Uses of Affliction 06
5. Preventing sin.
Oh what a blessing such an affliction proves to be! These are so dear that we might well call them blessed afflcitions.
How often does an afflcition prevent us from falling into or continuing in a sin? We will never know this side of heaven. What love, what mercy is this that is willing to test our faith for our protection and good? Can we really complain? Can we really withhold praise? No.
Of course we must be mindful of Paul's "thorn in the flesh" which is perhaps the clearest example we can find of such a blessed affliction. But we do not want to miss the point. Certainly the affliction was to prevent Paul from being conceited BUT it also taught him that his strength was to be perfected through the afflcition.
Now, here's a question. Are we willing to not just accept be even pray for afflcitions that will prevent our sinning? Are we willing to ask God to afflict us that some unseen danger might be removed? Are we willing to call upon our loving Father to do whatever He deems best for our security and wholesomeness - our holiness?
In preventing afflcitions we can usually see a thwarting of our prideful wills. We make our plans, we devise our schemes and then God inflicts some affliction that brings all our plans and schemes to nought. Are we willing to accept, whether we see it or not, that this is His good provision for our good? Are we willing to see the blessing in the afflcition?
I know this is hard! I know this is work! I know that this can be very confusing! But until we are willing to learn and accept that all things work for the glory of God and until we are more (much more) focused on that end we will find ourselves wrestling with God and not in a good way.
I love John 9. It is without a doubt my favorite story in the Bible. I have read it almost too much if that is possible but in doing so I have seen the blessedness of affliction. The man, being born blind, was prohibited from commiting some sins. We see a humility and a yieldedness in him. We see in his reaction to his healing a gratitude and commitment. Would it have been the same had he not been born blind? I don't KNOW but I suspect not.
How could we ever complain of anything that hinders the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life from blossoming in our lives? Should we not rather, when under some afflcition, look closely for its preventative purpose (not just its corrective purpose)? Should we not consider what God is keeping us from and how great a blessing that is. Should not God's pro-activity be a casue for joy and gratitude - not to mention awe?
"Lead us not into temptation but deliver us...." And if God chooses to use and afflcition to respond to this prayer are we willing to accept it and thank Him for it? This is not easy - it goes against our abiding corruption and too often makes us mumur against God.
When Jesus says we should be willing to poke our an eye or cut of a hand is He not demonstrating the blessedness of those afflictions that keep us from sin?
In our current time of afflcition there are many things we can not do. Most of all we can't engage in temporal pastimes and comforts. Is there a puspose to this? Yes and as we move through it we see what wrong choices we would make or at least be tempted to make were we not under this afflcition. We also see how, where we comfortable and at ease, we would fall back into that apathetic faith in which we had previously walked. Every plan/scheme we have considered had been demonstrated to be for naught - Every "hail Mary" interevention we have looked for has come to nothing. And why? Because He would have us depend upon Him in an unemcumbered, raw manner - God and God alone.
Let me encourage you - beg you - to look for the preventative blessing God brings with afflcition. It is not a minor use but one of great value and lasting effect.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Uses of Affliction 05 031814
Uses of Affliction 05
4. Correction and punishment for sin.
For those who do not think God punishes our sin here perhaps a re-reading of the OT would be appropriate. We like to avoid that word punishment by using words like correct or discipline but changing the word does not change God's purpose. Nor is it any better to talk of God allowing us to suffer the consequences of our sin as opposed to saying He punishes them. Allowing us to face the consequences of our sin is in and of itself a form of punishment.
Sorry folks, but God not only forgives but He punishes as well. Afflictions are His means of conveying His displeasure, correcting, applying discipline - punishing sin. It is His mercy and grace that limits the intensity of the affliction for we all know quite clearly what we actuallly deserve for our sin.
I know few believers for who a simple note concerning some sin they are trapped in would suffice. It seems the bigger and deeper the sin the bigger and deeper the punishment. Wow - aren't we distressed by the idea of God punishing us for our sin?
Now many of you will have a hard time with this idea and I can sympathise. For many of us punishment means an excessinve act of arbitrary anger on the part of someone in authority. It does not seem so much like correction as revenge for some wrong we have committed hence we have a terrible time thinking of God's punishment.
But, at least for me, the important thing is that God's punishment has a point, a purpose and it is done in love. God's punishment is intended for our sanctification - our being conformed to the likeness of Christ - which should be a point and purpose for us as well.
Grace is NOT a free pass, a get out of jail free card. Grace is the turning away of the eternal punishment we deserve onto Christ so that we may never never need fear it. But in our daiy lives, in our daily sanctification God will punish us for sins especially those sins which are deeply set in our hearts.
You love temporal tiing too much, they are little gods in your life? That is sin and god may well see the need to punish you for your idolatry. He may well see that only exile will bring you back from the edge. Perhaps He may allow or impose some physical issue or impairment. Perhaps you will suffer the loss place or position. Perhaps, as seems more and more likely, you will suffer imprinsoment, a loss of freedom for your sin.
But punshment is a mean God uses to correct and discipline His children in love and a deep unknowlable desire that they be comformed to Christ's likeness. Punishment always has a point - a purpose.
I struggle with this as Patti and I pass through the affliction we are facing. I used all the soft words (correction, discipline, refining, etc) for what is taking place but as time passes and my sin was made clearer. I ceased to be shocked by the idea that God might be punishing me - I certainly deserved it and I don't know that anything less would have made the impact this punishment did.
I struggled with the idea that God was mad at me and was rejecting me even that I had never believed in the first place. But the more I prayed and read the Word the more I came to see that God was never closer to me than when He found it necessary to punish me to bring me out of sin.
Not all afflcition must be seen as punishment. It may very well be simple correction or common discipline but we can not afford to refuse the idea that God does and will punish His erring children for His glory for their good.
Punishment is not the absense of grace or mercy. Indeed I've come to think that, for the believer, God's punishment for sin is an act of mercy and a great reminder of grace. There is a certain sweetness to the rod when we see it as an act of mercy. He loves us that much.
When my father used to punish me he would always tell me "This hurts me more that it does you." I neve believed him - don't believe it even today - but what I feel about that is not what I feel about God's punishment. His love is so mighty, so intense that I do believe that when He punishes one of His, it does hurt Him more than it does us.
One of the uses of afflcition is indeed to punish - to show us in a very up close and personal way if not the wages of sin then the pocket change.
4. Correction and punishment for sin.
For those who do not think God punishes our sin here perhaps a re-reading of the OT would be appropriate. We like to avoid that word punishment by using words like correct or discipline but changing the word does not change God's purpose. Nor is it any better to talk of God allowing us to suffer the consequences of our sin as opposed to saying He punishes them. Allowing us to face the consequences of our sin is in and of itself a form of punishment.
Sorry folks, but God not only forgives but He punishes as well. Afflictions are His means of conveying His displeasure, correcting, applying discipline - punishing sin. It is His mercy and grace that limits the intensity of the affliction for we all know quite clearly what we actuallly deserve for our sin.
