If we are nothing more than collections of atoms/molecules/cells, then there is no basis for saying that one action is better than another, other than survival itself. The only reason someone would seriously espouse such a philosophy is if they are trying to avoid accountability to their Creator, and that is a logical fallacy if ever there was one. If all we had was accountability, however, life would be fearful indeed, because we all slip up countless times. The unique, the crowning feature of Christian faith is that God provided the ultimate “escape clause,” so to speak, by sending His Son to take the penalty for our sin. John nailed it in his first letter as he talked about sin, confession, and forgiveness, wrapping it up by saying, “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2 )

This is of course why I am in Japan, to tell people about this incredible plan of God to reconcile the world to Himself. (2 Corinthians 5:19) It is senseless of approach the Japanese on the basis of moral teaching, because they have plenty of it. The average Japanese is probably more polite than the average American. Jesus’ teaching on humbling yourself, as in this verse, is already ingrained in Japanese culture. However, Japanese culture doesn’t have a Savior, and there is no one on the face of the earth who doesn’t need one. As I have been reminded several times recently, I didn’t come to Omura to teach a religion, I came to introduce the Lord Jesus Christ. I’ve got to keep that in focus, living a moral life certainly, but not inviting people to become Christians on the basis of morality, but rather on the sole foundation of Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:11)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me have renewed focus and anointing as I share Christ with those around me, so that as many as will may open their hearts to receive Your full salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!