Me? Rejoicing at Wrongdoing?

Pile of stones (Photo credit: Michel.h)

Love your enemies (Matt 5:44)

Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing.  (1 Co. 13:6)

You, good Christian, are certainly not someone who rejoices at wrongdoing, right?  Same here.

Why, we hate wrongdoing!  We prove it every chance we get!  We are so diligent about jumping on every sin we hear about in public figures, and personally lambasting the offenders on Facebook or wherever else we can do so.  Nobody could ever deny how much we hate wrongdoing!

Nobody clucks their tongues louder than we do.  Nobody's voice can get more shrill.  Nobody's quicker on the draw with the social media megaphone...and why should we wait for verification of the facts we're spreading?  Why would we hope that the badness might be less bad than we thought, when it feels so good to hate those people?

Why, it's a pure, delicious pleasure to be horrified, offended, and hit that "Share" button with righteous indignation.

Yep.  It shows.  The pleasure, that is.  It shows.

It's called, "Rejoicing in wrongdoing."  We mustn't kid ourselves.  That's exactly what it is.

And love does not do that.

When we do that, we are not loving our enemies.  We are loving their sin, because we love feeling superior.

We love licking our chops and diving in for the kill.

We love being offended at those who we feel are wrongfully offended by us, or by the things we hold dear.

We love hating the haters, mocking the mockers, attacking the attackers.

It feels so good.

And it's eating away at our souls.

C. S. Lewis addresses this better than anybody.

"Suppose one reads a story of filthy atrocities in the paper.  Then suppose that something turns up suggesting that the story might not be quite true, or not quite so bad as it was made out.  Is one's first feeling, 'Thank God, even they aren't quite so bad as that,' or is it a feeling of disappointment, and even a determination to cling to the first story for the sheer pleasure of thinking your enemies as bad as possible?  If it is the second then it is, I am afraid, the first step in a process which, if followed to the end, will make us into devils.  You see, one is beginning to wish that black was a little blacker.  If we give that wish [free rein], later on we shall wish to see grey as black, and then to see white itself as black.  Finally, we shall insist on seeing everything - God and our friends and ourselves included - as bad, and not be able to stop doing it; we shall be fixed forever in a universe of pure hatred."  (From "Mere Christianity.")

Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing.

Christians...you and I who claim to follow Christ...when was the last time we followed Him into praying for those who persecute and mistreat us, or who sin against us in some other way? When was the last time we mourned over our neighbor's sin and wept for his soul, rather than hurrying to click, rejoicing at the chance for a social media scandal?  When was the last time we followed Christ into dying to self for our enemies' sakes?

When was the last time we followed Christ?

Yes, there's a time to speak against what is wrong!  But no, there's never a time to rejoice and prepare to feast on our neighbor's downfall.  Not in this Age of Grace; grace without which we, too, would be damned.

How, with rocks in our hands, will we ever help our enemy believe we follow a merciful, forgiving Savior?  Is that even what we want him to believe?  (It had BETTER be!  But search your heart, really, and I'll search mine.  Because I fear that it's not always our desire.)

As long as we clutch our rocks and rejoice in the throwing, we're utterly, damnably blind to our own corruption.

And we will only be forgiven as we forgive.  (Matt 18:32-35)

We will only receive mercy as we give it.  (Matt 5:7)

We will only receive grace as we are humble.  (James 4:6)

Ever wonder why nobody out there believes we're children of the One True God?

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God."  (Matt 5:9)

May God forgive us for rejoicing in wrongdoing, and failing to love our enemies.

May God forgive me.  Because I know I've been there.  I've done that. But this week an organization which I care about, and for which I meet with others to pray regularly, has been the victim of a viral whirlwind of misinformation and false accusation.  A Christian brother has had his good name smeared all the way up to the level of national news.  The organization has issued a clarifying statement, but somehow it's not forwarded nearly as often as the delightful, beloved, rejoiced-in offense.

These are people for whom I pray.  And praying for them has made me care.  Has made me love them.  Has made me grieve at the delighted stone-throwing that I'm seeing.

Praying produces love.  Make yourself pray for others until you love them...and then you'll pray for them because you want to.

Pray for your enemies.  And join Christ in mourning over the sin that threatens to destroy them, instead of joining the enemy in hurrying their destruction.

And pray for me, that I will do the same.

We don't have a clue how much depends on it, and not just for them, but for us, and for the honor of Christ's Name.

Discovering New Enemies Lately?

I live in what is, for the most part, a very civilized country.  And I am blessed to live in a beautiful city, one that consistently hits the top of the "Best of the US" lists.  I admit that I'm spoiled.

