The Mark of Excellence
Excellence is the fact or condition of excelling; superiority; surpassing goodness, merit, something in which a person or thing excels as in a particular virtue. Excellence is going above and beyond the mediocre. Excellence is entering into the best and not settling for just better. The Bible says in Philippians 1:10, “That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.”
I remember in my youth looking down at a chrome image of a glorious carriage inlaid in the driver side door frame of certain automobiles which made two statements, “Body by Fischer” and “The Mark of Excellence.” For those who were General Motors customers, there was usually no argument. Do we in our lives have the same simple little goal inlaid in the framework of our souls, i.e., the mark of excellence? If not, why not? And furthermore, if not, why not determine now to live this life unto our Lord in a most excellent fashion?
Observe with me three attributes of an excellent life:
1. It is a life which is relevant to our culture, yet without compromise to it.
Relevant is a tricky word which literally means, “bearing upon or relating to the matter in hand; pertinent; to the point.” We are to be germane to this world, in other words, appropriately relating to it. We should be willing to be strangers in a world that is not a friend to God, yet not fashion ourselves as strange for mere strangeness’ sake. There is a truth that one who knows Christ intimately will suffer with Him, but that does not mean we adapt unbiblical practices to attract a fight. On the other hand, one of the synonyms of relevant is “conforming.” Conforming is exactly opposite of what we are to be in this world. The Bible says in Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Let us be relevant to a point. We may be in this world, but not partakers of the evil of the world.
Let us have a sense of humor, but not become vulgar. Let us appreciate art, but not indulge in pornography under the guise of artwork. Let us enjoy good music, but not at the expense of playing a tune that turns the heart away from God. Let us read and expand our knowledge, but not at the expense of being baptized in humanism, even in the hopes of converting the humanist to our point of view. The Bible says, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (Colossians 2:8). To spoil means to plunder damage or injure in such a way as to make useless or valueless. Many a young person has been spoiled through their curiosity that wanted to know just how evil this world is. Remember, you don’t have to lift up the sewer lid to see if the sewer stinks.
Better to be naïve than experienced in this world to the degree you become contaminated by the system rather than become a purifying force overcoming the system. Romans 16:19, “For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.”
2. It is a life that is transparent to, but transcendent from this culture.
Proverbs 12:26, “The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them.”
Proverbs 17:7, “Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince.”
Proverbs 8:6, “Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.”
One of the Hebrew definitions of excellent is rare and costly like a jewel. Think of this: you may see through a diamond. Yet, when cut, polished and mounted on the pedestal of a finger of a loved one you will find it captures the colors of the rainbow in a prism.
May God give us strength to be transparent in moral virtue and holiness, yet may the world see in us the Divine nature of our Lord that reflects and refracts the glory of God as in a rainbow prism of His Way, His Truth, and His Life. “And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels…” (Malachi 3:17).
3. It is a life that loves without strings attached.
It has been said there are three kinds of love. There is the “if” love. This is the love that will give if given to first. I will love you if you love me. Then there is the “because of” love. This is the love that reciprocates under an ideal set of circumstances. You “scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.” Then there is the genuine article; it is called “in spite of” love. I will love you in spite of yourself, your selfishness, your sin and your hang-ups. It is not a love determined by the innate goodness of the person upon whom the affection is directed. This is in fact the kind of love that God has for us. “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:7, 8).
In the great definitive chapter on love in I Corinthians 13, the opening statement doesn’t actually come in the 13th chapter, but rather the 12th chapter where it says, “But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way” (I Corinthians 12:31). In thundering diction of Old English, the Bible declares God’s love is a love “that suffereth long, is kind, envieth not, vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things, endureth all things, and never faileth.”
Under girding this whole concept is the fact that this love is the more excellent way. Any other way we may choose to go in life is inferior to God’s way. God’s way is the way to peace and real joy. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD” (Isaiah 55:8). If we patiently wait on Him, He will direct us into the life that bears the mark of excellence. “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it…” (Isaiah 30:21).
- Pastor Pope -