I know few believers for who a simple note concerning some sin they are trapped in would suffice. It seems the bigger and deeper the sin the bigger and deeper the punishment. Wow - aren't we distressed by the idea of God punishing us for our sin?
Now many of you will have a hard time with this idea and I can sympathise. For many of us punishment means an excessinve act of arbitrary anger on the part of someone in authority. It does not seem so much like correction as revenge for some wrong we have committed hence we have a terrible time thinking of God's punishment.
But, at least for me, the important thing is that God's punishment has a point, a purpose and it is done in love. God's punishment is intended for our sanctification - our being conformed to the likeness of Christ - which should be a point and purpose for us as well.
Grace is NOT a free pass, a get out of jail free card. Grace is the turning away of the eternal punishment we deserve onto Christ so that we may never never need fear it. But in our daiy lives, in our daily sanctification God will punish us for sins especially those sins which are deeply set in our hearts.
You love temporal tiing too much, they are little gods in your life? That is sin and god may well see the need to punish you for your idolatry. He may well see that only exile will bring you back from the edge. Perhaps He may allow or impose some physical issue or impairment. Perhaps you will suffer the loss place or position. Perhaps, as seems more and more likely, you will suffer imprinsoment, a loss of freedom for your sin.
But punshment is a mean God uses to correct and discipline His children in love and a deep unknowlable desire that they be comformed to Christ's likeness. Punishment always has a point - a purpose.
I struggle with this as Patti and I pass through the affliction we are facing. I used all the soft words (correction, discipline, refining, etc) for what is taking place but as time passes and my sin was made clearer. I ceased to be shocked by the idea that God might be punishing me - I certainly deserved it and I don't know that anything less would have made the impact this punishment did.
I struggled with the idea that God was mad at me and was rejecting me even that I had never believed in the first place. But the more I prayed and read the Word the more I came to see that God was never closer to me than when He found it necessary to punish me to bring me out of sin.
Not all afflcition must be seen as punishment. It may very well be simple correction or common discipline but we can not afford to refuse the idea that God does and will punish His erring children for His glory for their good.
Punishment is not the absense of grace or mercy. Indeed I've come to think that, for the believer, God's punishment for sin is an act of mercy and a great reminder of grace. There is a certain sweetness to the rod when we see it as an act of mercy. He loves us that much.
When my father used to punish me he would always tell me "This hurts me more that it does you." I neve believed him - don't believe it even today - but what I feel about that is not what I feel about God's punishment. His love is so mighty, so intense that I do believe that when He punishes one of His, it does hurt Him more than it does us.
One of the uses of afflcition is indeed to punish - to show us in a very up close and personal way if not the wages of sin then the pocket change.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Uses of Affliction 04 031714
Uses of Afflcition 04
3. Conviction of sin.
Now we quit preaching and go to meddleing :0.
There is nothing like an afflcition to clearly expose the depth of the remaining corruption we need to address. Nothing can expose the sin still lurking in our hearts like a good ol' afflcition.
Over the past 15 months or so as we have dealt with a certain amount of afflcition. Through it I have discovered sinfulness I never would have named as being my own. I have never known the depth of my self-love and selfishness until the Lord brought our afflcition.
Even as I was examining my faith and my attachment to the world (Uses 1 and 2) I was overwhelmed by the insidiousness of my sin. My pride and resentment, my presumption, my poor stewardship - it all was exposed to a degree I had never experienced.
Prayer was the first to fall. I discovered that many of my prayers were a redundant chorus of "me me me my my my mine mine mine IIIIIIII." I was shocked to say the least. But I would not have noticed had we not been under an affliction. They tend to get your focus on yourself in a real unhealthy way.
It took real focus and effort to correct my self-absorbed prayers but they were sin and had to be confronted and corrected - it certainly was convicting.
But more than the mechanics of our walk, afflcitions really drill down into our hearts and expose the silt and "stuff" - the sin - that still resides there. Anger, pride, resentment, presumption are just a few I've found and they were there in very subtle forms - but they were there.
They say that the most important thing to a shepherd is the fence that keeps the sheep in. That, from my experience, is very true. Afflictions come where and when we are outside the fence and they come to draw us back in. That's how good Shepherds work with their sheep.
We need to pay serious heed to the fact that "conviction" means we have been found guilty. Conviciton is a fact. Yes, we may have feelings that attend it but it is not a feeling. It is a cold hard fact! And affliction should bring conviction.
We need the heat of afflcitions to expose and draw off the dross in us, the sin in us. Without the refining heat of afflcition the dross simply keeps accumulating until we are full of it.
I read a piece today that stated something on the order of, 'In Christ we never lack anything we need. If we do not have it we may assume we do not need it (yet, if at all).'
Inversely may we not assume that if God takes something away it is becasue we need for it to be taken away? I think so.
But funadmentaly and critically afflictions bring (or should bring) conviction of sin. God is getting our attention and calling us to a deeper examination of our hearts. Do not assume yu will not find any sin there! You must! And in finding it you must accept the conviction (fact of your guilt) and then repentantly address the sin.
3. Conviction of sin.
Now we quit preaching and go to meddleing :0.
There is nothing like an afflcition to clearly expose the depth of the remaining corruption we need to address. Nothing can expose the sin still lurking in our hearts like a good ol' afflcition.
Over the past 15 months or so as we have dealt with a certain amount of afflcition. Through it I have discovered sinfulness I never would have named as being my own. I have never known the depth of my self-love and selfishness until the Lord brought our afflcition.
Even as I was examining my faith and my attachment to the world (Uses 1 and 2) I was overwhelmed by the insidiousness of my sin. My pride and resentment, my presumption, my poor stewardship - it all was exposed to a degree I had never experienced.
Prayer was the first to fall. I discovered that many of my prayers were a redundant chorus of "me me me my my my mine mine mine IIIIIIII." I was shocked to say the least. But I would not have noticed had we not been under an affliction. They tend to get your focus on yourself in a real unhealthy way.
It took real focus and effort to correct my self-absorbed prayers but they were sin and had to be confronted and corrected - it certainly was convicting.
But more than the mechanics of our walk, afflcitions really drill down into our hearts and expose the silt and "stuff" - the sin - that still resides there. Anger, pride, resentment, presumption are just a few I've found and they were there in very subtle forms - but they were there.
They say that the most important thing to a shepherd is the fence that keeps the sheep in. That, from my experience, is very true. Afflictions come where and when we are outside the fence and they come to draw us back in. That's how good Shepherds work with their sheep.
We need to pay serious heed to the fact that "conviction" means we have been found guilty. Conviciton is a fact. Yes, we may have feelings that attend it but it is not a feeling. It is a cold hard fact! And affliction should bring conviction.
We need the heat of afflcitions to expose and draw off the dross in us, the sin in us. Without the refining heat of afflcition the dross simply keeps accumulating until we are full of it.
