And then something changed. Can you remember when that was and what that was like? Each believer's story of responding to God's voice to "Come Forth" (as was spoken to Lazarus while he was 4 days in the tomb) is different. But we all know the thrill of the Spirit doing His good work in us to enable us to hear and understand God's truth. We all know the joy of seeing our sin for what it really was, and seeing our Savior for Who He is and for what He accomplished on the cross.
Over a year ago a dear sister in Christ was given a prophetic word by someone proven to have the gift of prophesy. I had the privilege of being present for this. The one giving the prophetic word did not know my friend. But as I sat there and listened, I worshiped God with wonder and amazement at God's specific care for his daughter.
God at that moment was wanting this woman to know that she had not been living in the reality of her regeneration. She was still wearing the graveclothes of guilt and condemnation. She had been functioning with a reversed order of things. She was more aware of the imperatives than she was of the indicatives of the Gospel resulting in repeated episodes of disobedience, and the guilt and condemnation that disobedience produces.
The person giving the prophetic word told my friend, "Sister, it's time to take off the grave clothes!!" In other words, if Christ had given her new life, she need not walk around like she was "mostly dead." She was not dead at all! The life she had been given in Christ came with Spirit of God who lives within her. She was no longer dead. She was alive and could, with the help of the Holy Spirit, live according to the Spirit, and experience all the fruit and blessings of regeneration.
Why do I share that story with you? Because it hits home to me today. Once again I've been given eyes to see the sin that remains in my heart. This week I've come to recognize how I live in unbelief towards God when it comes to my interactions with people. I live in fear. This is dishonoring to God and it has brought harm to my relationships. After hearing the truth this morning, I am thanking God that because He has made me alive and His Spirit dwells within me, I can approach this sin (and others) with faith toward God to put this sin to death.
My sisters, are you living in the reality that you are alive in God? Are you seeing your sin as a reason to despair (condemnation -which is just where Satan wants you); or are you seeing your sin as something you can put to death because you are alive and you no longer want to wear the grave clothes?
As we walk about our days, in our home, in the workplace, or in school, may others observe a bounce in our step which comes from our confidence in our life in God. And may we be part of God's life giving process whether it be to an unbelieving husband, a wayward son or daughter, a "strong-willed" child, the woman next door, a parent or a coworker as they observe our "life."
Can you think of one sin area where you've been saying, "I can't change" that you need to reconsider in light of this truth? How will living within the indicatives of the Gospel help you?
6 comments:
As I was going through my blogroll this morning, I came to yesterday evening's post on challies.com, which quotes from Jerry Bridges' book Respectable Sins. I thought it was fitting. I am not all that good at preaching the gospel to myself, and I think that is the key way to remember the indicatives before the imperatives. He writes:
"Since the gospel is only for sinners, I begin each day with the realization that despite my being a saint, I still sin every day in thought, word, deed, and motive. If I am aware of any subtle, or not so subtle, sins in my life, I acknowledge those to God. Even if my conscience is not indicting me for conscious sins, I still acknowledge to God that I have not even come close to loving Him with all my being or loving my neighbor as myself. I repent of those sins, and then I apply specific Scriptures that assure me of God's forgiveness to those sins I have just confessed.
I then generalize the Scripture's promises of God's forgiveness to all my life and say to God words to the effect that my only hope of a right standing with Him that day is Jesus' blood shed for my sins, and His righteous life lived on my behalf. This reliance on the twofold work of Christ for me is beautifully captured by Edward Mote in his hymn 'The Solid Rock' with his words, 'My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' blood and righteousness.' Almost every day, I find myself going to those words in addition to reflecting on the promises of forgiveness in the Bible.
What Scriptures do I use to preach the gospel to myself? Here are just a few I choose from each day:
As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:12)
'I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.' (Isaiah 43:25)
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)
Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin. (Romans 4:7-8)
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)
There are many others, including Psalm 130:3-4; Isaiah 1:18; Isaiah 38:17; Micah 7:19; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 2:13-14; Hebrews 8:12; and 10:17-18.
Whatever Scriptures we use to assure us of God's forgiveness, we must realize that whether the passage explicitly states it or not, the only basis for God's forgiveness is the blood of Christ shed on the cross for us. As the writer of Hebrews said, 'without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins' (9:22), and the context makes it clear that it is Christ's blood that provides the objective basis on which God forgives our sins."
So true. This makes me think of Psalm 119, especially verse 15,16: "I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word."
I am presently memorizing Psalm 103. This Psalm says it all, and been a comfort and encouragement to me time and time again.
The verses Jerry Bridges lists are worth jotting down on the inside cover of our Bibles for quick reference.
Thanks Brooke for sharing this with us.
An area in which I struggle is 'rejoicing in the Lord' after I have willfully sinned.
I often 'feel' like I need to go a period where I am miserable over my sin or where I punish myself enough to make myself acceptable to God again.
It's a real struggle to go to God right away, to confess my sin, and to believe that He delights in me.
It is especially hard to go to the Word (which is precisely what I need to do!) when I feel guilt over sin.
Thanks for sharing this, Brooke. It is another reminder to speak the Gospel to myself continually.
And thanks, Gayline, for sharing the story about this woman.
It is not befitting a child of God to wear 'grave clothes,' especially under the eye of the world.
God has 'shone forth His light' into our hearts--I live in the reality of that light so little of the time.
We can't fabricate feelings, but must seek the Lord and find true joy in Him--only then can we conquer our guilt and depression.
"In Him is fullness of joy and pleasures forever." Psalm 16:11b
When I am where Robin is I love singing the song, "Before the Throne" (I think it is by Steve and Vicki Cook). "When Satan tempts me to despair and tells me of the guilt within, upward I look and see Him there, who made an end of all my sin. Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free. For God the just is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me. To look on Him and pardon me."
That is one of my all-time favorite songs!!!!!!!!!!!
:)
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