So in less than a week, I had already offended God two more times for sure, and more if He was doing the counting. And I really struggle with what to do, in light of the recent Sermons that Pastor has been preaching, and the Bible Studies that he has been teaching focusing on our Sin Nature. The study has been gut-wrenching because its truth has punched us where we’re most vulnerable; our opinion of ourselves. And indeed we are in a terrible struggle when we realize like Pastor says, that the potential to do everything that God saved us from, is still in us.
Our sin nature is our natural leaning to offend God. I don’t mean to re-preach the sermon, but we have all been delivered from the penalty of Sin if we have given our life to Christ. We are new creatures and old things are passed away. We may look new, and walk new, and talk new, but our old nature is still very much subject to active duty. But, until we are confronted we deceive ourselves. We’re comfortable knowing that God provided a covering for Adam & Eve so that they would not stand before Him in shame, and we learned that there are consequences to Sin.
But this is an age-old story and somehow we have managed to convince ourselves that we are alright because of what Christ has done. We understand that once saved-always saved. You can never lose your Salvation, and we sing the victory songs. We go about our business, assured of our eternal security; Casting our care on Him because He cares for us; Entering into His gates with Thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; and we offend Him with our self-righteousness. We pay our tithes. We come to Prayer-Meeting and Bible Study, and we are careful to meet and greet those that we like. By all appearances, we look okay.
But Pastor’s Sermon, Christianity for Grown Folks, is dismantling walls that it took us years to build: God is forcing us to look inward. Frankly, I wish he’s move on. His question, “How can there be true fellowship with the Father if we have no fellowship with one another?” is screaming for an answer, and the Word of God is probing, doing just what it’s meant to do. Jehovah El Roi, God who Sees and knows, is watching our lives. By His Word, He is calling us to a higher place. He sees through our deception. He knows our heart. What we’re thinking. What we’re hiding. And that it is the hidden things that keep us separated.
There are something I may say or do that you would never know- But He knows! There have been times when I wanted to break fellowship with Him because I felt that the offense was too great; that He would not understand; like Adam & eve- too ashamed to be with you. But He covered me like He covered them. And if we’re going to grow together, we have no choice but to wear His covering like a warm coat on a cold day, confess our condition, and received His forgiveness yet again.
In those times when I know I have offended Him, I can confess it, or I can pretend it never happened. Following Jesus is the process of His choosing me, but growing up spiritually, is me choosing Him.
Submitted By Deaconess Irene Gardon