But as someone once stated, "civilization" is a thin veneer, and under the right pressures, it can disappear instantly.  I'm not talking about the occasional madman, like the one who massacred moviegoers last week just an hour south of here.  I'm talking about "normal" people, and what they...what WE can become at a moment's notice.  And it's sobering.  Humbling.  Alarming.

We see it when people are trampled to death in a stampede to get the newest toy for the kids for Christmas.

We see it it in popular movements where tens of thousands gather to protest injustices (real or perceived) in self-righteous indignation, while treating their fellow man with utter contempt in the process.

We see it in dusty black-and-white photos in our history books, when ordinary people...former friends, neighbors, and co-workers of the dead... avert their eyes from the endless piles of corpses in the concentration camps and wonder, "How did I let this happen in my back yard?"

How indeed?

Until recently, this was an academic subject for me...but not any more.  I'm willing to bet that many Christians are feeling it hitting closer to home lately.  We see friends, neighbors, co-workers, even family members snarling, snapping, insulting, hating us for simply loving the purity and beauty of God and His ways (in this case, God's design for marriage).  We are called all manner of awful things, and are left standing in bewilderment as we wipe the flecks of froth off our faces from their spitting rage.  We see our reason and gentleness twisted by their hatred and thrown back in our faces as they curse and scream at us that we are the "haters."  We see them applauding as government leaders threaten to strip away the very pillars of our Constitution in order to unleash their hatred on us for our beliefs.

We feel shell-shocked, confused, betrayed.

Now, I know full well that there are plenty who claim to support God's pure and beautiful ways, but who fight for it with attitudes and actions so ugly that they reveal themselves to be wolves in sheep's clothing.  People who love to hate their neighbor.  I'm not speaking of them.

I'm speaking of ordinary Christians of good will having venomous hostility poured out on us, not for our real faults (of which we have many), but purely because of our belief in what God has defined as Right and Wrong.

In short, though we don't desire enemies, we're finding that we have more and more of them.

What is happening?

For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. 

Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.

(2 Thess 2:7)

"He who restrains lawlessness..." who is that?

I believe it is the Holy Spirit.  He holds evil back, only allowing it to express itself in the ways that conform to His ultimate plan for our good and God's glory.  God is not the author of evil, ever.  But He can, does, and MUST shape, restrain, and control our evil to make sure that it all "works together for good to those who love God," and to make sure it fulfills prophecy.  Look how He shaped and controlled the evil of Judas to bring about the greatest good that ever happened, exactly when and how the prophets said it would happen.

And I believe that there are times when He steps back a bit.  No, He won't be "out of the way" completely until the very end of the age, for He never leaves His people.  So as long as His people are here, He will be here.

And no, He never loses control.  He is God, always and ever.

But there are times when He gives evil a looser grip, just to let it show itself for what it really is.  You see, evil under a civilized veneer can fool a lot of people.  But when the veneer is stripped away, and evil gets freer rein, people may begin to recognize and loathe it more easily (though even that takes a miraculous work of the Spirit).  And those who are committed to evil are left without even the lie of "civilization" as an excuse.

So now, in this moment of American history, evil snarls in my complacent face much more than it used to.  Yours too, I'll bet.

And, in response, evil snarls in our hearts much more than it used to.  We are not purely innocent in these matters, are we?  If we think we are, we're fooling ourselves.

If you're like me, you want to triumph over evil in these days.  But I have to tell you, I don't define "triumph" the same way that I used to.

To triumph over evil is NOT to whitewash it, whether in our own hearts or in society.  Triumph is NOT a victory of mere legislation, or social pressure, or convincing rhetoric.  Triumph is NOT "winning God's wars for Him" by using the weapons of evil.  Triumph is NOT stockpiling enough to hunker down while the world goes to Hell around us.  Triumphing is NOT out-snarling the snarlers, out-shouting the shouters, out-hating the haters.

How can the Church triumph over evil in our day?

I'll post my thoughts on that question in the next entry.  But in the meantime, I'll be happy to post any comments which seek to answer that question, as long as they fall within certain guidelines.

• I will not post hateful comments
• I will not debate whether or not Scripture clearly calls homosexual activity "sin."  It does.  It also calls a lot of other things "sin."  We need to agree with God on ALL of it.
• I will not post comments which attempt to encourage worldly responses to sin.

Within the above guidelines, I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Lost in the Packaging

"God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways."
~ 2 Corinthians 9:9 (MSG)

When Deborah Shank asked us to comment on this paraphrased verse for the "In Other Words" writing meme, I didn't get any immediate inspiration.  But then I read from my daily devotional schedule (this was yesterday), and came across this account:

Then they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you." And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!" But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"—then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." And he arose and departed to his house.

