06/20/2022
Do we listen for spiritual guidance in our everyday earthly walk, or do we believe that our journey through the world is separate from our walk of faith? Do we only hear God when we want help, and attempt to turn Him on and off like a spigot in other matters? Do we listen for His voice in the spiritual, but cover our ears otherwise? Before knowing God, and Jesus Christ we become accustomed to determining our own way, and walk or run as we like; this is the earthly way before we know the Lord. But, once we believe we are transformed, and our world ceases to be governed by our own decisions… we are ruled by He who created the world, and His Son Jesus who has conquered it. Are we prepared to live a righteous life? Are we prepared to face the consequences of continued sinning?
“And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.”
Isaiah 30:21 ESV
When we first begin to read the Bible, and become aware of Christ, we are inclined to believe that God comes and goes in our lives, and that we can reenter sinful places, or abominable establishments, without guilt or shame by simply checking our faith at the door like a hat or coat. The intoxication of sin numbs us to what is right, and we feel that we can satisfy our lust, or other sinful pleasures, and then reclaim our righteousness as we walk back into the portion of our life that we feel is inhabited by God. We are fooling ourselves. The conviction, and guilt keeps surfacing within us because God is with us always, and we are forgiven by praying for forgiveness.
“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.”
Psalm 139:7-12 ESV
Then we enter the adolescence of our faith, and we convince ourselves that we can use our knowledge of scripture in a legalistic way, by finding loopholes for our sinful misbehavior, and using it to reason away the guilt, and remorse, that so often fills us. The knowledge of our guilt, remains, and we commit sin while remaining aware of it, yet thinking we can use grace, or God’s love, to cover the spiritually illegal nature of our behavior. We are fooling ourselves. Eventually the truth of our inability to litigate ourselves from the penalty of sin becomes clear, and we must enter into our prayer closets on our knees, and plead fearfully for mercy before our forgiving God. This drives us forward in faith, and on into spiritual maturity.
“For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.”
Hebrews 10:26-27 ESV
So it is that we reach the adulthood of our faith, and the guilt associated with our sinning becomes a thick oil that covers us in its greasiness so completely that even our most intense contrition and an unrelenting outpouring of grief and remorse, has difficulty in cleansing us of it. The simple prayer of a new Christian, or the awakening and fearful prayer of an adolescent believer, are insufficient now, and our awakened hearts must be scraped clean, circumcised anew, and made pure by a reapplication of Christ’s blood; applied in our prayer closets and chairs during intense prayer and supplication. Anything less, and we are fooling ourselves.
“How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?”
Hebrews 10:29 ESV
In life, young children can take something that doesn’t belong to them, and receive a light discipline such as a trip to time-out or a swat on the rear. If adolescents take something that doesn’t belong to them it is called stealing, and they are given a suspended sentence, or placed in a juvenile facility for a short while. But, when an adult takes something that isn’t theirs, it is called robbery, grand theft, and the like. Adults are punished severely and given prison sentences that can be quite long. Their foolishness requires that a more severe punishment be meted out.
“How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?”
Hebrews 10:29 ESV
So, regardless of the maturity of our faith at this moment, we should practice listening for the voice of God always. Although the penalty we suffer for sin might be commiserate with the level of our maturity of faith, we hear the same voice, and only by growing accustomed to its sound, and learning to obey it, can we rest assured of the joy, peace, and other attributes of spending eternity in the presence of God. Are we following the voice of God to a righteous life?
Prayer:
Father, thank you for being with us always, and giving us direction in our lives. Thank you for your Son Jesus who opens our eyes to you, and teaches us how to listen for your voice. Help us to walk through the step by step maturation of our faith by listening to your voice, and obeying your every command. Remind us Lord, that although we can know the end of the story in Revelation, we don’t really know the story without having read its entirety, or know the wonders of way without having walked it. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who is with us always, and watches over us no matter where we are in our walk with you. Praised be your name for hearing our prayers, and judging us in accordance to our understanding. Merciful are you who forgives according to our understanding, and chooses not to remember our sins once forgiveness is given. Help us Holy Father to grow in our understanding of you, and walk out your will for our lives. Strengthen us against temptation, and protect us from all evil influences. Your grace is sufficient for us, so by your grace wash us in the blood of Christ, and dry our tears of contrition with the towel He has wrapped about His waist. Judge us in your unwavering fairness to be worthy, and pure, in your Son. Seat us, your children, at your table forevermore.
“And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.”
Luke 12:47-48 ESV
Rich Forbes