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discerning the spirits, exhortation, experience, forgiveness, grace, heart, judging others, light, rest, sin, truth
While typing the headline, I myself just wondered about the wording of this title. You and I know what sin is when we read or talk about it, however, is it possible that there are differences of motives when we fall in sin? I was just thinking about the Pharisees who by condemning a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery basically did no wrong thing according to their own law as they wanted to stone her. The Jews indeed had the right to judge those who belonged to them, just as they had no right to do so with others who were no Jews like the Gentiles. But here stood Jesus who represented the end of the Old Covenant, the end of the law for all those who believe in Him (cf. Rom 10:4). He alone was the One who could show grace to this poor woman “for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (Jn 1:17 ESV)
It was clear to everyone that she was a sinner, but it was not yet that clear to the Pharisees that they were sinners too. I am pretty sure that Jesus’ light shone into their hearts as He remained silent and wrote their names in the sand. I just referred to this outcry of the prophet Jeremiah here,
“O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water.” (Jer 17:13 ESV)
If Jesus had not shown them the truth of their own hearts, why did they finally leave Him? The woman instead stayed with Him and eventually she received His forgiveness. Nonetheless, Jesus told her to not sin anymore. Our Lord is a gracious Lord as I know firsthand. But the more we have come to know Him personally and intimately, the less He tolerates sin in our lives. Indeed, He wants to see a perfect bride who is blameless due to her utter dependence on Him (like this woman), NOT because of her own efforts and works (like the Pharisees).
Some Christians seem to believe that Jesus also came to abolish the sinfulness of sin and thus fall into the deception of trying to be tolerant toward everyone. In fact, like in Old Covenantal times, it is not the Church’s task to judge those who are outside the Church since God does this as 1 Cor 5:13 confirms. However, those who are inside the Church, those with who we are fellowshipping, according to verse 12 they need to be judged (or rebuked, condemned, even punished as some translators read) by us, esp. if God told us to do so. This judgment should also refer to ourselves (1 Cor 11:31) just as God gives us His light in discerning our own heart, particularly in this case when we have fallen in sin. We always have the duty to speak the truth in love with one another, however, we should also know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump. If we tolerate sin in our own lives and/or in those lives of who we are fellowshipping, we will go downhill and eventually leave the Lord whether we might be aware of that danger or not.
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’” Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (Heb 3:7-13 ESV)
As an addition I want to point you to a Scripture that seems to contradict my previous statements. Paul who was judged with carnal judgment by other believers answered them,
“This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.” (1 Cor 4:1-5 ESV)
Paul did not put a ban on judgment in each and every case, but he reminded the Corinthians that a servant of God who knows about divine mysteries others don’t is always directly judged by the Lord Himself and it is truly a stricter judgment as the other believers might have ever come to know since “to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” (Lk 12:48 ESV) The apostle only let us know that we may only judge if we have received the light from God to do so. I believe that the Lord’s coming in 1 Cor 4:5 is the day of the Lord in our own life when the morning star has risen in our own heart, when all darkness must flee in the presence of the One whose face we may then behold, for it is the pure heart only that will be finally enabled to see the eternal God (Mt 5:8).
“But the more we have come to know Him personally and intimately, the less He tolerates sin in our lives.”
Hmm, interesting. I have similar experiences. We can be very linear thinkers, we people, so we like the law black and white, but we all know there is some difference between a man who is starving and steals a loaf of bread and someone well off out shoplifting CD’s. Thou shall not steal, true, but with our starving man, isn’t the real sin in the fact that we let one of our own go hungry? The complexity of the morality or the immorality is really something we need God to sort out, which is why He is the actual judge and not us. He can see into people’s hearts and the extenuating circumstance in our lives.
I sometimes think of this as parents do,one child can do things the others can’t. So a two year old can get away with acting like a two year old, whereas if you are 9 it is just not acceptable. Conversely however, the older kids can stay out longer, while the younger ones had better be home before dark.
I suspect God views each of us like that too, as individuals at different stages of faith, with different strengths and weaknesses. So what may be okay for one, easily forgivable, may not be so forgiveable in another. LOL, in other words, someone else may get away with something that we ourselves would be in big trouble over.
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I like your examples, both the one about stealing a loaf of bread (thinking of King David here too) and the other one regarding children. Very well put, Gabrielle! ⭐
The closer we have come to God and His Holy presence, the more dangerous it gets for us to hide our true heart’s intentions before Him. Am just thinking about Hananias and Saphira (Acts 5) 😦 While the woman caught in adultery had not known the living God through Jesus before, the Christian whose body has been filled with the Holy Spirit so that he became a temple of God must never do such things any longer (cf. Heb 6:4-6). Inheriting the kingdom of God while living in sin excludes us from this very kingdom. Even eternally. We read,
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Cor 6:9-10 ESV)
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Gal 5:19-21 ESV)
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” (Rev 22:14-15 ESV)
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I get upset at my self every time I make a mistake or sin. I actually fear sinning because of getting deserved punishment for it. I know I have been told I am hard on my self. What you have said above is one of the reasons I do that.
