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Good Morning, Tuesday Worshipers!!
It's been a while (a crazy, chaotic while) since I was able to sit down, meditate on, love the Lord and bless His name with you.
Thank you for your kindness and grace in all things toward me. God (true to Self) has been working and pruning the hedges, so to speak. All good, but certainly difficult.
I'm praying that as He continues His good work - because all that He does IS good (Psalm 145:17-19) - I am able to see His bounty of grace, feel His heart of compassion, move with His guidance, and share Him accordingly! This is the hope!
There's a book that I've been reading on and off for the last year called, "Valley of Vision." It's a puritan's prayer book, something that has been written to guide our prayer life. As I read it, there is something that continually stands out to me about it: grief over sin is absolutely necessary for genuine repentance and continual growth.
Let me explain a couple of things first.
There is nothing in the Bible that states we are to relish in our sin, dwell in our sin, continually think on our sin, or obey the temptation to sin. NOTHING.
The Lord tells us to set our minds on things above (Col. 3:2), to engage our minds in the true, lovely, praiseworthy things (Phil. 4:8), flee temptation (2 Tim. 2:22-24), enter God's courts with thanksgiving and praise (Psalm 100:4), and so on.
In fact, we are reminded as believers in Christ that we are no longer slaves to our sin, but set free in Jesus (John 8:36), a temple of His Spirit (Romans 8:9) and called "saints" (Rom. 1:7, 1 Cor. 1:2).
So, what of this grief over sin?
Why continually?
Is it truly necessary?
Well for all of you who have put your sole trust in God alone, and read His Word with a studious faith, you know it is impossible for God to lie, sin, or contradict Himself (Num. 23:19). For those of you still skeptical over the truthfulness and variable nature of the Bible, let this not be a hindrance or stumbling block. Rather, look at it as an argument for why it's possible to live in the tension a joyful love and service to God, even in the middle of sorrowing over our broken nature and human state that exists until glory. After all, "a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise." (Psalm 51:17)
Praise Him.
David held to that.
I will hold to that.
The puritan's prayer is a page long of old English prose, but let me recite the part that stood out to me, which is the purpose I write this blog.
"I thank thee (God) for they riches to me in Jesus,
for the unclouded revelation of Him in they Word,
where I behold his Person, character, grace, glory,
humiliation, sufferings, death, and resurrection;
Give me to feel a need of His continual Saviourhood,
and cry with Job, 'I am vile',
with Peter, 'I perish,'
with the publican, 'Be merciful to me, a sinner'.
Subdue in me the love of sin,
Let me know the need of renovation as well as of forgiveness,
in order to serve and enjoy thee forever.
I come to thee in the all-prevailing name of Jesus,
with nothing of my own to plead,
no works, no worthiness, no promises.
I am often straying...."
It goes on, and there is some before it. But do you get the general feel? The title of this prayer is (ironically) "GOD THE SOURCE OF ALL GOOD."
Now, some may still argue that this prayer is for those who long to administer the penal code against themselves in prayer, laying punishment on them and beating their own hearts for what they have done. Nope.
Nope.
Nope, nope NOPE!
Because God is good and is the source of all good. Because of His goodness He has laid the punishment of all sin on His beloved Son Jesus Christ, that through Him all would be saved, healed and sealed to Him.
Joyfully, I look at this prayer and see a couple of things (things that I hope you will also see), which guides me into a praise and worship meditation of the Lord Christ.
1. I am in CONSTANT need of my Savior. In realizing my constant need for the Savior,
2. I have CONSTANT joy in serving Him, loving Him, and living in His promises!
This is a WIN/WIN. I hope you can see that.
Grief over the hardness of our hearts, that "fleshly" nature that we battle in thoughts, words and deeds daily, is a good and godly thing.
Firstly, God KNOWS that our hearts are broken. He KNOWS that we rage war on ourselves daily to suppress the sin-nature, and develop the mind of Christ. He KNOWS the attempts we make at bringing our own strengths and weapons to the battle field. He knew it way back when, when through the prophet Ezekiel He would add to the beauty of the Gospel through this promise:
"I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules." (Ezek. 36:25-27)
The promise made to Israel is the Promise of the Holy Spirit.
DID YOU HEAR THAT!?
The promise of being made new, being made clean, being given a new heart, a new spirit, a new trajectory, a new way of life, would come through the work of His very own Spirit that would dwell in each believer.
Friend, in Christ - in the belief that He is the anointed One of God sent to die for the sins of world, raise again the 3rd day and rise to His place of power - you receive the power of God unto salvation and unto the beautiful work of sanctification which is a big word for "becoming like Jesus."
What does this mean?
We bring nothing - REALLY, NOTHING - to our salvation and change.
Even when we are broken and contrite before Him who is holy, it remains purely by the will of God to send His Spirit, to make us new, change our hearts to the obedience of our Faithful Father, convict us of our deep, ugly, morbid, twisted, perverse and unholy ways, and bring us to ongoing repentance.
This is the M.O. of the One who promises His riches in Christ Jesus. This is how we identify with Him who was crushed for our iniquities, bore our shame, and paid our unfathomable debt of sin.
Christ died for our sins.
They're all paid for.
Every.
Single.
One.
Until glory, however, we will daily need Him. Until His triumphful entry into our world as The King, His Spirit will do His work as promised, carving away the hindrances to the Light He's put inside us; refine us by fire and purify us for Himself; work through our mess to better serve as Gospel proclaimers and ambassadors to our neighborhood, city, family, friends, church!
Again...
Why continually?
Is it truly necessary?
As He subdues our stubborn heart (the heart that loves sin, rather than Jesus), we will see that grief over our daily sin, will lead us to Him. Draw us into His presence. See Him for who HE is, and better see who WE are.
Do not be afraid to approach God in sorrow over your sin. He will neither reject you nor punish you.
In fact, those who entrust their lives to the Life-Giver, find life indeed. Freedom indeed.
Lord, keep subduing our stubbornness to your work, and help us understand better that the Holy Spirit is leading us into life, just as you promised that living in the Spirit leads to life! Joy! Peace! Love! Compassion!
In your sweet and precious name, Jesus...
Amen.
Much love, sweet sisters.
Deeds
IG: mercies_journaled
Affiliate link to stamps used: www.sweetnsassystamps.com/?aff=7
Stamps featured:
Marker Alpha (August Release!)
His Name
Grunge Elements 2
Dazzling Dahlia
Happy Alpha
Forever and Always (ON SALE %15 off!)
Healer of My Heart
