Psalms 15:1 Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? 2 He that walks uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart. 3 He that backbites not with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor.
Just for some context, the above passages are some of the psalms David wrote about dealing with others in situations that may not be favorable. We are observing them because when we put ourselves into David’s shoes, we too may discover a disconnect between what we preach and what we do, when others violate our rights or may tick us off for some reason.
Apparently, good behavior versus conversion also was an issue with the disciples of Christ, for as a general rule of thumb, they would try to behave themselves when Christ was around, but at times when He was absent, different moods and attitudes would bubble up to the surface, when the right set of circumstances would converge.
Now it is often claimed that persons are in different stages of spiritual growth, and another maxim that is often touted is that “The Lord isn’t finished with me yet.” It is worthy of note that the disciples may not have been doing this deliberately, but it’s just a fact of life that the presence of a superior can cause or motivate a person to behave well.
Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!