I read a piece today that stated something on the order of, 'In Christ we never lack anything we need. If we do not have it we may assume we do not need it (yet, if at all).'
Inversely may we not assume that if God takes something away it is becasue we need for it to be taken away? I think so.
But funadmentaly and critically afflictions bring (or should bring) conviction of sin. God is getting our attention and calling us to a deeper examination of our hearts. Do not assume yu will not find any sin there! You must! And in finding it you must accept the conviction (fact of your guilt) and then repentantly address the sin.
Friday, March 14, 2014
Uses of Affliction 03 031414
Uses of Afflcition 03
2. Excitation to duty, weaning one from this world, and prompting him to look after the happiness of the other world.
There is one wonderful scipture that encourages us in this:
1 John 2:15-17 NASB
Do not love the world nor the things in the world If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [16] For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. [17] The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
We recently experienced some bad weather here and many people lost power. Nothing big but a good reminder of how attached we become to the comforts of this world and to the minimization of our looking to the comforts of the next. Afflictions, whatever their nature, are one way God not only gets our attention but moves us to action be it service, simplicity or paying more attention to the promises of the next world.
We need to be moved to duty. It's too easy to become complacent and lazy even in our duties. We get into a very comfortable rut and we just run along it day in and day out until we have become numb to what we ought to be about. Even in our duties we can become comfortable to our hurt.
Prayer can become perfuntory, Bible Study can become bland and worship can become worthless in the comfortable ease of the day to day. But God won't have that. He will and does bring afflictions that reveal the weakness and wantonness of our service. When God seems to withdraw we tend to draw closer.
This is a sad commentary on many of us - many many of us - so many of us that it seems to be the norm. And so God will bring a crook to our lot so we will see our error and repent.
Affilctions also wean us from the world. I made the comment while our power was on and our internet was off that there didn't seem much point to having power if we didn;t have the net. This is an example of how comfortable we can get with all the geegaws and gadgets we have and how we begin to rely upon them for way too much.
The loss or thereatened loss of material blessings can really demonstrate for us our dependence upon them to a neglect of depending upon God. And NO cheating - don;t try to tell me you depend upon God for your web connection - that's a stretch.
How many "things" do you really depend upon that get in the way of your dependence upon God. What would hurt the worst to lose? What can you not see yourself giving up? If you have "bad hair" days - days that are just ruined over the trivial material things then you may look for an affliction to wean you away from it.
Can you see how use 1 ties into use 2? Afflictions lead us to examine our faith and that examination has much to do with our attachment to this world and the "things" of it. Not only that but the "things" of this world have much to do with, "the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life." Which in turn has much to do with how much our hearts are set on the next world as opposed to being stuck on this one.
James writes:
James 1:2 NASB
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
And if we a serious about our faith we will wlecome these trials as God's gracious providence. Even with only uses 1 and 2 we can see how afflictions are, what I call, "left-handed blessings." They don't look like blessings, they don't feel like blessings, and they do not even small like blessings - but if they drive or move us to seriously examines, our service, our attachment to this world and our longing for the next they are indeed blessings.
2. Excitation to duty, weaning one from this world, and prompting him to look after the happiness of the other world.
There is one wonderful scipture that encourages us in this:
1 John 2:15-17 NASB
Do not love the world nor the things in the world If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [16] For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. [17] The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
We recently experienced some bad weather here and many people lost power. Nothing big but a good reminder of how attached we become to the comforts of this world and to the minimization of our looking to the comforts of the next. Afflictions, whatever their nature, are one way God not only gets our attention but moves us to action be it service, simplicity or paying more attention to the promises of the next world.
We need to be moved to duty. It's too easy to become complacent and lazy even in our duties. We get into a very comfortable rut and we just run along it day in and day out until we have become numb to what we ought to be about. Even in our duties we can become comfortable to our hurt.
Prayer can become perfuntory, Bible Study can become bland and worship can become worthless in the comfortable ease of the day to day. But God won't have that. He will and does bring afflictions that reveal the weakness and wantonness of our service. When God seems to withdraw we tend to draw closer.
This is a sad commentary on many of us - many many of us - so many of us that it seems to be the norm. And so God will bring a crook to our lot so we will see our error and repent.
Affilctions also wean us from the world. I made the comment while our power was on and our internet was off that there didn't seem much point to having power if we didn;t have the net. This is an example of how comfortable we can get with all the geegaws and gadgets we have and how we begin to rely upon them for way too much.
The loss or thereatened loss of material blessings can really demonstrate for us our dependence upon them to a neglect of depending upon God. And NO cheating - don;t try to tell me you depend upon God for your web connection - that's a stretch.
How many "things" do you really depend upon that get in the way of your dependence upon God. What would hurt the worst to lose? What can you not see yourself giving up? If you have "bad hair" days - days that are just ruined over the trivial material things then you may look for an affliction to wean you away from it.
Can you see how use 1 ties into use 2? Afflictions lead us to examine our faith and that examination has much to do with our attachment to this world and the "things" of it. Not only that but the "things" of this world have much to do with, "the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life." Which in turn has much to do with how much our hearts are set on the next world as opposed to being stuck on this one.
James writes:
James 1:2 NASB
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
And if we a serious about our faith we will wlecome these trials as God's gracious providence. Even with only uses 1 and 2 we can see how afflictions are, what I call, "left-handed blessings." They don't look like blessings, they don't feel like blessings, and they do not even small like blessings - but if they drive or move us to seriously examines, our service, our attachment to this world and our longing for the next they are indeed blessings.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Uses of Afflcition 02 031314
Uses of Affliction 02 031314
1. The trial of one's state, whether one is in the state of grace or not.
When we are under any affliction it is quite common for us to do a lot of questioning.
One of the uses God makes of affliction and a use we can use is in questioning whether or not we are indeed in a state of grace (saved) or not. This is not a doubting of God's willingness or ability to save us but whether or not our confession is genuine.
Is this legitimate? It would appear from scripture that indeed it is.
In 2 Chronicles we read concerning Hezekiah:
2 Chronicles 32:31 NASB
. . . .God left him alone only to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.
In afflictions we have a sense that God has "left" us and it is normal for us to be in distress. But one of the uses of afflcition is certainly that we might know what is truly in our hearts. Not to be trite but the questions in this instance might be, "is Jesus really in my heart?" "Is my confession of faith true?" "Am I really a child of God?"
Difficult and distressing questions - but questions that need to be asked.
We know how evil and fickled our hearts are and we know there are many whose confessions are mere ascent to a set of facts and not true faith (trust) in the saving power and Lorship of Jesus. Afflictions provide us with a context where these quesitons are not only appropriate but vital.
Consider the following:
1 Corinthians 11:28 NASB
But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
2 Corinthians 13:5 NASB
Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test?
Galatians 6:4 NASB
But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.
2 Peter 1:10 NASB
Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;
None of these passages are directly connected to any afflcition. We are admonished to consistantly examine ourselves and our faith to determine its veracity, it's soundness. If we are so admonished to do so outside of any affliction how much more so in afflcition.