(Mat 9:2-7)

Yesterday I wrote a short story called, "The Gilded Box" which was inspired by that account.  (Haven't read it yet?  Please do, and then come back here.  If you don't read it, you'll miss some of what I'm saying below.)

Ok, in case you're wondering, there really is a connection tying "The Gilded Box" with both of the quotes above.  Having trouble finding it?  Read on.

What's one of the "astonishing ways" that God pours out His blessings?  The one that comes to my mind today is, "The packaging they come in."

Sometimes His blessings come in ugly packages.  Oysters house pearls.  Prison cells echo with joyous hymns.  A feed trough nestles a savior. 

The more we grow in Christ, the more we find that ugliness reminds us to look for Him.

But what do we do with the lovely packages He gives us?  Do we become so distracted by their beauty that we never look inside?

Green lights when we're running late.  Safe flights.  Uncomplicated births.  Cancer miraculously gone.  Lame legs which leap up and run.

Should we thank Him for each blessing?  Of course! 

But do we remember to open up each gilded box and look at what's inside?

Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead…but some time later, he died again.  So did everyone else that Jesus ever healed.  How many of them ever opened the treasure they'd received…ever found the message inside the golden miracle?

But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"—then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."

The note inside the box…the meaning in the miracle is simply this:  Jesus has the power to forgive sins.  The miracles and blessings you can see point with unwavering fingers to the miracle you cannot see, and they offer assurance.

He who opened your eyes, He who softened your hard heart, He who healed your disease, He who created the beauty all around you…He also has the power to forgive sins.  And because of the cleansing He provides, He can also give you an offer of marriage…the chance to be joined with him in engagement throughout this life, and in perpetual bliss throughout the only real Happily Ever After.

How many receive His gifts of common grace without ever looking inside the pretty packages for the offer of lifelong relationship hidden within?  How tragic for them!

How many of us who already know Him still forget the greatest gift of all…His forgiveness and eternal love…because we're distracted by the pretty packaging of His earthly blessings?

Jesus forgives sins and offers His love to us forever!

When was the last time you felt astonished by that?

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This week's "In Other Words" is hosted by Deborah Shank at Chocolate and Coffee.  Drop by there to find links to other entries on the assigned quotation, or to add a link to your own!

 

Penance versus Repentance

What is repentance, really?

Is it trying really, really hard to feel bad about something you did, in order to win God’s forgiveness?

Is God up in Heaven with a Misery Meter, waiting for you to push the level up to a certain notch of guilty torment before He’ll forgive you?

Is repentance the price you have to pay so you can keep sinning?  Is it sort of like the hangover after a night of drinking…you know it’s going to hurt afterwards, but the sin is worth it?

If you can work up a good enough repentance, does that make the sinning okay?

What do you have to repent of, anyway…the sin, or the enjoying of it, or both?

How do you know when you’ve repented enough, felt sorry enough, or done enough good deeds to make up for your sin?

What about those who walk for days on their knees, or hit themselves with heavy chains and whips, or cut themselves because of their sins?  Are they repenting?

Or does repenting mean promising God that you’ll never do that particular sin again; that you’ll straighten up your act from now on?

What is repentance?

It isn’t really possible to understand repentance without first understanding what sin is.  (That link will take you to all of the entries labeled “sin” in this blog.  They’re in reverse order, so you might want to scroll all the way to the bottom and read “up” to get them in order.)  God’s word lists many sins, but there is really only one Sin underlying them all.

Sin is turning away from God.  It is trusting/loving something or someone more than God.  It is believing that life, joy, peace, or any other good thing is better found outside of God than in Him.  It is dethroning Him and putting something or someone else in His place in your heart.

If that’s what sin is, then can any of our above examples truly represent repentance?

We hurt ourselves to get forgiveness.  We try to work up sorrowful emotions to placate God.  We play Him for a fool, tossing Him a few tokens of sorrow to pay Him off, so we can keep indulging in the sins we love.  We seek to earn.  We try to impress.  We do our best to get ourselves off of the hook.  We make promises.  We, we, we.  It’s all about us.

That’s not repentance.  It’s penance.

What’s the difference?

Penance focuses on sin and on self.

Repentance focuses on God.

If sin is turning away from God and looking to self or others for what we need, then guess what…

Penance, which looks to self to earn forgiveness, is sin!

And if sin is turning away from God and looking to self or others for what we need, then what is repentance?

Repentance is realizing how foolish we were to think we could find life, joy, peace, etc in anything outside of God.  And it’s turning back to God because we’ve come to our senses and realized again that He is all we need.  It is making a you-turn from worshiping sin and self to worshiping God.  From trusting sin and self to trusting God.  From insulting God to treasuring Him.  It is a change of focus, and a reorienting of faith.

