Holy Self-Management
#holiness #sin #tulip #OSAS #thelordstable
Many times in my life I ponder just what sort of relationship this is that I have with Jesus. I think, “The Lord has saved me and yet there are times when I sin against Him. Sometimes repeatedly…” I could get into a whole, long drawn out conversation about TULIP or predestination or OSAS, etc. But maybe some other time!
You see, whether my salvation is secure or not, I still have my own work to do. God can but will not do my work for me. I must be faithful (He is always faithful and true), I must practice holiness (He is perpetually holy), and though a saint I’m also a sinner (He does not and cannot sin). So, this post is not about what God can do but instead it is about my own responsibility in the relationship with God.
And so my mind wandered to the Lord’s table (I Corinthians 11:23-34). This is very appropriate, I think, because sin is of prime importance as the Christian considers partaking from the table. Can I righteously eat the bread and be an unrepentant creature? No. Is it cool for me to take a swig of the representative wine (my Lord’s blood) if I do not confess and be cleansed by God? Absolutely not. So, what are we to make of verses 27-32?
More specifically, we find Paul saying, “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why so many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.”
The point I’m making is this: my concern as a Christian is to deal with the man I am now in light of God’s expectation. I need to question myself when I am being lured away by my own lusts (James 1:14-15). I need to force my self (not myself) to do righteousness (I Corinthians 9:27). God has given Himself to me (Galatians 2:20) and since I have the power of God to do righteousness (Ephesians 2:10) there aren’t any excuses I can make to justify my trampling of the precious blood that purchased my freedom (Romans 1:18-20). Since I am free, my behavior had better reflect it! I am no longer a slave of the enemy, the world or the flesh (Galatians 5:1; I John 2:16) but belong to the Spirit (Galatians 5:25).
It seems when I judge myself through the lens of Scripture and correct my errors, it is as if the Lord is judging me in the here and now, His working through me by the Spirit (as opposed to me deciding to let my body do whatever it wants, because I would prefer to receive my judgment from Him later). No, sir, I think God has given us wisdom and I plan on using it while I can. I want to save myself from unnecessary judgment! The Lord is giving us options here. Would you like to correct yourself or would you like to dial a friend and let God do the correcting? Remember the dilemma King David put himself in (II Samuel 24:10-15).
So, Lord, I will judge myself. I will be hard on myself when I stray away. I will not accept the devil’s ploy, “You work hard, you deserve a little fun!” I will not accept a pharisaic attitude from within (Luke 18:11-12). You see, comparative holiness is just not acceptable. Our behavior is not measured on a curve! We are either hot or cold. By the Lord’s Spirit let us continue to be filled and empowered to do His will. Brothers and Sisters of the Way, let’s fight the good fight of faith. If you stumble, get back up again. And never, ever be satisfied with the stagnant, cyclical spirituality of sin, forgiveness, sin, forgiveness, sin, forgiveness, etc. Apart from the undeserved grace we receive from God, there is nothing good or enjoyable in this process, is there? Yes, we will sin but let’s practice holiness, not sin. Let’s run to Jesus. And crack open the Scripture for good measure. Peace unto all who call on the Name of The Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
Verses to ponder–Hebrews 10:26-31