By afflcition God tests us. Not for His benefit but for our own. We need to know two things. That God is real and all He says He is and we need to know that our faith is genuine.
We should learn the blessing of afflcitions by embracing the opportunity for greater assurance of our faith. Afflictions are on the one hand tests - tests for us. They are tests that strip away all the comforts and causes of our ease so that we may determine wherther or not our faith/trust is truly in Him or whether it is mixed with our trust in other comforts and causes of ease.
I have grown to see afflcitions as a kind of second calling. When I stray, as all sheep tend to do, I get into trouble (which God ordains/allows to happen). I have learned to view the afflcition as God calling me either back to Him or to a unslullied trust in Him. Afflcitons are never pleasant but they do have purpose and there can be no greater purpose than for us to grow in our assurance that we are indeed His.
This is one of the reasons James can write:
James 1:2-4 NASB
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, [3] knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. [4] And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Isn't is interesting that God will lead us into a place where we lose much of our comforts and there casues so that we may lack nothing - but that's for a later blog.
1. The trial of one's state, whether one is in the state of grace or not.
When we are under any affliction it is quite common for us to do a lot of questioning.
One of the uses God makes of affliction and a use we can use is in questioning whether or not we are indeed in a state of grace (saved) or not. This is not a doubting of God's willingness or ability to save us but whether or not our confession is genuine.
Is this legitimate? It would appear from scripture that indeed it is.
In 2 Chronicles we read concerning Hezekiah:
2 Chronicles 32:31 NASB
. . . .God left him alone only to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.
In afflictions we have a sense that God has "left" us and it is normal for us to be in distress. But one of the uses of afflcition is certainly that we might know what is truly in our hearts. Not to be trite but the questions in this instance might be, "is Jesus really in my heart?" "Is my confession of faith true?" "Am I really a child of God?"
Difficult and distressing questions - but questions that need to be asked.
We know how evil and fickled our hearts are and we know there are many whose confessions are mere ascent to a set of facts and not true faith (trust) in the saving power and Lorship of Jesus. Afflictions provide us with a context where these quesitons are not only appropriate but vital.
Consider the following:
1 Corinthians 11:28 NASB
But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
2 Corinthians 13:5 NASB
Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test?
Galatians 6:4 NASB
But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.
2 Peter 1:10 NASB
Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;
None of these passages are directly connected to any afflcition. We are admonished to consistantly examine ourselves and our faith to determine its veracity, it's soundness. If we are so admonished to do so outside of any affliction how much more so in afflcition.
By afflcition God tests us. Not for His benefit but for our own. We need to know two things. That God is real and all He says He is and we need to know that our faith is genuine.
We should learn the blessing of afflcitions by embracing the opportunity for greater assurance of our faith. Afflictions are on the one hand tests - tests for us. They are tests that strip away all the comforts and causes of our ease so that we may determine wherther or not our faith/trust is truly in Him or whether it is mixed with our trust in other comforts and causes of ease.
I have grown to see afflcitions as a kind of second calling. When I stray, as all sheep tend to do, I get into trouble (which God ordains/allows to happen). I have learned to view the afflcition as God calling me either back to Him or to a unslullied trust in Him. Afflcitons are never pleasant but they do have purpose and there can be no greater purpose than for us to grow in our assurance that we are indeed His.
This is one of the reasons James can write:
James 1:2-4 NASB
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, [3] knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. [4] And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Isn't is interesting that God will lead us into a place where we lose much of our comforts and there casues so that we may lack nothing - but that's for a later blog.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Uses of Affliction 01 031214
Uses for Afflictions 01 031214
We all at one time or anthor (at least) find ourelves suffering some sort of affliction. It may be transitory, it may be permanent; it may be small, it may be great, but we all will indeed suffer in this world.
So what's the point? Why does God allow us to suffer? Is there a good use of afflictions in which we can find comfort and encouragement and strength.
Thomas Boston in his work, A Crook in the Lot, give us a list of seven ways in which we and God can use afflcitions for good. Submitting to God, trusting in Christ and depending upon the Holy Spirit afflictions can bring blessings.
Below you will find a paraphrased list of the uses Boston suggests. I hope to address each of them in a practicle and personal manner in this new series of blogs.
Uses of Afflictions
I will attempt to expand and illustrate these points in the coming weeks. They are not easy points and certainly they are not comfortable but I believe that we need to work hard at understanding the uses of affliction in order to be betterr able not only to endure but to encourage.
1 Corinthians 10:13 NASB
No temptation ((trial)) has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted ((tried)) beyond what you are able, but with the temptation ((trial)) will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
May God bless my efforts and yours as we look at the uses of afflictions to the glory of God.
Please don;t hesitate to email me questions or comments:
sheepdog.ms@gmail.com
We all at one time or anthor (at least) find ourelves suffering some sort of affliction. It may be transitory, it may be permanent; it may be small, it may be great, but we all will indeed suffer in this world.
So what's the point? Why does God allow us to suffer? Is there a good use of afflictions in which we can find comfort and encouragement and strength.
Thomas Boston in his work, A Crook in the Lot, give us a list of seven ways in which we and God can use afflcitions for good. Submitting to God, trusting in Christ and depending upon the Holy Spirit afflictions can bring blessings.
Below you will find a paraphrased list of the uses Boston suggests. I hope to address each of them in a practicle and personal manner in this new series of blogs.
Uses of Afflictions
- The trial of one's state, whether one is in the state of grace of not.
- Excitation to duty, weaning one from this world, and prompting him to look after the happiness of the other world.
- Conviction of sin.
- Correction and punishment for sin.
- Preventing sin.
- Discovery of latenet corruption whether in saints of sinners.
- The exercise of grace in the chidren of God
I will attempt to expand and illustrate these points in the coming weeks. They are not easy points and certainly they are not comfortable but I believe that we need to work hard at understanding the uses of affliction in order to be betterr able not only to endure but to encourage.
1 Corinthians 10:13 NASB
No temptation ((trial)) has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted ((tried)) beyond what you are able, but with the temptation ((trial)) will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
May God bless my efforts and yours as we look at the uses of afflictions to the glory of God.
Please don;t hesitate to email me questions or comments:
sheepdog.ms@gmail.com
Monday, March 10, 2014
Heart Keepers 06 031014
Heart Keepers 06
6. The realizing of God's presence with us and setting the Lord always before us.
God is always with us. The Holy Spirit indwells us. All this is true but do we intentionally set that in the forefront of our minds and the center of our hearts?
Are we desirous of being obnoxiously aware of and desperately desirous of His being always and all ways before us?
Without the practice of the disciplines of the faith, without partaking of His means of grace and His mercies this will never never be the case. We are but babes in holiness (in many ways but especially in terms of separation from the world). As babes we need goood food and good exercize. Without both we will not grow or we will grow poorly.
But we have too much to do. Too much to worry about. Too much of too much. So we nibble a breakfast bar of faith thinking it will provide the nutrition we need for our daily walk. We crave spiritual fast food and just the occassional healthy meal and think we will be OK.