Repentance wants Christ. 

Penance just wants to find a way to continue in sin, and to avoid eternal consequences by assigning itself temporary ones. 

Repentance worships Christ, loves Him, treasures Him. 

Penance worships, loves, and treasures sin, and will pay any price to be allowed to indulge in it.

Just look at Mardi Gras.  It’s nothing but a huge celebration of sin that negates any attempts at piety or penance that may surround it. 

We celebrate what we love.  And Mardi Gras is just one vivid reminder that unrepentant sinners love sin.

To love sin is to hate Christ (Pr. 14:2, Matt. 12:30), no matter what religious activities you may indulge in to convince  yourself otherwise.  God isn’t fooled.  There is no repentance without turning from sin to Christ.

But always remember, the Christian life is a journey of growth.  There is a sense in which we repent “once for all,” when we are first awakened to see Christ and desire Him as our Savior and Lord.  That is repentance unto salvation, and it’s a precious thing. 

But we don’t ever stop repenting...not for salvation, but for our continued walk with the Lord.  It makes sense, after all.  We do slip into sin, and whenever that happens, we’ve temporarily valued something above Christ.  Repentance gets our values straight again.

And we continue to need repentance for another reason, too, not just because we still sin sometimes.  We continue to need repentance because we continue to grow.  As we grow, we recognize more of Christ’s worth, and we recognize more of our own foolishness.  We find ourselves repenting of sin that we never repented of before because we didn’t recognize it before.  Those who are not growing in repentance are not growing at all.

Does this sound like a drag?  A life of continual sorrow and misery?

It’s anything but that!

Repentance is turning toward joy!  It is recognizing that we’ve been seeking life and joy in the wrong places, and it’s turning to find them in God again.  It is pulling our noses out of the sewers and putting them back in the bakery where the Bread of Life offers Himself freely (Isa. 55:2).

Remember how King David of old prayed when he repented of his sin with Bathsheba?

Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice (Ps. 51:8)

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation  (Ps. 51:12)

True repentance cries out with David, “Forgive me for seeking life and joy elsewhere, and let me find them in You again!”

And Christ, who is our life (Col. 3:4) and our joy (John 15:11) is delighted to answer that prayer.  He is glad to give us Himself.

After all, He went all the way to Calvary to do just that.

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This devotional owes a great deal of its thought to Pastor John Piper, my spiritual father whom I’ve never met.  If you want to know more about God-centered living, please check out his huge store of free, downloadable audio sermons and other resources at Desiring God Ministries.

Some of the inspiration for this devotional also came from Beth Moore’s Bible Study, “When Godly People Do Ungodly Things.”

When Answers Aren’t Enough

Image via Wikipedia

 

 

 

I ended a recent post about my back problems with the following thought:

 

 

The fact is, being God-centered is the only way to have a good answer for the people who ask me, "Aren't you so angry with the people who failed you?  If people had recognized the seriousness of the situation sooner and gotten you help earlier, you could have been spared a lifetime of pain and disfigurement! And what about the people who said those cruel things? How could you not be bitter against them?"

On a personal note, I struggle a lot with bitterness.  The whole thing with my back doesn’t cause me any bitterness, and perhaps that’s why I feel safe talking about it here.  But please don’t read this entry with the idea that I’ve mastered the truths here.  I believe them with all my head, but they’re still working their way into my heart.  And sometimes that’s a dreadfully slow process.

How does God-centeredness help us avoid bitterness?

First, God-centeredness sinks its roots deeply into God’s sovereignty, or His total control.  When others injure us, either unintentionally (as with what happened with my back), or even intentionally, a God-centered faith accepts the trial as something lovingly appointed by God for our ultimate good (Rom. 8:28).  The biblical patriarch Joseph understood this truth very well.  His brothers tricked him, betrayed him, sold him into slavery, and deceived his father into believing him dead, causing many years of anguish.  After being reunited with his family, and after their father’s death, Joseph’s brothers became terrified that he would seek revenge against them.  But Joseph had this to say to them:

Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God?  You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good.  Gen 50:19-20

We could avoid a great deal of inner turmoil if we clearly understood Who is in the place of God.  Human nature being what it is, we don’t naturally assign God’s place to Him.  We imagine ourselves there, and/or the idols we prefer.  And, when something happens to us that’s beyond our control, it’s easy to believe that the responsibility all lies with another human being (against whom we’ll now feel bitter).  It takes a transformed, God-centered heart to acknowledge and take comfort in Jehovah God’s sovereign control, and to be freed to forgive because of it.

