Rejecting compliments with "I'm not worthy" is an insult to god who gave us life as well as gifts?

[Hearingheart]

1) God created you and I, so that act alone means that he felt that we were worthy enough to be his creations.

2) That He chose to die for us as an atonement for our sins is also because He thought us to be so worthy of salvation and thereby eternal life.

3) He also gave us various gifts, talents and abilities.

Therefore, when Christians decry any compliment with the statement, "I'm not worthy," is that not a slap in the face of God?

When a christian is being very helpful and kind, do we not say "thank you" to them or tell them "well done", and then they graciously say, "thank you?"

There is something arrogant in refusing to accept a compliment, something self-righteous....and it seems like a slam to the person doing the complimenting!

I feel slapped, hearing this response, like I've been corrected and put in my place.

How awkward and shame based is this kind of thinking.

I'm struggling to figure out if I am accurate in this assessment or not, as I just cannot fathom teaching a child to not accept any compliment at all.

Do we not encourage each other or not encourage each other in life?

If someone were to compliment me or something I did, I would thank them and then add "to God be the glory, right?" with a smile. It takes the focus off of me and onto God.

An encouragement from someone is a gift that they are giving to me and I'm always grateful for the kindness. Adding God is good and the glory goes to God or something along those lines acknowledges our dependence on Him and puts the focus off of ourselves.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

I agree with you, except the Word says that He did struggle with the same temptations that we do. Of course He didn't ever sin, and there was no sin in Him. But He was made fully human in every way. Hebrews 2:17 He even had the fear of death, as shown in the Garden.

I disagree. He was not fully human in every way because His soul and spirit are of the eternal triune Godhead. This is why He could not be tempted. Scripture says God cannot be tempted by sin (James 1:13). Jesus is 100% God so there is no way there was any chance that He considered in doing evil.

Jesus is holy, and separate from sinners.

“For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;”
(Hebrews 7:26).

Somebody who is truly holy and separate from sinners cannot be tempted to sin.

Re-read Hebrews 2:17 in the KJV. It says he was “made like unto his brethren.”

“Made LIKE unto his brethren” does not mean an exact replica. Jesus did not have a created soul or spirit. So He was not exactly like His brethren. He was “like” them, but not exactly. He was God on the inside of that body.

2 Peter 2:14 Divine nature is the term that is used in the Bible. But I agree with your point. The devil is a thief, who always twists the things of God.

But the words “divine nature” is something that describes something we can partake in. Jesus cannot partake in the divine nature because His very being eternally is divine in nature already because He is God.

 

[Emli]

I disagree. He was not fully human in every way because His soul and spirit are of the eternal triune Godhead. This is why He could not be tempted. Scripture says God cannot be tempted by sin (James 1:13). Jesus is 100% God so there is no way there was any chance that He considered in doing evil.

Jesus is holy, and separate from sinners.

“For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;”
(Hebrews 7:26).

Somebody who is truly holy and separate from sinners cannot be tempted to sin.

Re-read Hebrews 2:17 in the KJV. It says he was “made like unto his brethren.”

“Made LIKE unto his brethren” does not mean an exact replica. Jesus did not have a created soul or spirit. So He was not exactly like His brethren. He was “like” them, but not exactly. He was God on the inside of that body.



But the words “divine nature” is something that describes something we can partake in. Jesus cannot partake in the divine nature because His very being eternally is divine in nature already because He is God.

But Jesus was tempted. Hebrews 4:15 Matthew 4:1-11 Mark 1:13 Hebrews 2:18

He just didn't give in to the temptations.

It still says "in all things" or "in every way" was He made like His brethren.

Yes, so then the words "divine nature" applies to Jesus. Because His nature is divine.

 

[Emli]

But Jesus was tempted. Hebrews 4:15 Matthew 4:1-11 Mark 1:13 Hebrews 2:18

He just didn't give in to the temptations.

It still says "in all things" or "in every way" was He made like His brethren.

Yes, so then the words "divine nature" applies to Jesus. Because His nature is divine.

This is off topic though. We should end this conversation in this thread. It probably doesn't help the OP.

 

[W2L]

This man felt unworthy, yet the Lord said he had greater faith in all of israel.

Matthew 8:8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!

 

[Bible Highlighter]

But Jesus was tempted. Hebrews 4:15 Matthew 4:1-11 Mark 1:13 Hebrews 2:18

He just didn't give in to the temptations.

