The Way of Self-Examination (cont'd)by Bishop W. Reynold Storr
A Dead Bible Dwight L. Moody wrote in the flyleaf of someone’s Bible, “This book will keep you out of sin, and sin will keep you out of this book” He meant simply that meditation in the Word inspires us to rise above sin and indulgence in sin inclines to neglect the Word. Moody’s proverb implies a link between inspiring Bible reading and obedience. As long as we obey the Word, the Bible is a living thing. Every time we touch it, we have an encounter with God. It is a fountain flowing with living water; from which we refresh our spirits. It is an oven filled with freshly baked bread with which we feed our souls. It is a telephone line over which we hear direct messages from God through the Spirit. It is a temple of words, in which, awestruck, we behold the beauty of the Lord. Never does the Logos fail to bless the obedient ones. Always the bible offers, and delivers, an exhilarating touch from the living God. Hence, we are drawn to it.
But if sin or self – will enters, a marked changed occurs immediately. We seek drink, but our Bible fountain is dry. We seek bread, but the oven is empty. We listen for God’s voice, but our line of communication is broken. We search chapter and voice for a glimpse of Jesus but are unable to see Him clearly. So we fall away from the word and sink and falter in the midst of life’s adversities. What is wrong? Our Bible is dead. And so are we dead in sin, selfishness and worldliness. Our disobedience has separated us from the life John: 14:6: and is hindering Him from inspiring us through His word.
FEAR OF EVIL In the beginning, Adam knew no fear. In Eden, he had daily fellowship with God and walked with Him in complete confidence. But the instant he sinned; he feared and hid himself from his Creator. Genesis: (3:7- 10.) It is the same with Christians today: It is impossible to practice sin and enjoy spiritual assurance simultaneously. Salvation brings with it the deepest confidence: Proverbs: 14:26: (In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence). Every Christian who trusts and obeys abides in his own divinely protected Eden – the perfect will of God – where the fear that torments cannot dwell. If it tries to enter, he easily repels it by the blood, the word and his testimony. But disobedience spoils the believer’s place; it drives us from Eden and from all its security, and relocates us in God’s permissive will where we are exposed to evil and calamities that are not in God’s plan. Gen: 34.
Sensing our departure from the shadow of the almighty Psalm: 91:1: as Adam did, we fear. And to our dismay, when we resist this fear, it does not flee. “Jesus I know, Paul I know, but who are you? A cloud of uncertainty then envelopes us, and the fear of divine chastisement takes root in our hearts. Until we repent, this fearful looking for of judgment grows stronger by the hour. But the instant we put away our disobedience, all our anxieties evaporate and sunshine again warms us with the security of God. So we resume life in Eden. Proverbs: 1:33. “Whosoever listens to me shall be quiet from fear of evil.”
Powerless prayer
Because God is holy, He does not respect our prayers if we do not respect His holiness. A holy heart is one kept free from all sin. Have the Heavens been like brass to you lately? Do you pray for the things you desire and dutifully “believe that you receive them” Mark: 11:24? When you pray, you still suffer a lack of confidence, and your requests is unanswered. The presence of but one wrong attitude lodge in your heart – pride, envy, strife, malice, unforgiveness, rebellion, unbelief – is enough to render your prayers powerless. (Psalm: 66:18). “If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear me.” Only diligent self-examiners pray with confidence and see results.
Weakness
Psalm: 27:1. “The Lord is the strength of my life.” If the Lord is our strength, sin is our weakness. If not immediately confessed and forsaken, sin causes an unexplainable weakening of our entire being. We have enough food, sleep and leisure time, our health is excellent, yet we feel continually drained. “For this cause, many are weak...” 1st Corinth: 11:30: As a branch cut off from its vine is instantly weakened, so the Christian cut off from Jesus senses an immediate drop in vitality. For apart from Him, all we have is the strength of the old man, who is dead; and the strength of a dead man is weak. If we are plagued with weakness and sin is the culprit, no natural remedy, a cool drink, a hot meal, rest and relaxation, etc. will restore our energy. Only confession and repentance reunite us with our power source and cause life from the Vine to again surge into, and strengthen, our branches.
God sometimes uses the pressure of physical sickness to convince sinning Christians to return to the way of obedience; “For this cause many are sick among you” (1st Corinth: 11:30). Typically, our physical follows our spiritual; our bodies prosper as our souls prosper: 3rd John.2: “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. Physical health, therefore, is the norm for the believer whose faith is healthy. When sickness visits, our first concern should be to examine our hearts for a sin cause. If we have sinned, James gives the divine directive for both forgiveness and healing.
James: 5: 14- 16. Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults (sins) one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed.
These inspired instructions reveal that sin cause’s affliction to come, repentance alone makes it go. Without the humility of a truthful confession and a contrite believing prayer, our bodies will remain as our souls – sick.
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