Listen to Joseph’s faith.  God meant it for good, so I feel no need for revenge.  God’s goodness more than compensated for man’s evil.

Sounds like the Gospel, doesn’t it? 

We who claim the Gospel for our own salvation must always remember to apply its power in the way we forgive others.  Is God enough?  Does His forgiveness cover the sins of others who are willing to receive it, or does it just cover our own?  Do His justice and wrath sufficiently punish those who do not receive His forgiveness, or do we need to add our own?  Who is in God’s place?

And if we say we believe that God is in charge, then how can we refuse His command to forgive?

It’s a powerful perspective.  But somehow, though, it’s easier to apply the comforting balm of truth to past offenses than to ongoing ones.  Childhood tormenters who no longer hurt us are much easier to forgive than those who rub us the wrong way now.  When the pain is ongoing, and there’s no end in sight, the truth of God’s sovereignty can begin to feel like dry theology, more meaningful in a dusty tome than in the gristmill of our lives. 

The preciousness of God’s sovereignty never really deteriorates, but our ability to appreciate it certainly can.

Is there something more from God that can comfort us, that can keep us from gnawing ourselves alive with bitter thoughts?

We certainly think we know what we need.  First, relief…but if that’s not coming, then at the very least (we believe), God owes us an explanation.

Like Job, we begin to demand answers for our suffering...answers from the God we know could give us relief any time He wanted to. 

Heaven remains silent in the face of our cries.  No neon signs drop down from the clouds to explain it all.  No new chapters appear in the Bible just for our benefit.  Without answers, we begin to grow angry and dissatisfied, subtly or openly accusing God of doing wrong.

Surely if He actually had a good reason, He’d let me know what it was!

Our bitterness against God only compounds our bitterness against others, making forgiveness impossible.

If God won’t give us answers, then what’s left?  What can He possibly give us to soothe our pain?

Years ago there was a popular song on Christian radio called, “When Answers Aren’t Enough.”  I never really learned the lyrics, but one line stood out for me.

“When answers aren’t enough, there’s Jesus.”

I didn’t like that song very much.

What’s that supposed to mean, anyway? 

I wouldn’t have dared to put it into words, but in my heart of hearts I believed, “I don’t need Jesus, I need answers!”

We feeble humans get everything backwards, don’t we?

Perhaps God will bless you with an answer to your woes, but what if He doesn’t?  What if, instead of telling you anything, He shrouds your suffering in secrecy for the sole reason of bringing you closer to Himself, in a richer and more intimate way than a mere “answer” could ever do? 

The song had it right.  When answers aren’t enough, there is Jesus…and He really is all that we need!

Do you believe that?

If you have been pounding on the gates of Heaven demanding answers, please know that I empathize with your desire…but I also know that at worst you’ll only get bruised knuckles, and at best you’ll only get an answer.  Don’t settle for either of those.  Unclench those angry fists and hold your empty hands up in prayer, asking God to give you more of Himself, through His son Jesus, by His Holy Spirit.  Ask Him to help you hunger and thirst for Him.  Dig into His word.  Seek Him, suffering one. 

As one who knows suffering…and who, by God’s incredible grace, is coming to know my Lord Jesus more…I can promise you that there is more to Him than you know.  There is more to Him than I know.  And what little I know of Him is sweet, rich, deep, majestic, awe-inspiring, and holy.

What mere “answer” can be all of those things?

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Rom 5:3-5

Take a moment to relish the thought of how easily you and I can forgive one another, bear with one another, even love one another, if we allow God to use our sorrows to produce hopeful hearts that overflow with the love of God.

A truly God-centered heart finds all that it needs in Him.  It does not attach itself like a leech to other mere mortals, so it can’t be left hungry by their inadequate supply.  Feasting on the all-sufficient Savior, the heart does not detach itself from other humans.  Instead, it is free to forgive others for failing, free to love without demanding, free to give without fear of being drained dry.

Can I really be angry with you for failing to bring me a bucket of sand when I stand on the shore of the ocean?  Of course not!  In fact, I can gladly give you all the sand you lack.

In the same way, the God-centered Christian can forgive as he is forgiven, can love because of the endless supply given to him, can be at peace in the Savior even when others cause him real grief.

I don’t live on that ocean shore all the time.  In fact, I’ve spent most of my life in a self-centered wasteland.  But I’ve visited God’s abundant storehouse enough to know that I want to live there every moment.  I want to dig into its endless supplies so that I have an abundance to give to others.  Because underneath all of that “sand” is The Solid Rock, and He’s the one I’m learning to build my life upon.

