09/30/2020
How perfectly contrived is Satan’s trap that is set using our own self as bait. Nothing lures us away from God, and our faith in Jesus, like the smell of our own morality or self-righteousness. Do we view ourselves in a mirror, and smile at what we see? Do we look at our good deeds, and think that we have certainly pleased God with them, or moreover... that we are saving ourselves by them? Do we say to ourselves “ How perfect is my faith, and how righteous am I!”? This is a death trap that springs shut on our soul.
““Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:3 ESV
When we grow smug in our spirituality, and confident in our ability to resist sin, to serve God, and with a faith that we consider greater than that of others; then we are the most vulnerable. Losing our keen eye for danger, and our dependence on God‘s mercy and grace through Christ, even for an instant, can reveal our weakness to Satan. I read the writing of Thomas Watson, a Puritan preacher of the 1600s as he wrote on this very subject in his book titled ‘The Beatitudes’, listen to his words...
“Reason laughs at it, but the poor in spirit are blessed, and the proud in spirit are cursed. There is a generation who commits idolatry with themselves. There is no idol like self. They admire their own moralities and self-righteousness, and upon this stock they graft the hope of their salvation.” - Thomas Watson
Do Watson’s words speak to us, and cause us discomfort? Do they prompt us to think about how quietly, and confidently we sit on the pew each Sunday, listening to the pastor preach, and not squirming, or feeling convicted by the Word of God in the least? If we are this confident in our walk of faith, and find no further instruction in the Word, then we have lost our ability to be poor in spirit, and the blessing it brings.
“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”
James 1:14-15 ESV
When my children were young we went to a local business to play laser tag. I recall their excitement, and how they wanted to win the game by not being hit by someone else’s laser, and by having shot more people than the others. Well, the game is not really what I want to talk about today, but rather, I want to speak about the keen edge that their desire not to be shot would hone in them. Their desire to survive caused their senses to rise, their ability to concentrate to become much greater, and brought about a dependence on one another to protect each other, by forming alliances,. All of these things became greater than they typically were.
As their adrenaline rushed through them they would do very well, but when they became confident in their ability, then their concentration ebbed, and they felt they no longer needed one another to survive. At this point they would let their guard down, and invariably suffer the consequences... they would lose the game. Likewise it is easy for us to become overconfident in ourselves regarding faith, and thus loose our edge against sin, and a healthy fear of God. When we sit comfortable in our faith, and believe we no longer need God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit to watch over us, or be our protectors, and saviors, then we are lost... we find that our abilities alone are not enough. Listen as Jesus speaks to us...
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.”
John 15:4-6 ESV
So, when we sit comfortable on the pew, confident in our ability, or in our lives of faith, and believe that we can now overcome the world on our own, then we are lost, and our overconfident spirit can no longer feel the pangs of its hunger. We have lost our desire to seek God In humility as we should... and we are on the verge of losing our blessing, and heaven... we have succumbed to pride in ourselves, and are becoming our own gods.
“Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you.
All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.””
Ezekiel 28:17, 19 ESV
If this is who we are becoming, then we must humble ourselves, seek Jesus, and rekindle a fear of God. If this is us then we must allow God’s Holy Word to convict us once more, and Jesus to redeem us from this subtly laid trap that Satan has baited with our own individual scent of self... if this is us then we are now on the verge of falling victim to our own pride.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your Holy Word, and for revealing through it the danger of worshiping ourselves. Thank you Lord for your Son Jesus whose life teaches us of fearing, and obeying you, and how we should humble ourselves in obedience to your will. Stir our spirits Father when we hear your Word spoken, and sermons delivered that should be cutting us like a knife. Circumcise our hearts Heavenly Father, so that the least of your commands will convict us, and bring us closer to you; restoring in us your blessing that is promised to the poor in spirit. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who gathers to you the poor of spirit, and blesses them. Great are you who pours out your grace over the humble and meek. Merciful are you who sent your Son Jesus to redeem us, and to become the vessel for your grace. Praised be your name Lord, for all the glory of our salvation is yours, and the nervousness of our spirits in your presence serves as a sign of our desire to serve you, and you alone. Hear our prayers Father, and never let our shadow fall on you. Deliver us Lord, and fill us with a perfect love for you forevermore. Stand us before you, and while our eyes are cast downward, lift our faces go you... not by our own doing, but with your merciful and forgiving hand.
“But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”
James 4:6-10 ESV
Rich Forbes