Brethren,
Most of us who visit SI on a regular basis have one thing in common: a hunger for the Lord and His righteousness. I am deeply grateful for such a website, and I thank God for like-minded brothers and sisters in Christ.
However, the pursuit of God is a dangerous one. Doing so, we are willingly subjecting ourselves to greater judgment. I am not saying that this is a bad thing; far be it from me to say such a thing! For God’s righteous judgment – in the light of His sovereign purpose in our lives – constitutes the foundation for sanctification, by which we are made worthy of the kingdom of God (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 2 Thessalonians 1:5). Praise the Lord!
What shall we then make of this, taking into consideration that we are a stiff-necked people? How does God deal with us, whose natural inclinations are forever sinful and rebellious? You might say, “That is what we were; but we were justified, we were sanctified, and seated in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus”, to which I would answer, “Amen!” But, let us never forget that these blessings become a reality for those who are in Christ Jesus, and in Him alone. You might wonder, “What’s the issue, then?” The issue is that it was not “I” who “began a good work”; neither is it “I” who “will bring it to completion”.
Consider this: What caused you to repent? Anyone who has the audacity to answer, “My free will…”, should be very careful, lest he fall into the pit of presumption. Salvation is a work of God, according to His merciful purpose, and by His power! (Ephesians 1:11-12; Romans 9:15-16; John 1:13) Never forget that man’s inclination is sinful from birth: rebellious, neither understanding nor seeking God; absolutely worthless! Meditating on these truths should cause us to fall on our faces in great fear before an infinitely Holy God. He is altogether different from us: we are altogether sinful; He is altogether righteous. What makes the difference in our lives and destiny has nothing to do with any virtue of the will or of the heart of man; it has everything to do with God’s abundant mercy towards exceedingly and persistently sinful men and women.
How should this affect the pursuit of God? The man who recognizes his wretchedness apart from the grace of God, should seek God with a humble and thankful heart, saying: “There was nothing in me that was worthy to plead; but, by the mercy of God, it came to me. Humbled in dust, I forever am; and a slave to Thee, I am compelled to be. Yet, I am compelled by love, which flowed unto me; from life unto life, was I purposed in Thee.”
Having been so humbled, we now understand the basis for interpersonal mercy; that is, mercy from one person to another. If we recognize that apart from the grace of God, all men would remain slaves to sin, then it makes no sense to condemn others, by which we would make ourselves judges over God’s Law. Who are you to judge your neighbor, Oh wicked man? We must be bearers of the Word, which in itself will bring death unto those who are perishing; but, we in ourselves are not to judge. However, as Christ’s ambassadors, we carry a fire that cuts deep within the heart of man. The more we pursue God, the more we subject ourselves to His righteous judgment. If we seek to become vessels of the fragrance of Christ unto men, we make ourselves candidates for the fiery furnace. In so doing, a pleasing aroma comes from total humility before God and men, in the light of our undeserved state of blessedness, which stems from the mercies of God Himself. But, woe unto him who subjects himself to the fiery furnace presumptuously! For the result would be a stench in the nostrils of the Almighty, an unreasonable sacrifice.
Brethren, my prayer is that this meditation would provoke a wave of conviction, leading to greater holiness, which bears the mark of humility. If you find fault in me, please rebuke me, for “faithful are the wounds of a friend” (Proverbs 27:6).
In Christ Jesus