How have you dealt with bitterness?  Have you considered the need for God-centeredness in the struggle to forgive?  How has He helped you?  I’d love to hear from you on this subject. 

 

A Genuine Work of the Spirit?

Does the Holy Spirit sign His name to His work?

In an earlier article I asked, "What spiritual activity can you see in your own life that you know is not a counterfeit, and on what do you base that confidence?" Of course that's a question for myself, too.

Jesus said that, when the Holy Spirit comes, one of the things He does is convicts the world of sin (John 16:8). In other words, conviction of sin is one of the signature marks of the Spirit.

How's that going for you? For me? It's an important question, because any spirit that tolerates sin is not the Holy Spirit of God.

Maybe it would help if we asked ourselves a few questions. Do we really want conviction? How do we know if we really want it? And what's the difference between godly conviction and a religious "guilt trip?"


Is conviction of sin something we truly desire?

Why should we desire it?

Imagine if you had cancer cells lurking in your body, growing, multiplying, spreading. They can do so for a long time without you even noticing. In fact, they can reach a lethal state before you even know they're there. Image via Wikipedia

Do you want the diagnosis? I suppose that might depend on whether or not there was hope for a cure. Ignorance might be bliss if the situation were hopeless, but what if finding out could have changed everything?

Sin is spiritual cancer. It eats away, destroys, kills.

Conviction is the diagnosis, and if we're alive and able to feel the Spirit's convicting work, then it's not too late. There is hope.

That's why King David wrote, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts, and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Ps. 139:23-24) He wanted God to show him his sin so that he could repent of it and walk in the paths of life.

How do we know if we really want conviction?

Do we really want conviction, or are we secretly hoping to find a way to soothe our consciences without actually dealing with sin? John Owen, in his 17th-Century work, "On The Mortification of Sin in Christians", clearly describes a heart that doesn't really want conviction. Condensed and paraphrased in modern English (by me...blame me for any errors), he says,

If the heart searches for ways to excuse itself, and to keep its peace despite unconquered sin, and despite not even vigorously fighting against sin, then it's in a deadly condition. There are different ways that this can happen.

1. Whenever the man feels troubled by his sin, instead of applying himself to destroying it, he searches his heart for evidence of the good that is in him. When he finds something good about himself, he convinces himself that all will be well with him. This is the desperate plan of a heart in love with sin. Such a man clearly shows that he is content to be as far from God as he can be without suffering eternal separation. What can be expected from such a heart?

2. By applying grace and mercy to a sin that is cherished and coddled, the man can continue to deceive himself. This is using God's grace as a license to sin. (End of Owen paraphrase)

If there is a genuine work of God's Spirit, then an awareness of our sin will bring conviction and repentance.

Are we experiencing true, godly conviction rather than a religious "guilt trip?"

What's the difference? It's vital to differentiate them, because no one ever found true repentance as the result of a guilt trip.

A guilt trip manipulates how we feel about our own sin.
Conviction touches our hearts with how God feels about our sin, and teaches us to see it the same way He does.

A guilt trip focuses on what we've done and how to change our behavior in the future. It causes sorrow about specific incidents, and if it broadens its view, it only does so in a way that makes us feel hopeless and discouraged about ourselves.
Conviction focuses on who we are and our need for a changed heart. It causes sorrow about the godlessness underlying all those sinful incidents. In other words, while we do sorrow over the incidents themselves, and seek to make things right with those whom we've offended, we don't stop there if we've experienced true conviction. We see root causes, with the Spirit's help, and we also see the hope that He provides for real heart change.

A guilt trip focuses on self-reform.
Conviction focuses on coming to God to be changed by Him.

A guilt trip is laid on us by someone else for selfish purposes.
Conviction is laid on us by God with a desire to save our souls.

A guilt trip is "cured" by modern psychologists who convince us we're just fine the way we are, and who prescribe the numbing drug of self-esteem. This is what God condemned in Israel's false prophets. "They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, Saying, 'Peace, peace!' when there is no peace." (Jer 6:14)
Conviction does not get healed, nor does it need to be. It causes healing when it brings about repentance. And the repentance it causes will not be on a surface level only. It will ultimately lead an individual to repent of self-centeredness and self-rule, in order to accept God-centeredness and God's rule.

In a heart which has been so utterly won over to God, sin cannot reign. It may cause stumbling, but it cannot ultimately conquer.

Time for your input. What personal experiences or Biblical insights can you share? Please post a comment.

Next entry in this series: "Convicting of Righteousness."

Perhaps the Most Important Entry I'll Ever Write

John Owen (Image via Wikipedia)

We have been looking at the sad fact that people who have spent years immersed in Christendom can completely fall away, often deceiving themselves that they're still "just fine," or even closer to God than they were before.