We set God before us when we are in need; not accepting that we are always in need. Prosperity and comfort keep us fat, sassy and lost.
Keeping the heart takes work - focused and diligent work - but who has the time? Who makes the time? So we stubble along bringing ridicule to the name of God by our shallow, ignorant and intermitant faith. We violate the first line of the model prayer since we do not "hallow" His name as it should be hallowed.
We do not keep our hearts and so our lives are warped and twisted all the time we claim to be serving the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Jesus made it very very clear that it is our hearts that are the source of evil and it is our hearts we must keep. It's not a feeling, its facts. It's not a disposition, it's discipline. It's not neat, it's necessary.
6. The realizing of God's presence with us and setting the Lord always before us.
God is always with us. The Holy Spirit indwells us. All this is true but do we intentionally set that in the forefront of our minds and the center of our hearts?
Are we desirous of being obnoxiously aware of and desperately desirous of His being always and all ways before us?
Without the practice of the disciplines of the faith, without partaking of His means of grace and His mercies this will never never be the case. We are but babes in holiness (in many ways but especially in terms of separation from the world). As babes we need goood food and good exercize. Without both we will not grow or we will grow poorly.
But we have too much to do. Too much to worry about. Too much of too much. So we nibble a breakfast bar of faith thinking it will provide the nutrition we need for our daily walk. We crave spiritual fast food and just the occassional healthy meal and think we will be OK.
We set God before us when we are in need; not accepting that we are always in need. Prosperity and comfort keep us fat, sassy and lost.
Keeping the heart takes work - focused and diligent work - but who has the time? Who makes the time? So we stubble along bringing ridicule to the name of God by our shallow, ignorant and intermitant faith. We violate the first line of the model prayer since we do not "hallow" His name as it should be hallowed.
We do not keep our hearts and so our lives are warped and twisted all the time we claim to be serving the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Jesus made it very very clear that it is our hearts that are the source of evil and it is our hearts we must keep. It's not a feeling, its facts. It's not a disposition, it's discipline. It's not neat, it's necessary.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Heart Keepers 05. 030914
Heart Keepers 05
5. A constant and holy jealousy over our own hearts.
This is a tough one. "Jealousy," isn't that a sin? And yet shouldn't we be jealous of anything that would woo us away from the Lord?
Think of the power (albeit evil) of sinful jealousy. It's the Great Green Monster. It sparks anger and bitterness, even fury and odd behaviors. Shouldn't anything that comes between our hearts and God be seen as an interloper, a seducer, a harlot attempting to lead us into adultery?
"My heart is God's, leave it alone!" "It is His do not intefere!" Even, "I hate you for trying to come between God and I!" Should not this be our stance? Should we not pray for this holy jealousy over our hearts?
Indeed God is jealous for our hearts. He responds mightily when anything seeks to woo or win us. He hates - yes hates - that which would come between you and Him. We see it over and over again in the history of Israel. God is a jealous God and will not tolerate our having any others.
Exodus 34:14 NASB
--for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God--
Deuteronomy 4:24 NASB
"For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Psalm 78:58 NASB
For they provoked Him with their high places And aroused His jealousy with their graven images.
1 Corinthians 10:22 NASB
Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we?
James 4:4-5 NASB
You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. [5] Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"?
We need to be just as jealous for God as He is for us. I know it seems odd and is quite a tough nut to crack but we need to pray that the Holy Spirit will give us insight.
These are His eyes, you may not enter.
These are His ears, you may not sound.
This is His mind, be ye gone.
This is His heart, there is no place for you here.
ms
5. A constant and holy jealousy over our own hearts.
This is a tough one. "Jealousy," isn't that a sin? And yet shouldn't we be jealous of anything that would woo us away from the Lord?
Think of the power (albeit evil) of sinful jealousy. It's the Great Green Monster. It sparks anger and bitterness, even fury and odd behaviors. Shouldn't anything that comes between our hearts and God be seen as an interloper, a seducer, a harlot attempting to lead us into adultery?
"My heart is God's, leave it alone!" "It is His do not intefere!" Even, "I hate you for trying to come between God and I!" Should not this be our stance? Should we not pray for this holy jealousy over our hearts?
Indeed God is jealous for our hearts. He responds mightily when anything seeks to woo or win us. He hates - yes hates - that which would come between you and Him. We see it over and over again in the history of Israel. God is a jealous God and will not tolerate our having any others.
Exodus 34:14 NASB
--for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God--
Deuteronomy 4:24 NASB
"For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Psalm 78:58 NASB
For they provoked Him with their high places And aroused His jealousy with their graven images.
1 Corinthians 10:22 NASB
Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we?
James 4:4-5 NASB
You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. [5] Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"?
We need to be just as jealous for God as He is for us. I know it seems odd and is quite a tough nut to crack but we need to pray that the Holy Spirit will give us insight.
These are His eyes, you may not enter.
These are His ears, you may not sound.
This is His mind, be ye gone.
This is His heart, there is no place for you here.
ms
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Heart Keepers 04 030614
Heart Keepers 04
4. Imposing strong engagements upon ourselves to walk more carefully with God and avoid the occasions whererby the heart may be induced to sin.
Most of us know where danger lies. We know, or should know, what tempts us and where we are weak. Flavel makes the point here that we have to set clear and sound boundaries for ourselves if we indeed want to keep our hearts.
Knowing what "engagements" we need to set is critical and if more subtle than we think. I can think of no better example that TV as a place where we need to engage ourselves to greater caution. It is so easy to become numb to the world and its philosophy than TV.
We used to watch a detective show in which there was some romatic tension between a female detective and a writer of mysteries. All was well until we the two main characters had begun sleeping together in the same house as the writers teenage daughter.
Even though there were no graphic love scenes we became concerned that we had not been concerned about the "fornication" that was implied by the show. Here we were watching a show where sin was not only taking place but being celebrated as a good thing and we had missed that somehow.
Well, we had to set a boundary. Why? Because we had been so enamoured with the show that we were allowing the blatant sin to go unaddressed. In being fans we were, in the privacy of our own home, somehow endorsing the illicit relationship between the two characters. Not being sensitive to this, being so slow to be convicted by this concerned us for our hearts and how they had been numbed or even hardened to what we were watching.
Can you see Flavel's point in this? We can not affort to allow our hearts, or consciences for that matter, to become numb or hardened. We need sensitive hearts and consciences so we may not be led into heart sins.
OK, it may seem hokey but the question is, "Would I be doing this if Jesus was with me?" What you would n't do in His physica resence we shouldn't do period. It may seem sillly but that's a very simple way to impose upon your heart that which will keep your heart.
4. Imposing strong engagements upon ourselves to walk more carefully with God and avoid the occasions whererby the heart may be induced to sin.
Most of us know where danger lies. We know, or should know, what tempts us and where we are weak. Flavel makes the point here that we have to set clear and sound boundaries for ourselves if we indeed want to keep our hearts.