It still says "in all things" or "in every way" was He made like His brethren.

Yes, so then the words "divine nature" applies to Jesus. Because His nature is divine.

Christ was tempted externally and not internally.

Let me illustrate an example for you.

Let's say I was walking along the park and a shady looking character opens up his trench coat and says he has some hot watches that he just recently acquired that he would like to sell me. Okay, now it wouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that these watches were probably stolen, so I would just tell him,

"No thank you."

Now, in retrospect, I could say that this shady character was tempting me. Yet in no way was I interested at all. So one can say a person was tempted by another without them having no interest in the part of the temptation given.

Hebrews 4:15 - "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."

Christ was tempted LIKE as we are. For the word "like" is used to compare something to another (or in making a parallel to something similar). The greek word "κατά" is linked to he Greek word "ταὐτά" in Luke 6:23, which is also transliterated as the word "like".

http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/...gs=G2596&t=KJV

Click on full entry for the reference of Luke 6:23 (i.e. Luk. vi 23.)

So we have to ask the question, if he was tempted as we are, then why did He not sin? Was it because He was a good and perfect person? Was it because He was created as a demi god or an angel? Was it because He had a certain portion of the divinity of God? No, most certainly not. He did not sin because He was God Almighty 100%. He did not sin because He could not be tempted. Yes, he was tempted like we are in the sense that He was in our place. But that was it; For the parallel stops there. For the Scriptures do not say that Christ was tempted EXACTLY like we are. The Bible simply uses the word "like" which can be used to make a comparison of something.

In other words, lets say you ran into that same shady character trying to sell you one of his hot watches that he had try to sell to me and you refused him (with the same line of thinking that he was a crook). Now, later after you told me what happened, I could then say, "Oh yes. I believe I was tempted by the same guy."

Does that mean either of us were tempted? No. Of course not.

Christ was in our place. He was tempted as we were but was without sin because He was God. For we have a God who can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities unlike a high priest back in the Old Testament. He knows how we feel!

For what did Jesus say about adultery? He said, that even if you look upon a woman in lust you have already committed adultery in your heart. So that means that any bad thoughts by Jesus in wanting to think about sinning would have been the same thing as actually sinning.

So is human flesh enough to overcome the Son of God? I don't think so. God is so much more stronger, powerful, and good than many people think He is. For Jesus did not sin because He was God Almighty in the flesh.

In fact, Jesus still has a physical body today that intercedes on our behalf; And He still will never sin ever because He is God.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

But Jesus was tempted. Hebrews 4:15 Matthew 4:1-11 Mark 1:13 Hebrews 2:18

He just didn't give in to the temptations.

It still says "in all things" or "in every way" was He made like His brethren.

Yes, so then the words "divine nature" applies to Jesus. Because His nature is divine.

For can you be tempted by something if you have no desire in the thing being tempted? In other words, for me to be tempted, I have to have a desire for that thing I am being tempted by. Wrong desire is lust. Jesus says if you lust after a woman, you have committed adultery already in your heart with her. So lust is bad.

In fact, we know that Jesus could never have lusted (or had wrong desire). For the Scriptures say,

1 John 2:16
"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."

Jesus and the Father are one (John 10:30). So if there is no lust in the Father, there cannot be any lust in the Son.

Genesis 3:6
"And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be DESIRED [lust] to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat."

For every man when he is TEMPTED, is drawn away by his own LUST.

James 1:14
"But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed."

Jesus was not tempted because Jesus did not have LUST. He was the Holy Son of God and sinless.

 

[Jesus_is_our_Lord]

1) God created you and I, so that act alone means that he felt that we were worthy enough to be his creations.

2) That He chose to die for us as an atonement for our sins is also because He thought us to be so worthy of salvation and thereby eternal life.

3) He also gave us various gifts, talents and abilities.

Therefore, when Christians decry any compliment with the statement, "I'm not worthy," is that not a slap in the face of God?

When a christian is being very helpful and kind, do we not say "thank you" to them or tell them "well done", and then they graciously say, "thank you?"

There is something arrogant in refusing to accept a compliment, something self-righteous....and it seems like a slam to the person doing the complimenting!

I feel slapped, hearing this response, like I've been corrected and put in my place.

How awkward and shame based is this kind of thinking.

