It’s easy to look back critically on the Jewish sojourners who tested God’s patience in the Wilderness. “We would never have done that,” we think. But Paul warns us that “We must not put the Lord to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents” (1 Cor. 10:9).
How is it that we test the Lord? By testing the limits of His grace; taking advantage of His grace. “Just how close can I get to sinning without facing the consequences?” we think. While we may never admit thinking this, our ambivalence toward sin gives us away.
What’s worse is that when we permit ourselves these private indulgences, we not only test God’s patience, but we become desensitized to sin’s injury—which can lead to a hardening of your spiritual arteries: “Don't harden your hearts against Him as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested God's patience in the wilderness” (Heb. 3:8).
I can tell you that your heart is already getting hardened if you think your indulgences are of little consequence. But treating sin lightly shows contempt for God’s grace. Let's examine our hearts, and ask the Lord to show us how we have been testing the limits of His grace.
When I read, "Just how close can I get to sinning without facing the consequences", my first thought was, that's attitude is already sin! I have observed that very thought pattern in my past, and knew my heart had already strayed from the Lord, and had comitted the sin in my heart, long before I ever followed through on the thought. If we're flirting with it in our mind, we have already crossed the line. Jesus said in Matthew 5:28 that if we look at a woman to lust, we have already committed adultery with her.
ReplyDeleteI could be wrong, but I don't think there's any such thing as getting close to sinning outwardly but trying not to "cross the line", and that in itself not be sin.
I totally agree with your blog Greg. I may just be expressing my thought a little more hard nosed. What do you think? Do I need more grace? ;)
PS. My apologies on my grammer. I am usually commenting from my phone on these blogs...
ReplyDelete-David
Greg,
ReplyDeleteThis whole week it's been like you've been "reading my mail!" I cannot believe how stupid I can be. Who do I think I am that God doesn't know my thoughts and intents. Thank you for your sensitivity to God's voice. Thank you for keeping me from falling in the DITCH.
To David
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right that the moment we say "how close can I get", we have already sinned. I so stated on this blog on Dece. 15: "Aggressive Christianity"
To Anau
As always, thanks for your feedback and encouragement. You and those like you are why I am pleased to write this blog.