Knowing what "engagements" we need to set is critical and if more subtle than we think. I can think of no better example that TV as a place where we need to engage ourselves to greater caution. It is so easy to become numb to the world and its philosophy than TV.
We used to watch a detective show in which there was some romatic tension between a female detective and a writer of mysteries. All was well until we the two main characters had begun sleeping together in the same house as the writers teenage daughter.
Even though there were no graphic love scenes we became concerned that we had not been concerned about the "fornication" that was implied by the show. Here we were watching a show where sin was not only taking place but being celebrated as a good thing and we had missed that somehow.
Well, we had to set a boundary. Why? Because we had been so enamoured with the show that we were allowing the blatant sin to go unaddressed. In being fans we were, in the privacy of our own home, somehow endorsing the illicit relationship between the two characters. Not being sensitive to this, being so slow to be convicted by this concerned us for our hearts and how they had been numbed or even hardened to what we were watching.
Can you see Flavel's point in this? We can not affort to allow our hearts, or consciences for that matter, to become numb or hardened. We need sensitive hearts and consciences so we may not be led into heart sins.
OK, it may seem hokey but the question is, "Would I be doing this if Jesus was with me?" What you would n't do in His physica resence we shouldn't do period. It may seem sillly but that's a very simple way to impose upon your heart that which will keep your heart.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Heart Keepers 03 030514
Heart Keepers 03
3. Earnest supplication and instant prayers for purifying and rectifying grace when sin has defiled and disordered the heart.
Two things here are worthy of notice. The first is "earnest supplication." When we go to God in prayer we need to go with a full acknowledgement of the curruption that yet abides in our hearts. Our prayers must reflect the fact that we are still battling self-love and the fear of man and that even our best prayers are susupect.
Especially when under trials or afflictions our prayers can be mercenary to say the least. We want relief for our pain and struggle so badly that we will often find ourselves bartering with God for His provision. We are so focused on the immediate need that we can often hinder our own prayers by not praying fully and wholly.
Fully and wholly? There is so much to pray for, so many needs of the Kingdom and its citizens - so many brothers and sisters in distress. There is the church to pray for, those whose needs we know to pray for and in our distress and concern for our situation it is easy - all too easy - to just pray for ourselves without regard to the broader picture.
We can also find ourselves praying, "If" prayers. You know, "God if You will just X I will Y." This is bartering with God, trying to strike a deal. This hinders the effectiveness of our prayers by it's assumption that God "barters" His blessings and provision. This sullies and minimizes our prayers making them shallow and , well, wrong.
Secondly we need to be sensitive to the needs for "instant prayers," or timely prayers. These are prayers in and of the moment especially when it comes to heart sins. I know I have gone to God with my needs and failing to recognize the heart sins yet needing to be dealt with I have prayed ill and been sticken because of my shallowness and self-love.
Sin defiles and disorders our hearts to a greater extent than we see, so our prayers must seek His cleansing and ordering of our hearts. I would suggest that this needs to be the first part of our prayers. Praying about praying may sound strange but if our hearts are not in the right frame we will pray amiss.
Praying for purifying and rectifying grace may well need to precede any if not all our prayers. If you have ever (and I assume you have) been under affliction and in pain you know how the corruptions of the heart can twist your thinking and affect your praying. Taking time to pray about praying is one good way to discover and root out this sins that would hinder and hamper your prayers.
When you find that your heart is not right, when it is struggling with heart sins, there are always the Psalms that you can pray. The writers of the Psalms experienced the difficuties of life much as we do. They felt abandonded by God as we do. They felt overwhelmed by affliction as we do. They felt all was hopeless as we do. And yet they always return to trusting the Lord even when the motivation is that there is no one else to turn to (which asctually there isn't). They struggled with the same ehart sins we struggle with and their guidance in our rpayers can be a great blessing and instruction.
Heat sins will always be a struggle for God's people here. However we can not allow their commonness to go unaddressed. Keeping the heart is nowhere more critical than in the areqa of prayer. Prayer is fundamental to our relationship with God and we need for that relationship to be open and whole from our side as it is from His. Heart sins, an unkept heart, will hinder and disorder our prayers which in turn will hinder and disorder our walk and witness.
3. Earnest supplication and instant prayers for purifying and rectifying grace when sin has defiled and disordered the heart.
Two things here are worthy of notice. The first is "earnest supplication." When we go to God in prayer we need to go with a full acknowledgement of the curruption that yet abides in our hearts. Our prayers must reflect the fact that we are still battling self-love and the fear of man and that even our best prayers are susupect.
Especially when under trials or afflictions our prayers can be mercenary to say the least. We want relief for our pain and struggle so badly that we will often find ourselves bartering with God for His provision. We are so focused on the immediate need that we can often hinder our own prayers by not praying fully and wholly.
Fully and wholly? There is so much to pray for, so many needs of the Kingdom and its citizens - so many brothers and sisters in distress. There is the church to pray for, those whose needs we know to pray for and in our distress and concern for our situation it is easy - all too easy - to just pray for ourselves without regard to the broader picture.
We can also find ourselves praying, "If" prayers. You know, "God if You will just X I will Y." This is bartering with God, trying to strike a deal. This hinders the effectiveness of our prayers by it's assumption that God "barters" His blessings and provision. This sullies and minimizes our prayers making them shallow and , well, wrong.
Secondly we need to be sensitive to the needs for "instant prayers," or timely prayers. These are prayers in and of the moment especially when it comes to heart sins. I know I have gone to God with my needs and failing to recognize the heart sins yet needing to be dealt with I have prayed ill and been sticken because of my shallowness and self-love.
Sin defiles and disorders our hearts to a greater extent than we see, so our prayers must seek His cleansing and ordering of our hearts. I would suggest that this needs to be the first part of our prayers. Praying about praying may sound strange but if our hearts are not in the right frame we will pray amiss.
Praying for purifying and rectifying grace may well need to precede any if not all our prayers. If you have ever (and I assume you have) been under affliction and in pain you know how the corruptions of the heart can twist your thinking and affect your praying. Taking time to pray about praying is one good way to discover and root out this sins that would hinder and hamper your prayers.
When you find that your heart is not right, when it is struggling with heart sins, there are always the Psalms that you can pray. The writers of the Psalms experienced the difficuties of life much as we do. They felt abandonded by God as we do. They felt overwhelmed by affliction as we do. They felt all was hopeless as we do. And yet they always return to trusting the Lord even when the motivation is that there is no one else to turn to (which asctually there isn't). They struggled with the same ehart sins we struggle with and their guidance in our rpayers can be a great blessing and instruction.