It's heartbreaking to see, and it's also heartbreaking to be in that position yourself. To want to be freed from the death-grip of sin, and to find yourself enslaved despite your prayers and pleadings and promises...there is little in life more painful than that. The soul rallies for a while, makes its vows, and exults in hope, only to plunge back into the mire like a wallowing hog. Failure makes a mockery of hope, and it accuses God Himself of failing to help. It's really no wonder that people give up on the God of the Bible and invent a different god in their minds.

Why does this happen?

One of the most valuable insights I've heard comes from the powerful writings of John Owen (1616-1683). His book, "On the Mortification of Sin in Believers" has aspects I'm not sure I endorse, but I give a hearty "Amen" to what he says on this particular subject. He writes, of course, in the old 17th-Century style of English, so I'll take the liberty of paraphrasing what he says. Please see the original work if you'd like to read it as it was written. You can read it online free of charge here. (I will put my paraphrase in italics so it will be obvious where it begins and ends.)

Without sincerely and diligently striving for universal obedience, no single perplexing lust can be overcome.

Suppose a man finds any lust to be powerful, strong, and upsetting. It leads him captive, exasperates him, disquiets him, and takes away his peace. He is not able to bear it, so he makes up his mind to fight it. He prays against it, groans under it, sighs to be delivered: but in the meantime, perhaps, in other duties, — in constant communion with God, — in reading, prayer, and meditation, — in other ways that are different from the lust that upsets him, — he is loose and negligent. Such a man cannot expect to have any victory over that one troubling sin.

This is not an unusual circumstance. The Israelites, under a sense of their sin, drew near to God with much diligence and earnestness, with fasting and prayer (See Isa. 58). In verse 2 it says “They seek me daily, and delight to know my ways; they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.” But God rejects all. Their fast is a remedy that will not heal them, and the reason is given in verses 5–7. It is because they were only focused on this one area of obedience. They attended diligently to that, but in others were negligent and careless.

Suppose someone has a “running sore” (which is one Scriptural metaphor for sin) upon him. It's a kind of sore that is caused by poor hygiene, or by other unhealthy activities. Now suppose that he tries every kind of ointment he can think of for that sore, but he doesn't improve his hygiene or the overall care of his body. His ointments will be applied in vain. It's the same for anyone who tries to stop a "bloody ooze" of sin and filth in his soul, and is not equally careful of his overall spiritual health.

One reason for this is that such attempts to conquer a single area of sin are based on a faulty principle, and on an insecure foundation, so failure is inevitable. What true and acceptable principles are needed?

Sin must be hated for its very sinfulness, not only for the discomfort that it causes us. Hatred of sin must be based on the love of Christ in the cross.

Now, clearly the kind of futile efforts described above are based on self-love, not on love for Christ. If you decide to fight sin in this way, why are you fighting it? Because it troubles you, it has taken away your peace, it fills your heart with sorrow, and trouble, and fear; you have no rest because of it. Yes; but, friend, haven't you been neglectful and careless regarding other sins that don't bother you in the same way? These are no less sins and evils than the ones that make you groan. Jesus Christ bled for them also. Why don't you fight them also?

If you hated sin as sin, and hated every evil way, you would care about everything that grieves and troubles the Spirit of God, just as much as you care about the sin that particularly grieves and troubles your own soul. Clearly you are fighting against sin merely because of the discomfort it causes you. If your conscience would settle down and be quiet about it, you wouldn't bother fighting that sin anymore. If it didn't trouble you, you wouldn't trouble it.

Now, can you really believe that God will support such hypocritical endeavors, — that his Spirit will approve of the treachery and falsehood of your spirit? Do you think he'll let you off the hook about the sins that bother you, if you'll only use that liberty to freely pursue other sins which don't bother you -- sins that grieve Him just as much as the other ones do? No! God says, “If this man were to get free from this sin that bothers him, I would never hear from him again; let him wrestle with this, or he will be lost.” (Paraphrased, emphasis added.)

I hope you read that and really thought about it. If this is the condition of your own soul, please pray hard about it. Ask God to open your eyes to the evilness of sin as He sees it...all sins, not just the ones that particularly trouble your conscience. Ask Him to forgive your lack of love for Him, your love for the sins that don't bother you, and the self-centeredness of your religion. Pray that all of your sins would bother you, and that God would grant you repentance (in other words, that He would give you a new heart that values Christ more than it values anything else, including sin). Pray for a love for Christ that longs to be close to Him and hates the thought of offending Him. Pray to be cleansed not just from particular evils, but from the sinful direction of your soul that does not love Christ above all else.

