We have renounced the hidden things of shame . . . —2 Corinthians 4:2
Have you “renounced the hidden things of shame” in your life—the
things that your sense of honor or pride will not allow to come into the
light? You can easily hide them. Is there a thought in your heart about
anyone that you would not like to be brought into the light? Then
renounce it as soon as it comes to mind—renounce everything in its
entirety until there is no hidden dishonesty or craftiness about you at
all. Envy, jealousy, and strife don’t necessarily arise from your old
nature of sin, but from the flesh which was used for these kinds of
things in the past (see Romans 6:19 and 1 Peter 4:1-3). You must maintain continual watchfulness so that nothing arises in your life that would cause you shame.
“. . . not walking in craftiness. . .” (2 Corinthians 4:2).
This means not resorting to something simply to make your own point.
This is a terrible trap. You know that God will allow you to work in
only one way—the way of truth. Then be careful never to catch people
through the other way—the way of deceit. If you act deceitfully, God’s
blight and ruin will be upon you. What may be craftiness for you, may
not be for others—God has called you to a higher standard. Never dull
your sense of being your utmost for His highest—your best for His glory.
For you, doing certain things would mean craftiness coming into your
life for a purpose other than what is the highest and best, and it would
dull the motivation that God has given you. Many people have turned
back because they are afraid to look at things from God’s perspective.
The greatest spiritual crisis comes when a person has to move a little
farther on in his faith than the beliefs he has already accepted
Source - http://utmost.org/