Heat sins will always be a struggle for God's people here. However we can not allow their commonness to go unaddressed. Keeping the heart is nowhere more critical than in the areqa of prayer. Prayer is fundamental to our relationship with God and we need for that relationship to be open and whole from our side as it is from His. Heart sins, an unkept heart, will hinder and disorder our prayers which in turn will hinder and disorder our walk and witness.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Heart Keeping 02 030414
Heart Keepers 002
2. Deep humiliation for heart evils and disorders.
Paul exposes himself and us in Romans when he speaks of his own struggle with sin. For some of us this is, well, embarassing. Paul, the author of 2/3 of the New Testament; a man to whom Christ revealed Himself after His ascention - this pillar of the faith had a constant and pernicious battle with heart eveils and disorders? Wow, do we even stand a chance?
Yes, we do! We most certainly do!
But we only have a chance if we desire a chance. What I mean is we must be motivated somehow to battle (with the aid of the Holy Spirit) each and every heart evil and disorder.
How can we be so motivated? Flavel uses and interesting term, "Humiliation." Not humbling but humiliation. This is a most uncomfortable idea. We work hard - very hard at never being humiliated and here it's presented as a necessary element in keeping the heart.
But can we be anything other than humiliated when we consider the cross? When we reflect upon the suffering both physical and spiritual that our Master was willing to endure for our sakes? Can we not find humiliation in our refusal to be humbled and made contrite? Can we not find humiliation in our failure to faithfully pursuer godliness and holiness in the face of the cost?
Humiliation requires exposure. Our deepest sins and secret desires must be exposed for us to have a sense of humiliation. It is not a casual thing not a common thing. We work very hard to resist and abait anything that might expose us to humiliation. We sneak and lie to avoid it. We critisize and complain to divert attention. We work very hard to fool others and ourselves.
Humiliation is hard to bear. But if the cost of not being humiliated is faithlessness, a hindered sanctification or a constant questioning of the veracity of our faith - isn't it reallly worth it?
Note though, it is not the sinful actions that Flavel calls us to humiliate - It is the sins in the heart. The deep deep recesses of our hearts need to have the light of the Word shone into them so that we may expose - to oursevles at least - the depth of our remaining depravity and disorder.
This is not to be done causally or lightly. It will be painful and irritating. You will suffer and struggle. But is we truly desire to live in the freedom Christ has bought us this must be done. Without it we remain wounded and bound, cheating ourselves of the freedom Christ paid for.
How? What are the "mechanics" of such a deep search and the resulting humiliation? I wish I had an easy answer, a simple "how to." But each of us much pray earnestly that God will first convict us of the need for such a search and will, by His Word, Spirit and perhaps the guidance of a godly mentor show us our "how."
I can only suggest some things. The first is, of course, prayer and not a short simple prayer. This is heart work and a great battle and demands great effort and submission. I have thought that actually stretching out of the floor in a postion of submission might be of help. Humbling ourselves physically can be an aid to humbling ouselves spiritually. Focusing on the target - a deep humiliation for heart evils and disorders - would be critical. Perhaps, should being prostrate on the floor not seem seemly to you, you could sit and write out your prayer for God to expose these twists in the heart.
Saturating yourself with the Word will be necessary. The Psalms are replete with prayers of this nature. Seek them out. Meditate on them. Ask God to make these prayers your prayers.
Foremost in all this is to beseach the Holy Spiriti to be the Holy Spirit in this. Claim the promise of His advocacy and His comfort. Demand - yes demand, that He work in your heart and your mind to bring the humiliation of exposure so that you may seek God's relief and release form these evils and disorders.
Paul was willng to "beat" his body daily to make it his slave and if he was willing to do that (figuratively) what are we willing to do that our hearts might know the blessed peace of Christ?
I don't believe there is any "magic means" to this goal. There is no formula, no recipe. But we have an arsenal of means for communicating with God and hearing from God that we may take up and use in this quest.
I have come to believe that if I take my faith seriously and truly desire to be conformed to His likeness that not only my mind but my heart must be renewed and renewed consistantly and constantly. I encourage you to pray earnestly for the conviction to seek that deep humiliation for the evils and disorders of the heart that as they are exposed and God addresses them we may be freed so we may remain free.
2. Deep humiliation for heart evils and disorders.
Paul exposes himself and us in Romans when he speaks of his own struggle with sin. For some of us this is, well, embarassing. Paul, the author of 2/3 of the New Testament; a man to whom Christ revealed Himself after His ascention - this pillar of the faith had a constant and pernicious battle with heart eveils and disorders? Wow, do we even stand a chance?
Yes, we do! We most certainly do!
But we only have a chance if we desire a chance. What I mean is we must be motivated somehow to battle (with the aid of the Holy Spirit) each and every heart evil and disorder.
How can we be so motivated? Flavel uses and interesting term, "Humiliation." Not humbling but humiliation. This is a most uncomfortable idea. We work hard - very hard at never being humiliated and here it's presented as a necessary element in keeping the heart.
But can we be anything other than humiliated when we consider the cross? When we reflect upon the suffering both physical and spiritual that our Master was willing to endure for our sakes? Can we not find humiliation in our refusal to be humbled and made contrite? Can we not find humiliation in our failure to faithfully pursuer godliness and holiness in the face of the cost?
Humiliation requires exposure. Our deepest sins and secret desires must be exposed for us to have a sense of humiliation. It is not a casual thing not a common thing. We work very hard to resist and abait anything that might expose us to humiliation. We sneak and lie to avoid it. We critisize and complain to divert attention. We work very hard to fool others and ourselves.
Humiliation is hard to bear. But if the cost of not being humiliated is faithlessness, a hindered sanctification or a constant questioning of the veracity of our faith - isn't it reallly worth it?
Note though, it is not the sinful actions that Flavel calls us to humiliate - It is the sins in the heart. The deep deep recesses of our hearts need to have the light of the Word shone into them so that we may expose - to oursevles at least - the depth of our remaining depravity and disorder.
This is not to be done causally or lightly. It will be painful and irritating. You will suffer and struggle. But is we truly desire to live in the freedom Christ has bought us this must be done. Without it we remain wounded and bound, cheating ourselves of the freedom Christ paid for.
How? What are the "mechanics" of such a deep search and the resulting humiliation? I wish I had an easy answer, a simple "how to." But each of us much pray earnestly that God will first convict us of the need for such a search and will, by His Word, Spirit and perhaps the guidance of a godly mentor show us our "how."
I can only suggest some things. The first is, of course, prayer and not a short simple prayer. This is heart work and a great battle and demands great effort and submission. I have thought that actually stretching out of the floor in a postion of submission might be of help. Humbling ourselves physically can be an aid to humbling ouselves spiritually. Focusing on the target - a deep humiliation for heart evils and disorders - would be critical. Perhaps, should being prostrate on the floor not seem seemly to you, you could sit and write out your prayer for God to expose these twists in the heart.
Saturating yourself with the Word will be necessary. The Psalms are replete with prayers of this nature. Seek them out. Meditate on them. Ask God to make these prayers your prayers.
Foremost in all this is to beseach the Holy Spiriti to be the Holy Spirit in this. Claim the promise of His advocacy and His comfort. Demand - yes demand, that He work in your heart and your mind to bring the humiliation of exposure so that you may seek God's relief and release form these evils and disorders.