For some of you this will be your first true prayer for salvation, regardless of what other prayers you may have prayed. Salvation is not mere mental assent to doctrines that every demon knows to be true. Salvation cannot be less than the reorienting of the soul to center on Christ. It may be other things along with that, but it cannot be less than that.

God loves prayers like that. He delights to answer them. He wants nothing more than to see His Son loved, cherished, and adored as He deserves to be. And to the soul who approaches him in this way, He will give forgiveness. He will give Himself. And in Him you will find far more than you have been searching for.

Love. Joy. Peace. Cleansing. Freedom. A home in Heaven awaiting all those who trust that the Son is their very Life.

I pray that you trust Him this way.

"I feel so much closer to God..."

"I feel so much closer to God, now that I don't hate myself."

That (or something along the same lines) has been the declaration of more than one person who has decided to surrender to a sinful lifestyle. It sounds so appealing on the surface, but I hope you will see before we're through that the one who chooses this path has chosen to walk away from the very love that he seeks.

What has been the response of those who have come face to face with the Holiness of God, according to the Bible?

"Now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." (Job. 42:5b-6)

So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts." (Isa 6:5)

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" (Luke 5:8)

And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. (Rev 1:17a)

These are only a few examples of what happens in the hearts of sinners when their eyes are opened to God's purity and holiness. It is a consistent theme throughout the Bible.

"But I don't like that kind of God," you may protest. "I prefer the gentle Jesus. He's in the Bible too, you know."

Yes, God shows His kindness throughout Scripture, but please think about this: We cannot fully appreciate the kindness and gentleness of God until we see ourselves rightly as "undone" before Him.

Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God (Rom. 11:22).

G. H. Morrison (1866-1928) wrote about this so beautifully:

"We feel the wonder of the gentleness of God when we remember it is conjoined with power. When infinite power lies at the back of it, gentleness is always very moving. There is a gentleness which springs from weakness. Cowardice lies hidden at its roots. It comes from the disinclination to offend and from the desire to be in good standing with everybody. But the marvel of the gentleness of God is that it is not the signature of an interior weakness, but rests upon the bosom of Omnipotence. In a woman we all look for gentleness; it is one of the lustrous diadems of womanhood. In a professional military man we scarcely expect it; it is not the denizen of tented fields. And the Lord is 'a mighty man of war,' subduing, irresistible, almighty, and yet He comes to Israel as the dew. The elder spoke to John of the lion of the tribe of Judah. But when John looked to see the lion, lo! in the midst of the throne there was a lamb. Power was tenderness—the lion was the lamb—-Omnipotence would not break the bruised reed. It is the wonder of the gentleness of God."

Those who would seek to feel close to God by excusing their own sin have tragically denied themselves the precious beauty of God's gentleness!

Oh, don't miss this! His marvelous kindness, goodness, and gentleness come to those who recognize their sin and, like Job, "repent in dust and ashes."

Listen to these sobering words from God, including the words of hope at the end:

When you saw a thief, you consented with him, and have been a partaker with adulterers. You give your mouth to evil, and your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son. These things you have done, and I kept silent; you thought that I was altogether like you; but I will rebuke you, and set them in order before your eyes. Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver: whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God. (Psa 50:18-23)

No, God is not some sort of Schizoid man, prone to times of gentleness and then flying into a rage for no reason. Nothing could be further from the truth. He is very consistent. He is "slow to anger and abounding in mercy" (Ps. 103:8), but He is just and must not leave the guilty unpunished (Jer. 46:28). The fact is, God is perfect in all His ways. His anger is perfect, and so is His forgiveness. His justice is perfect, and so is His mercy. His love is perfect, and so is His hatred. For Him to be imperfect in any of these things would make him flawed, and He would not be worthy of our devotion. But this perfect God has made promises that He will keep perfectly, and among those promises are these:

For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. (Isa. 57:15)

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1Jn 1:9)

Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isa. 1:18)

The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. (Jesus, in John 6:37)

Do not fear to humble yourself in repentance before Him, acknowledging sin and unworthiness. Fear not doing so. Humility is the only way to truly be close to Him, for:

God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6)

(Please read about Self-Esteem Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 if the thought of humility seems unpleasant to you.)

The true God, the God of the Bible, who is holy and perfect and just and loving and forgiving... THIS God is infinitely worth knowing. In His presence is fullness of joy; at His right hand are pleasures forevermore (Ps. 16:11). Don't let pride, don't let anything hold you back from Him. It is worth anything and everything, not just to feel closer to Him, but to actually be closer to Him.

(Next: What about those who've prayed for help for years, even decades, before finally giving up and surrendering to sin?)


(Photo by Betsy Markman in Breckenridge, CO)