I'm struggling to figure out if I am accurate in this assessment or not, as I just cannot fathom teaching a child to not accept any compliment at all.

Do we not encourage each other or not encourage each other in life?

I do agree with you. In the Bible, it says that people will receive crowns for their earthly lives. If they were not worthy, certainly the most perfect Judge would not give them a reward.

 

[Kit Sigmon]

1) God created you and I, so that act alone means that he felt that we were worthy enough to be his creations.

2) That He chose to die for us as an atonement for our sins is also because He thought us to be so worthy of salvation and thereby eternal life.

3) He also gave us various gifts, talents and abilities.

Therefore, when Christians decry any compliment with the statement, "I'm not worthy," is that not a slap in the face of God?

When a christian is being very helpful and kind, do we not say "thank you" to them or tell them "well done", and then they graciously say, "thank you?"

There is something arrogant in refusing to accept a compliment, something self-righteous....and it seems like a slam to the person doing the complimenting!

I feel slapped, hearing this response, like I've been corrected and put in my place.

How awkward and shame based is this kind of thinking.

I'm struggling to figure out if I am accurate in this assessment or not, as I just cannot fathom teaching a child to not accept any compliment at all.

Do we not encourage each other or not encourage each other in life?

I don't believe the person is intentionally being arrogant... it's the teaching they
have received that a believer is to be humble and not think more highly of themselves than they should.
It be all too easy for a believer to become puffed up/proud of what they can do,
we have seen this when talented christians gets many praises, awards and money, they drift off into the world. One such person be shacked up with his girlfriend and
they have a child, he's making movies with watered down gospel, joined himself to other ungodly people that he regularly hangs out with and praises their projects that don't honor the Lord...all this from a man who once proclaimed "I know I've been changed"... but that was before he was rich and famous.

 

[Dave-W]

God doesn't love people, he loves righteousness. What happens to each of us is largely irrelevant

That is patently unbiblical. Anti-biblical even.

For God so loved the world ...

The world is not righteous, but it is full of people.

 

[Dave-W]

There is a good way we can measure if what we are showing is true humility and devotion to God, or false humility and devotion to self.

"Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man." Luke 6:22

"Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets." Luke 6:26

So if you see a brother or sister really being used by God in some way and you are blessed by it, you are supposed to hate and insult them?

 

[Bible Highlighter]

I do agree with you. In the Bible, it says that people will receive crowns for their earthly lives. If they were not worthy, certainly the most perfect Judge would not give them a reward.

The 24 elders cast their crowns down before Jesus.

 

[Dave-W]

I do not believe Jesus had the same flesh and blood nature (that we struggled with). I know there are verses in Hebrews that suggests this, but I believe those verses are talking about external temptation and not internal temptation.

Then you call the writer of Hebrews a liar. It say He was tempted in all ways as we are, yet without sin.

All ways. Internal, external, or any other way.

 

[Emli]

So if you see a brother or sister really being used by God in some way and you are blessed by it, you are supposed to hate and insult them?

That is the opposite of what I am saying. The point I was making is that someone who is being used by God will suffer persecution from those who do not love God.

If God is using someone to bless me, I will praise God and encourage them. And vice versa. If I am being used by God to bless someone, they should encourage me and praise God.

But it will offend a lot of people.

 

[Dave-W]

The 24 elders cast their crowns down before Jesus.

Should we all be screaming at them that they are good fo nothing sinners and should have never been given crowns in the first place?

 

[Jesus_is_our_Lord]

The 24 elders cast their crowns down before Jesus.

Only 24 elders. But billions upon billions will receive rewards.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

So if you see a brother or sister really being used by God in some way and you are blessed by it, you are supposed to hate and insult them?

No we are to praise God for the good He is doing in their lives.

 

[Dave-W]

That is the opposite of what I am saying. The point I was making is that someone who is being used by God will suffer persecution from those who do not love God.

If God is using someone to bless me, I will praise God and encourage them. And vice versa. If I am being used by God to bless someone, they should encourage me and praise God.

But it will offend a lot of people.

I have been thanked and complimented by other Christians at times; and have yelled at them. Some even went away in tears.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Only 24 elders. But billions upon billions will receive rewards.

They are elders because they are leaders or examples.

 

[Jesus_is_our_Lord]

I think, saying "I'm not worthy" is a case of false modesty.