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Yes, I have been hard on myself, too, Fred. Always! But in my case I saw that it had not so much to do with God. Rather, I have been a perfectionist who wants to look better on the outside although my heart condition of the old self is truly UGLY! 😛
As for fearing punishment for sin, I was reminded of this Scripture which says,
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” (1 Jn 4:18 ESV)
However, you are right. If you like to consider my answer to Gabrielle above, there is indeed a punishment for sin when we continually live in the Holy presence of God. Nonetheless, it does not yet apply to you, Fred. Do not worry! These trials in which our faith is severely tested come much later on our spiritual journey. And they are hard to survive, even, our old self won’t survive them at all!! We can only let go of everything and lose our old self life in order to be born anew as a real new creation into the kingdom of God. Just as Jesus said,
“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Mt 16:25 ESV)
And apostle Paul confirmed,
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Cor 5:17 ESV)
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Susanne, you brought up a very interesting scripture regarding what Jesus might have been writing in the dirt that day.
“O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water.” (Jer 17:13 ESV)
God had already said about the Jews,
“He answered and said unto them, Well has Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” (Mark 7:6-7, KJ2000)
We can give God and Jesus a lot of lip service and be very religious, even make up our own rules for others to follow. Religion is full of this kind of behavior, but it can be more of a hobby or a superstitious act to cover our own sinful hearts than a loving relationship with our Father. Our willingness to accuse others of the very same things we are guilty of discloses to God and others our own hypocrisy and wicked hearts. Yes, the heart motive is everything with God. Without His mercy and grace toward us and us extending the same to others, knowing our own hearts, we are toast!
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Yes, without His grace and mercy, we are toast, Michael. Sooo true! ⭐
I was reminded of that which you often quote, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” (John Bradford) Or as apostle Paul originally put it,
“For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” (1 Cor 15:9-10 ESV)
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That reply by Gabby is right on–I was trying to come up with a reply and she did it for me–Way to go Gab.
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Thanks for confirmation, Ken.
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That makes me like the fact that I named my last daughter Gabby.
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🙂
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It was clear to everyone that she was a sinner, but it was not yet that clear to the Pharisees that they were sinners too.
So well stated…
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Thank you very much, David.
To be honest, I have seen the Pharisee in my own heart quite often, too. 😦
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And I have seen it in my own heart as well as I try to posture myself over one who is suffering instead of comforting them with the love of Christ. God help us all. 😦
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Amen, Michael.
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Thank you this is very helpful.
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You are very welcome, Fred.
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I don’t check my other email often that much anymore. But following along this blog and comments was very refreshing and quickening too. Sometimes I wonder some things. I feel kind of stagnant. And yes I am very hard on myself. Been praying much more than I used too.
When I was in the Pharisee role, I didn’t really know I was until my meltdown. Surely it was not a very pleasant time for me to really examine myself. I won’t go into it all except to say that I survived. Now it seems like I am at a point where I am a little uncomfortable with myself. And I do believe it is because I feel stuck. So good to see you guys.
Love you! Stacey
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Happy to hear from you again, dear Stacey. 🙂
Glad you found the blog and comments thread refreshing. What you just said about feeling stagnant, I had this feeling lately too until God spoke to my heart and told me that it was not so much about my old nature’s feelings that could reveal my true spiritual condition. Actually, He wants to awake our spiritual senses and these need to be trained so that we do not rely on our habitual feelings anymore.
Much love to you,
Susanne ❤
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Oh, so true, dear Susanne. The Lord spoke to me about this telling me that there are five spiritual senses just like there are our five natural senses and told me that I needed to depend on these more that my natural ones. As I pondered this I found scriptures to back this up and have been praying to that end.
Spiritual Taste
Spiritual Hearing
Spiritual Sight
Spiritual Touch
Spiritual Smell
And finally,
Christian maturity is found in those who have spiritual senses active within them as they abide IN Christ. I know that Susanne has been very active in spiritual sight and hearing as well as spiritual discernment.
Love to you all,
Michael ❤
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Wowee!!! ⭐ Michael, this is an excellent exposition on the spiritual senses!! Impressive! Thanks for your encouraging words, too. 🙂 What hit me in particular was that part on spiritual touch. How many in Pentecostal and Charismatic circles lay their hands on believers without God telling them to do so? No wonder, that evil spirits spread that way. 😦 As for spiritual taste, I believe this is all about enjoying God’s ecstatic love in the Spirit, which is a mystery until God opens the eyes and ears of our heart. Thanks a bunch for your inspiring comment, my dear friend. ♡
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Susanne, I am happy to hear that what I wrote was enlightening to you. Yes, spiritual touch can be both healing and damaging as we both have experiencing depending what spirit the “toucher” is operating in. I will be praying that we “taste and see that the Lord is good,” more often. 😊
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Praying with you for all who might read this, Michael. 😊
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