Looking Unto Jesus

It is always the Holy Spirit's work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan's work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us pay attention to ourselves instead of to Christ. He insinuates, "Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith. You do not repent enough. You will never be able to continue to the end. You do not have the joy of His children. You have such a weak hold of Jesus." All these are thoughts about self, and we will never find comfort of assurance by looking within. But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self. He tells us that we are nothing, but that "Christ is all in all." Remember, therefore, that it is not your hold of Christ that saves you; it is Christ. It is not your joy in Christ that saves you; it is Christ. It is not even your faith in Christ, though that is the instrument, but it is Christ's blood and His merits that save you; therefore, do not look as much to your hand, with which you are grasping Christ, as to Christ. Do not look to your hope, but to Jesus, the source of your hope. Do not look to your faith, but to "Jesus, the author and finisher of [your] faith" (Heb. 12.2). We will never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our actions, our feelings. It is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul. If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by "looking unto Jesus." Keep your eyes simply on Him. Let His death, His sufferings, His merits, His glories, and His intercession be fresh on your mind. When you wake in the morning, look to Him. When you lie down at night, look to Him. Oh, do not let your hopes or fears come between you and Jesus. Follow hard after Him, and He will never fail you.

--Charles Spurgeon

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name.

Ah, Child

I care about you; I know your thoughts and delight to give you good things. Why would you want to avoid Me? The struggles in life are worth pursuing; the reward at the end is worth all the faltering here and now. This is training. You need to keep going, keep trying. You are mine, and I’ve called you to live a certain kind of life, not an easy one, but the best one. I want to be a part of your life; I want to fill you up and use you and make you a beautiful instrument, a fitting vessel. I can help you make it through hard circumstances. It is worth it to submit your heart, with all its desires, to Me. I will not trample a contrite, humble sacrifice such as that…

Spiritual Kudzu

Appeasement didn’t work with Hitler. It won’t work as Ehud Olmert, new Israeli PM, hopes it will. Neither is it possible to appease our lusts into containment. It is a lie that they will at some point be satisfied. Any morsel offered in hopes of satisfaction only crescendos the original desire.

Whenever I hear the story of a person’s abject succumbing to a major sin, I wonder with deep disappointment, how could they let this happen? But what I tend to forget is that it didn’t happen suddenly. The sin crept up, entangling one’s toes slowly, imperceptibly, until it was too late and a deadly vine had wrapped itself around the legs and torso, immobilizing and toppling the person. They likely never intended it to go that far; they were overtaken by it and eventually became unable to fend it off.

Little slips, hidden lapses, private falters… that’s where it starts. Those “small” areas are the important ones in which to be vigilant—the ones so easily rationalized away as insignificant, the ones we think don’t matter very much, the ones on which wily Satan capitalizes. I can’t specify them for you; it’s probably a little different for each person, having unique weaknesses and propensities.

It is really sobering to realize that very little separates me from someone who has vastly fallen. I am capable of the worst sin, as much as I might think I’m “above” that. Little compromises have vast repercussions. And again, it never seems like it will end up like it does. We allow ourselves to be convinced that the pleasure we seek is worth disobeying for; our desires seem like indispensable needs, imperative for our well-being.

James, talented crafter of word-pictures, likens it conceiving and giving birth (which is a nine-month process in the literal case): But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. A little phrase my mom quotes from time to time seems applicable here: There, but for the grace of God, go I.

So, what’s the solution? How can you avoid derailment from the straight and narrow track? Close communion with, and emulation of, God, of course; much prayer, humility, and constant watchfulness. Our gracious God forgives sin, hallelujah! But that’s no excuse for laziness. We have a part to play, too: to mortify (kill, put to death, ‘put off’) our flesh, and gird ourselves.... to gird up the loins of our minds, preparing ourselves for action, being sober-minded; to gird ourselves with the powerful armor of God—breastplate of righteousness, belt of truth, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, gospel-of-peace shoes, sword of the Spirit (the Word of God!)—to gird ourselves with the new man, with characteristics of kindness, tender-heartedness, forgiveness …

With an awareness of the latent potential in each of us for wickedness, we can choose to walk that much closer to our Savior’s side, the only remedy (or prevention) for such a descent.

Recovery is possible; we see that in David’s situation, so long ago. A truly repentant heart (the sacrifice of a ‘broken and contrite heart’) God will not despise. But that is not to say that the consequences are not meted out; suffering resulting from the sin still may occur, even with repentance.

And if we are somehow able to avoid a major fall, we must be extra careful not to become prideful about it! (True? Of course true!) We must remember God’s hand at work: His grace allowing us to stand, His strength perfecting our weakness, His power triumphing for us.

Do you want your life to count in the end? Do you want to make it through the tests coming your way? Do you want to stay strong, despite the worst temptations? Do you want to look back and see faithful, dogged devotion to the only One whose opinion truly matters?

Die to self. Cling to Christ.