Am I willing to be cheated?

The words came to me early one morning a few months ago, and led to a flurry of inspiration that was quickly dictated into my phone. It seemed like the Lord was confronting me with the love of money that resides deeply in so many hearts, where we cannot stand the thought of unfairly parting with one dime of our earthly treasures. It’s not a battle that I am unfamiliar with. 

But at that moment, I was able to say, “Yes, Lord, I am willing to be cheated if that’s your will for me.”  If I unjustly suffer loss in temporary things on my way to a priceless eternal inheritance, what was there to be upset over?  I would simply be following in the footsteps of countless other saints down through the ages.  I would be following in the footsteps of Jesus, who loved a cheat like Judas to the very end, in spite of it costing the disciples their finances, and Jesus His very life.

Preparation always comes before a test.  Now that God had dealt with my heart, what would be my reaction when a scam artist recently tried to cheat me out of thousands of dollars through a well-thought out lie?  Anger, revenge, and hatred might be natural, but they are no longer options under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Instead, a quick rebuke followed by the Gospel offering forgiveness and compassion is what came forth from the Spirit inside of me when I had the opportunity to confront my adversary.  I rejoiced that Jesus – and not Charles – took control of my emotions, my perspective, and my response.  Yes, I did notify the authorities and turned the situation over to God, but by His grace no bitterness remains.  

What if I actually had been cheated and there was no way to get the money back?  That test has no doubt happened to some of you, and may be ahead for many of us.  Others of you have been cheated in relationships, perhaps by an unfaithful spouse who had pledged fidelity, but was revealed to be living a lie.  Can we expect to pass these crushing tests walking in the Holy Spirit?  By His grace – and only His grace – we have confidence that we can.  

Could it be said of you and me one day, as it was the early Jewish believers, that “you accepted with joy the confiscation of your possessions, because you know that you yourselves have a better and enduring possession” (Heb. 10:34)?  As the tests of persecution increased, the early believers were reminded that, “In struggling against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood” (Heb. 12:3-4).  Jesus had resisted to the point of shedding His blood, and He refused to give into sin.  

Please notice: the scripture doesn’t say Jesus was struggling against sinners – vainly fighting flesh and blood from a carnal reaction – but rather, He endured hostile sinners and struggled against sin.  His greatest temptation, like ours, was to disobey the Father’s will when it would cost Him something.  He could have rebuked and destroyed the whole Jewish nation of sinners for their rejection and death sentence, but that would have been sin on His part.  His Father’s will was for Him to suffer unjustly, be cheated of His life and possessions, and resist sin to the point of shedding His blood. Ultimately, “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death – even to death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8).   

The next verse is so clear! “For this reason, God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name” – the name of Jesus!  He who was cheated by this world now has the name above every name in government or world history, above every so-called god or goddess, and above every empire or institution that tries to subvert the place that only Jesus Christ now holds.

So in this remarkable moment in time, when half of the United States (and most of the world) is recognizing some suspicious behavior going on in our elections, what might God be doing?  And what should our response be?  God checked my heart with a whole new level of cheating at the governmental level, and helped me identify with others in the world who struggle to survive in banana republics or cruel dictatorships.  The outrage in our nation is palpable, especially in states where the next four years will be determined by slim – and suspect – margins.

So, while I believe that my vote on November 3rd was counted accurately in this state, what if all the evidence suggested it was not?  And what if I found out my dear father, who went to be with the Lord three years ago, was reported as voting in this election?  What if someone had cheated me, my family, and my country to bring about a direction that I was strongly against?

I might predictably be outraged and enraged. There is a natural, carnal, and understandable response that is waiting to emerge in every one of us whenever injustice comes close.  There is also a supernatural, spiritual response that passes understanding residing in each of us who are born again.  While the world can only respond carnally, we who know Jesus Christ can choose to be different and allow Him to reveal His glory in the midst of injustice.

My prayer is that we would be prepared for whatever comes in the days ahead, to live for Jesus, to die for Jesus, and even to be cheated for Jesus.  While the enemy has many weapons he can use against God’s people, none of them shall prosper!  Ultimately, they only work for the good (sanctification) of those who love God and are called according to His purpose.  So, we can rejoice in hope and know that even if we’re cheated down here, we are only being more fully conformed to our Savior who will repay it all – and then some – in Glory.