Paul was willng to "beat" his body daily to make it his slave and if he was willing to do that (figuratively) what are we willing to do that our hearts might know the blessed peace of Christ?
I don't believe there is any "magic means" to this goal. There is no formula, no recipe. But we have an arsenal of means for communicating with God and hearing from God that we may take up and use in this quest.
I have come to believe that if I take my faith seriously and truly desire to be conformed to His likeness that not only my mind but my heart must be renewed and renewed consistantly and constantly. I encourage you to pray earnestly for the conviction to seek that deep humiliation for the evils and disorders of the heart that as they are exposed and God addresses them we may be freed so we may remain free.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Heart Keeping 01 020314
6 Heart Keepers 01
John Flavel in his work Keeping the Heart offers six things we ought to be doing in order to keep the heart.
Frequent observation of the frame of the heart.
Deep humiliation for heart evils and disorders.
Earnest supplication and instant prayers for purifying and rectifying grace when sin has defiled and disordered the heart.
Imposing strong engagement upon ourselves to walk more carefully with God and avoid the occasions whereby the heart may be induced to sin.
A constant and holy jealousy over our own hearts.
The realizing of God's presence with us and setting the Lord always before us.
In this series I hope to go through each one of these and help us understand how and why these are important.
Needless to say we should all recognize the imperative of "keeping" or "guarding" our hearts. Jesus made is very clear that it is out of our hearts that all evil springs. Even in our redeemed state and in the midst of God's sactifying work we still have that remnant of the corrupt nature in our hearts and we must live and act on that fact humbly submitting to God and resisting and fleeing the Devil.
1. Frequent observation of the frame of the heart.
"PAY ATTENTION - ON PURPOSE!"
The word heart in the Bible typically is synonymous with the word "soul." So we need to be clear that we are not talking about either the muscle or the emotions. This isn't the seat of your feelings or affections but rather the seat of your faith that we are dealing with.
The "frame" of your heart can best be seen as like steel beams that support any massive structure. Though they are not visible yet they are the key to the structural soundness of any building.
What are the "steel beams" of your heart? Are they submission to, dependence on, worship towards and trust in God? If these are not sound then your structrue is in danger.
It's not a matter of having one or two of these but having all four as the frame of your heart - and hopefully the only frame. Anything other than these four basic "beams" and your structure is not sound. You will have weak spots and vulnerabilities.
Trusting in things, people, position; taking comfort in prosperity or favorable circumstances; harboring self-love or the fear of man are all examples of the weak beams with which we tend to frame our hearts.
It is well written in Proverbs:
Proverbs 3:5-8 ESV
[5] Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. [6] In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. [7] Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. [8] It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.
Verse 5 = the heart
Verse 5b & 6 = the mind
Verse 7 = the choices
Verse 8 = the blessing
It all begins (and ends actually) in the heart. Is the Lord actually the Lord of your heart? Do you struggle in your heart with doubts and sin? Is your heart aimed at and centered upon the Lord and what He has done for you - desires from you?
We know that the answer to the question above is, "Not so much as I would desire." And so we must intentionally and regularly and consistantly examine our hearts - the frame of our hearts - to make sure they are framed with the right stuff.
Psalm 26:2 ESV
Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind.
Psalm 51:10 ESV
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Psalm 119:10 ESV
With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!
Psalm 119:34 ESV
Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
Psalm 141:4 ESV
Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies!
We examine our hearts through the Word of God and prayer. Not to mention the necessary reliance upon the work of the Holy Spirit. Being consistantly and prayer fully in the Word with an aim to the condition of our hearts is critical. Think of the intensity nd awesomeness of open-heart surgery. This work of keeping the heart is not less so and perhaps even more so.
I encourage you to pray for the conviction, strength and intention of keeping your heart. This is the way of sanctification that the Lord has established so it is the way we should commit to go.
John Flavel in his work Keeping the Heart offers six things we ought to be doing in order to keep the heart.
Frequent observation of the frame of the heart.
Deep humiliation for heart evils and disorders.
Earnest supplication and instant prayers for purifying and rectifying grace when sin has defiled and disordered the heart.
Imposing strong engagement upon ourselves to walk more carefully with God and avoid the occasions whereby the heart may be induced to sin.
A constant and holy jealousy over our own hearts.
The realizing of God's presence with us and setting the Lord always before us.
In this series I hope to go through each one of these and help us understand how and why these are important.
Needless to say we should all recognize the imperative of "keeping" or "guarding" our hearts. Jesus made is very clear that it is out of our hearts that all evil springs. Even in our redeemed state and in the midst of God's sactifying work we still have that remnant of the corrupt nature in our hearts and we must live and act on that fact humbly submitting to God and resisting and fleeing the Devil.
1. Frequent observation of the frame of the heart.
"PAY ATTENTION - ON PURPOSE!"
The word heart in the Bible typically is synonymous with the word "soul." So we need to be clear that we are not talking about either the muscle or the emotions. This isn't the seat of your feelings or affections but rather the seat of your faith that we are dealing with.
The "frame" of your heart can best be seen as like steel beams that support any massive structure. Though they are not visible yet they are the key to the structural soundness of any building.
What are the "steel beams" of your heart? Are they submission to, dependence on, worship towards and trust in God? If these are not sound then your structrue is in danger.
It's not a matter of having one or two of these but having all four as the frame of your heart - and hopefully the only frame. Anything other than these four basic "beams" and your structure is not sound. You will have weak spots and vulnerabilities.
Trusting in things, people, position; taking comfort in prosperity or favorable circumstances; harboring self-love or the fear of man are all examples of the weak beams with which we tend to frame our hearts.
It is well written in Proverbs:
Proverbs 3:5-8 ESV
[5] Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. [6] In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. [7] Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. [8] It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.
Verse 5 = the heart
Verse 5b & 6 = the mind
Verse 7 = the choices
Verse 8 = the blessing
It all begins (and ends actually) in the heart. Is the Lord actually the Lord of your heart? Do you struggle in your heart with doubts and sin? Is your heart aimed at and centered upon the Lord and what He has done for you - desires from you?
We know that the answer to the question above is, "Not so much as I would desire." And so we must intentionally and regularly and consistantly examine our hearts - the frame of our hearts - to make sure they are framed with the right stuff.
Psalm 26:2 ESV
Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind.
Psalm 51:10 ESV
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Psalm 119:10 ESV
With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!
Psalm 119:34 ESV
Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
Psalm 141:4 ESV
Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies!
We examine our hearts through the Word of God and prayer. Not to mention the necessary reliance upon the work of the Holy Spirit. Being consistantly and prayer fully in the Word with an aim to the condition of our hearts is critical. Think of the intensity nd awesomeness of open-heart surgery. This work of keeping the heart is not less so and perhaps even more so.
I encourage you to pray for the conviction, strength and intention of keeping your heart. This is the way of sanctification that the Lord has established so it is the way we should commit to go.
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