1st Corinthians 13 - the Clanging Cymbal

I've been really thinking a lot lately about how I communicate with people. I don't know that I've always been very good at it. Well, I have to restate that. I KNOW that I haven't always been very good at it. Have I been a clanging cymbal at times. I am sure I have.

1st Corinthians 13 came to my mind today. How can I be more than a clanging cymbal? What I believe matters. What I believe about who HE really is and what HIS work in and through me is, matters. What I do with, or what takes place in me, because of what I purport to believe matters. It comes down, not only to what I believe, but how I submit to what I believe. My problem can be wrong doctrine, as it has been at times in my over 23 year walk with the Messiah. But my problem can also be my holding correct doctrine in my own understanding apart from the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit. This will make the Word ineffective in me and cause me to be a clanging cymbal. And I believe that has been an issue with me at times.

If the doctrine I believe and practice doesn't change me, to be more loving, as the Bible defines loving, more like my indwelling Savior, then there's a problem with that doctrine.

Furthermore, even if the doctrine I believe is accurate, yet there is no change in me, then I'm really not practicing that True Doctrine. I've become no more than a clanging cymbal and what I have to say has no positive effect for God toward others because no righteous change is occurring in me. There have been times that I've been a clanging cymbal. I don't want to be a clanging cymbal. If I'm really submitted to HIM I will be an instrument that is played by HIM to accurately communicate who HE is and HIS love for all men. That's what I want. The reality exists in that I don't want to be a clanging cymbal, but I know that there will be times that I will. What a place of tension.

Truth apart from being submitted to the Spirit of the Messiah leaves me to my own devices and I will not operate in the love of God. God is love and HIS Torah commandments are given to me, and you, out of HIS love for us, and we find life in HIS Torah commandments because of our love for HIM. Then, and only then, is HIS love perfected, or being perfected in and through me toward God and toward one another. I say, "being perfected,," because it isn't a done deal. I, as you, am a work in progress; "HIS workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works that HE prepared beforehand that I/we should walk in them." Grace is a progressive work in the life of one who wants to be like Jesus/Yahshua, because of love for HIM.

Love is keeping HIS commandments. Jesus said so. The entire Book of 1st John is about the relationship between love and God's commandments. It is built upon the simple, profound, foundational commandment that says that HE "shows mercy to thousands who love HIM and keep HIS commandments," and that the greatest commandment (Deuteronomy and echoed by Yahshua when HE came as the Word made flesh) to love Yahweh with all our heart, soul and mind, and to love our neighbor (Leviticus and echoed by Yahshua when HE came as the Word made flesh) as ourselves. Notice John's words that speak of loving our brother and keeping God's commandments. The Torah is all about love and should result in love being perfected progressively in us by the power of the Holy Spirit that indwells us. Love is not a clanging cymbal. When I come to the realization that I'm clanging I need to examine my life and change/repentance must take place.

The commandments are love and If I'm keeping them by grace through faith then Yahweh will cause me to be more loving. If this is not happening then the problem is not with the commandments. The problem is with me. I'm not submitting to the Spirit of Truth who desires to work grace in me, through faith. It's why Hebrews Chapter 8 says that the problem was with THEM, meaning the priests, apart from the Great High Priest Yahshua. When we try to live apart from the Great High Priest, as priests in HIS kingdom, we will be at fault just as they were. It's trying to keep Truth apart from the work of the Spirit. We all struggle with this and we always will while we're on this side. The key is recognizing this fact and praying for more grace and being willing to repent and change.

Repentance/change is what God wants for us. It is the entire reason that Jesus/Yahshua came and died and was resurrected. HIS sacrifice set us free that we might be progressively changed from glory to glory to be like HIM, as we submit to HIS Spirit and HIS Truth. When I submit to HIS Spirit HE will always show me my heart. When I discern, by HIS Spirit, that I'm not loving in my attitude, then the red flag is raised. Danger!!!!!!! Danger!!!!!!! Danger!!!!!! It's time to stop, admit that I have a problem, ask HIM to reveal it, confess it, and repent (stop it!). I have strayed from the Truth and shut off the work of HIS Spirit. When I submit then I'm back on track. That is mercy and grace in operation by the work of HIS Spirit. I'm learning that this is a process that will never end, as long as I live on this side.

If Love, who is God (God is Love) is my Rabbi, Master, Advocate, and Redeemer, whose Spirit indwells me, then I will love with HIS love. HE will love others through me, and I will love others, all the while loving HIM......AND THAT ONLY BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED ME! But I know I won't always attain this, because I'm not always perfectly submitted. But when I find I'm not submitted, I repent, and submit, and HE restores me and HIS progressive work of grace continues. Oh that I would have understood this long ago, and oh that many that I love could come to this understanding.

Through HIS work of grace the love of God will manifest itself in kindness, longsuffering, generosity, and all the qualities listed in 1st Corinthians 13. It will also be willing to speak Truth in Love even when it might be considered harsh by others, but still the heart and tone will be one of love that doesn't want anyone to perish, because that is HIS heart! This is not a clanging cymbal.

It is Jesus (Yahshua) who is the goal of the Law (Torah). It is Yahshua in me that is the goal of Torah. HE is the Living Torah. Yahshua in me, working in and through me is the point.

The main point, as the writer of Hebrew says, is that we have such a High Priest. HE sits upon the Throne of Grace that I might go before with confidence to seek grace to help in time of need. AND HE lives in me. The dunamis "power" of the Almighty Creator of the Universe dwells in me to change me to cause me to walk like HIM! How can I say with any legitimacy that I can't obey HIM or walk as HE walked? Am I denying HIS power in a statement such as that? And would I be denying my flesh existence and be found a liar if I say that I keep HIS commandments perfectly in my practice? The answer is "yes" on both questions.

I have the power of the Creator in me if I'm born again and he is at work, progressively changing me and I will progressively become more like HIM, walking in HIS commandments more faithfully and accurately as I grow in HIM, but experiencing HIS mercy when I fail, and I will! I can't deny the efficacy of HIS Spirit's power and that makes me accountable to HIS commandments, and I can't think too highly of myself, as if I've attained a sinless perfection, because that would be elevating myself to a place that I cannot attain, in and of myself. In either case, denying HIS power, or having given the impression that I've attained, I am found to be a liar.

You see, we all have the same problem. We need to submit to HIS Spirit who will only speak HIS Truth. Only HE can cause me to live out Truth in a loving manner toward HIM and my neighbor. Only HIS love in and through me (The Spirit who is God, who is Love) will cause me to exhibit the Love of God to others and to HIM. Spirit and Truth go together and cannot be separated. It is the Spirit of Messiah who speaks the Truth of God. HE is the Truth. HE is the Spirit of Truth. Faith, hope and love abide after all else is gone. Everything of God is founded in and operates in faith, hope and love. Faith is simply believing God, and proving it by committing to doing it. Hope is confidence in the Torah of God and the work of HIS Holy Spirit in me to accomplish the Father's will. Love is worked out in me by the indwelling Spirit of God, according to what God has said. When all is said and done, it is the work of grace in me that changes me and makes me effective for HIM. Only HE can cause me to be more than a clanging cymbal.