The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?- Jeremiah 17:9
Who can discern his own errors? Cleanse me from my hidden faults – Psalms 19:12
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalms 139:23,24
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:Matthew 15 : 19
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.- 1 Thessalonians 5:23
4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God. – 1 Corinthians 4: 4,5
These passages of scripture from the Old and the New Testament show us the need for the continual sanctifying work of the Spirit deep in our hearts. While it is true that when a person is genuinely saved, God gives him a new heart and spirit (Ezekiel 11:19 ; 2 Corinthians 5:17), we still need the continuing light of the Spirit to keep our hearts clean. Due to our frailty and ignorance in not guarding our hearts diligently on a consistent basis in life’s journey, there is always the possibility of the enemy sowing in his seeds in us.
Also, even after receiving a new heart and spirit, we still battle every day with the desires of our flesh and self! The latter being very subtle and deceptive. Self needs to die daily; the desires of the flesh need to be crucified. If self is left unchecked, it can creep into (grow in) our lives and ministry wearing the cloak of godliness and spirituality. It leads to works of the flesh and when flesh matures it gives place to all sorts of deceptive works and demonic infiltrations that eventually corrupt the spirit and heart. While those that are His should never reach that point, if we constantly disobey His voice and follow our own ways, we may very well end up there. Therefore, the light of the Spirit constantly shining in our lives, showing our intents and motives is imperative in that regard.
And we are living in times where the gospel message at its core has been diluted greatly. It is man (self) centered rather than Christ centered and therefore, we have unregenerate people who have tried to access God’s power and the blessings in His word. They are entangled with those who are truly following the Lord. It has led to a mixture of spirits.
Leaving aside their wrong motives and deceptions, many of our spirits may have been tainted due to association with such people (many times unknowingly) and therefore we need the light of the Spirit more than ever today.
Now, let us look into a few examples from scripture, to shed more light on the truth that our motives and inward thoughts and deepest feelings need to be constantly sanctified!
In scriptures, analyzing the life of Balaam, Judas and Peter, all three were involved in ministry. While Balaam’s missteps are more pronounced in scripture from the very beginning, Judas (seemingly) left everything to follow Christ like the other disciples. On the outside, there was not much that could differentiate his lifestyle from that of other disciples. Every discernment exercised on his faults was only after the fact by the biblical writers. The two of them followed God but with wrong motives or selfish ambitions.
Now in the case of Balaam, in interpreting 2 Peter, those who left the way are likened to Balaam. It could then be said that Balaam probably had some good intentions in the beginning but later gave into his fleshly lust for money and fame as time went by.
In the case of Judas, we see Jesus calling him a devil. Therefore, we can conclude that he never was genuine. It was just a façade.
In Peter’s case, it can be observed that his genuine intention to follow Christ was accompanied by pride and selfishness; this was also true for all the other disciples including John to some extent.
Why is this so important? Because everyone who is serving the LORD falls into one of these three categories.
God in His endless mercy and grace gives us many chances to see our own selfishness, pride and wrong motives. He does this by shining His light personally as it was in the case of Balaam initially. He speaks consistently as he would have in the case of Judas, as Jesus’ life and words would have constantly shone a light in his darkness. He also reveals our true selves through the difficult circumstances we are faced with as in the case of Peter and the disciples.
He does everything with the intent that we stand purified before Him; to bear much fruit for His glory and eternal purposes. So that we change our ways when in error. His endless mercies give us one chance after another, till the very end with the intent of saving our souls.
The vitally important question that needs to be asked here is, did I fully acknowledge my mistakes and change course accordingly when His light revealed my true intentions and desires? If I claim to follow Christ, I must have faced this question at some point in my journey with Him. If I haven’t, then am I truly following Him?
Have we ignored his promptings as in the case of Balaam? Have we totally been closed and hardened as in the case of Judas? Or have we truly repented, taking full responsibility like Peter and the disciples did? All of us are broken but only some give their broken pieces to God allowing HIM to work deep inside them!
In observing the many things that have come to light this season, it’s greatly disheartening to see the lack of genuine repentance and its subsequent fruit in many. When someone is caught in a lifestyle of sin and don’t exhibit proper repentance or don’t repent of a sin when confronted but continue in it, the questions that need to be asked is “are they genuinely following Christ”? Am I truly following Christ? Why am I following Christ? Why are they following Christ? One who is truly following the Lord cannot continue in denial for a long time without His disciplines. If we are without discipline, then are we truly His? These are important questions that need to be asked in our times as we approach the end of all things!
If I am building on Christ and my motives have been pure, then repentance and taking responsibility for my actions should be easy, setting an example for others to follow. The fact that accepting one’s mistake is so difficult today and must be wrested out shows our corruption. Have we been building our own kingdoms from our own selfish ambitions and desires rather than God’s? O Lord, tear and burn down everything that is not of you, that all of our life, every one of our actions and our entire ministry are a sweet-smelling incense before You!
Brethren let us judge ourselves by asking for His eyes of fire to search us in a time of judgement. Let us guard our own hearts and spirits even more diligently by separating or distancing ourselves from those we need to in obedience to the truth and show mercy and grace to others when necessary, leading them into the truth.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
