Through God's Divine Grid

"I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord..."

Ephesians 4:1a

Paul had the ability to see everything in the light of how it affected Christ.  He saw everything vertically before he saw it horizontally.  His motives were Christ's, his standards were Christ's, his objectives were Christ's, his vision was Christ's, his entire orientation was Christ's.  Everything he thought, planned, said, and did was in relation to his Lord.  He was in the fullest sense a captive of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Most of us will admit that we tend to be so self-oriented that we see many things first of all-and sometimes only-in relation to ourselves.  But the person who has the Word of Christ abiding in him richly, the one who saturates his mind with divine wisdom and truth will ask, "How does this affect God?  How will it reflect on Him?  What does He want me to do with this problem or this blessing?  How can I please and honor Him in this?"  He tries to see everything through God's divine grid.  That attitude is the basis and the mark of spiritual maturity.  With David, the mature Christian can say, "I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.  Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices."  Psalm 16:8,9

John MacArthur