Is the word of God tremendously keen to me as I hand it on to you, or does my life give the lie to the things I profess to teach? I may teach sanctification and yet exhibit the spirit of Satan, the spirit that persecutes Jesus Christ. The Spirit of Jesus is conscious of one thing only – a perfect oneness with the Father, and He says, "Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart." All I do ought to be founded on a perfect oneness with Him, not on a self-willed determination to be godly. This will mean that I can be easily put upon, easily over-reached, easily ignored; but if I submit to it for His sake, I prevent Jesus Christ being persecuted.
If we are looking at our own lives, then when are not looking at the Savior.
Peter made than mistake once, and even then Jesus helped him when he faltered and failed:
"And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
"And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
"But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
"And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
"And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
"Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God." (Matthew 14: 28-33)
Even Isaiah declared before the coming of the Messiah, that just to look upon is salvation:
"Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else." (Isaiah 45:22)
When you look upon Jesus Christ, when He becomes greater, when the things of this world become lesser — the times, the troubles, the trying trials all — then the victory which He is and has given to every believer (cf Romans 8:37) becomes greater and manifest in our lives.
Maturity in Christ is to know Him who has been from the beginning. Jesus not just as Savior, not just as mighty warrior, but as God all in all, and that there is none beside Him, no one else who can save!
We do not have to busy ourselves with making sure the Jesus is not persecuted by our conduct, by our wronging thinking, speaking, or doing. Instead of trying to be good in our efforts, let us grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord (cf 2 Peter 3:18). By looking upon, by increasing our knowledge and awareness of His power, His supply, His love, we are transformed from glory to glory:
"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:18)
John also spoke of the glory that invades a believer who knows and believes that he will be like His savior:
"1Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
"And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." (1 John 3: 1-3)