Through to where?

We simply must examine ourselves. And be seeking the truth about ourselves. It takes only a moment for me to remember the self constructed frame that I sought to live by, the house that I built which I believed would get me through. But then came One who whispered “Through to where?”

It is quite often that my old carpenter wants to return to my old frame house. I step inside and my foot goes through the flooring. When I pull my foot back up, there is sand all over the shoe. If I do not turn and flee away from this shack of horrors, troubles are sure to come. If I proceed to build a fire in the old fire place, what will that be but strange fire? O the woe that strange fire brings. It warms and enlivens the man of flesh. It revives death. There is a way (a lifestyle) that seems right unto man, but the end thereof is death.

We cannot paint the picture strongly enough. God paints with a black blacker than the most moonless starless night, and with a white brighter than bleached linen at noon on a cloudless day. Bad is bad and good is good. They are more separate than night and day. The night and the day are both alike to God. He sees as well at 2am as at 10 am. And He sees everything all at once. No thing and no action escape His attention. And while we are still bound by His will to these jars of clay, we live in a world where good and evil are in such close proximity that we bump elbows with bad things daily.

While they may touch of temples of clay, shall we allow them to enter in? God forbid. God, having forgiven our sin by the blood of His Son HAS cleansed the temple. Why then do I often find myself brushing sand from my feet? How is it that I did not notice the sand I walked across to get to that old shack? What are the sign I missed? I admit that I failed to do the right thing, and did the wrong thing, even if the wrong thing was doing nothing at all. But need I do these wrong things over and over? God forbid.

If you are not living in freedom from actions and habits that are wrong, not only God forbid them, but YOU ALSO FORBID THEM!!! God must be pleased by all our sincere efforts to please Him. Be to pleasing Him, forbid yourself the sins you have done to please your appetite. Do this not to make a name for yourself, but to show the Lord’s esteem in your repentance and obedience. It is God who makes us righteous. I can never be impressed by my repentance. To stop sinning is not glamorous; it is the need and duty to God of everyman. I do not stand above others because I repent. Nor do I stand above others because I obey. Yet it is true that we stand apart from willful sinners in our cooperative life with God.

This is where the enemies of God will seek to drive a wedge. Obeying God is consequential. It brings delight to God, and comfort to our souls knowing He is pleased by our obedience. Yet obeying God also sets us apart, often in stark contrast with those who do not obey, even those who sit in the pews or folding chairs with us. It may bring much opposition from the enemies of God, even from those who worship beside us.

The devil is busy trying to cause others to mock us for our good obedience. The term “goody two shoes” comes to mind. If we are faithful in our repentance we will walk ever nearer to Jesus, He who ultimately was killed for being good. Yes, He was so good that He was entirely misunderstood, and murdered out of that misunderstanding! Let us walk ever nearer to Him no matter how much opposition the devil stirs up against us.

It is so rightly said that if we are opposed for obeying God, we are suffering as Christ suffered. To be opposed, even crucified, and murdered because we obey God can only end in our salvation! It is appointed unto every man to die, and then to be judged. We who believe in the Son of God Jesus have been pardoned the condemnation and sentence of eternal separation from Him, that second everlasting death for unbelieving Christ, no repentance of wrong deeds and thoughts, and not returning our souls to the Father by Jesus.

Whatever death we may die, it is the death of the flesh. Our spirit and souls are then (yes, even now!) everlastingly alive !!! Shall not then the yoke of the Lord Jesus be easy, and His burden truly a light burden? Shall not then the self denial He requires be a joy as it brings the illumination of His fellowship, and the opportunity and power to serve others? Then we may lead others to the wonderful straight gate and narrow way, when they are aware that we seek no reward from them, we seek instead for them their reward of faith, received through their faith, that is: their trust in His unmerited Favor.

Hallelu Yah!!!