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“I'M NO BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE” Probably every serious Christian has heard someone say something like, “You Christians think you’re better than everyone else.” I’ve learned to question everything, especially the things that people SAY. After all, we all got plunged into the realm of sin and death when the devil SAID something (Gen. 3:1). Now, think about this. and I’ve never heard any Christian say that Christians are better than lost people, and you probably haven’t either. Even if you have, it’s certainly not a common thing. Lost people are NOT being told this by Christians. Yet, they still have it in their minds. WHY? Why would a lost man think that we think that we are better than him? I believe the Holy Spirit tells this to sinners when He performs his divine work of convincing the world of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8). I believe he speaks to the hearts of sinners and says, “You need to listen to that Christian and receive Christ. Not only can you escape hell, you can have a BETTER marriage, a BETTER family, BETTER friends, and a BETTER life in general. Jesus Christ can make you a BETTER person.” I believe that basic message is burnt on the hearts of millions of lost people, and they can’t get it out of their minds. They KNOW it’s true, but they love their sins more than they love a chance at a better life. So their claim that “You Christians think you’re better than me” is really their reaction to the still small convicting voice of the Holy Spirit who has told them that we ARE better and that THEY can be better also. Yes, I have scripture for that, and plenty of it . . . “The righteous is MORE EXCELLENT than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them.” (Proverbs 12:26) “And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is BETTER than thou.” (I Sam. 15:28) “And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and BETTER than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.” (I Kgs. 2:32) “But hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father's house, which were BETTER than thyself.” (II Chr. 21:13) “If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is BETTER than she.” (Est. 1:19) “He that is slow to anger is BETTER than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.” (Pro. 16:32) “BETTER is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.” (Ecc. 4:13) “For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is BETTER than a dead lion.” (Ecc. 9:4) Now that we have set the table, how about some meat and potatoes? How about a verse that contrasts someone who is NOT born again to someone who IS born again? How about a verse that contrasts someone who is NOT in the kingdom of God to someone who IS in the kingdom of God? For a bit of sauce on that steak, let’s get it straight from the mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ himself: “For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is GREATER than he.” (Luke 7:28) That’s your BIRTHRIGHT, Christian! Why in God’s name would you give it up just to be more closely identified with worldly, Christ-rejecting sinners? Doing so defies all common sense and scripture. If the righteous is more excellent than his neighbor, if David was better than Saul, if Abner and Amasa were better than Joab, if Johoram’s ancestors were better than himself, if Esther was better than Vashti, if the slow to anger man is better than the mighty, if a poor and wise child is better than an old and foolish king, if a living dog is better than a dead lion, and if born again believers are better than John the Baptist, then why shouldn’t Christians see themselves as BETTER than they once were and BETTER than those who continually reject Christ and live in sin? If a believer EXALTS HIMSELF and claims superiority out of a spirit of pride, then that’s a different thing altogether and that’s wrong, but this message isn’t about anyone exalting themselves. This message is about how GOD has exalted us in position by Christ’s atoning work on Calvary and how we are shooting ourselves in our spiritual feet with all of this politically correct and religiously correct Laodicean lingo that spews from everywhere but the Bible itself! Christians are allowing themselves to be defined by the world, instead of the word, and Satan is bent over with laughter as millions are selling their birthrights for Laodicea’s poison pottage. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that a sinner will never be moved to repentance, if he sees the Christian as no better than himself. Why any Bible-believing Christian would want to degrade himself for the appeasement of the sinner is far beyond this preacher’s comprehension, UNLESS he’s been feeding on some poison pottage.