Author: Bob

How could anyone be afraid of Jesus? He was opposed to evil of whatever sort. He abused no one. He only loved, supported and healed the hurting, especially those who society rejected. So how is it that Luke, a doctor no less, would record a litany of people in the book he wrote, who were terrified of Jesus? In Luke 8 we find that the disciples initially feared they would drown due to the terrible, raging Sea of Galilee. But when Jesus calmed the water, they became even more afraid of Him. They were terrified and said, “Who is this man? … When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!” (v 25 NLT). When a group of demons saw Him, they shrieked and fell down in front of Him, screaming, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please, I beg of you, don’t torture me!” The citizens of Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for “a great wave of fear swept over them.” (Luke 8:28-38) They were afraid Jesus would take away the source of their income. When a woman touched the fringe of Jesus’ robe, He asked, who touched me? The woman began to tremble and fell to her knees before Him. How is it that so many people were afraid of Jesus, but we are not? Could it be we have misunderstood Him?

Psalms 111:10 reads, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!” (ESV) Perfect love casts out lesser fears (1 John 4:18) and teaches us to hug the appropriate fear of the Lord who commands waves, demons, and sickness to do His bidding. Hum… If we don’t fear and only love Him, are we missing something? How do we reconcile fearing Jesus and fully loving Him at the same time? Can both emotions exist within us at the same time? Or could it be there are two sides of the same coin?

Loving God and fearing Him come to a common result. If we love God, we will fear Him. If we fear Him as the Bible teaches, we will love Him. Jesus Himself said, “…I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear.” Luke 12:5 (NLT2) Could it be that the fear of God serves as a motivator to not turn away from Him? There is a type of fear where we don’t want to be close to someone and a type of fear where we don’t want to be separated from someone. It is the same way you may fear your mom or dad. You love them, but you often follow their rules out of fear of hurting them. Fearing God isn’t about being afraid but about acknowledging His ultimate power, which produces sobering awe.  Paradoxically, fearing God leads to intimacy, not distance. The Psalmist wrote, “The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.” Psalm 25:14 (ESV). The Bible portrays the relationship between loving and fearing God as complementary, not contradictory. One does not replace the other, but instead, they reinforce each other to create a whole and healthy relationship with God. We can be so focused on solving the problem of God’s fearsomeness with the gospel that we may not give people a chance to really let it sink in how deeply sinful they are or how fearsome God really is. Philippians 2;12b reads, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (ESV) Someone has said, there is a terror when outside of Christ and a different kind of trembling when in Christ.

Do you have a healthy fear of God or just love Him? I dare say if you only love Him, you are more vulnerable to breaking His heart due to false presumption of His grace. God is not tolerant of willful sinning. Think about that. Don’t be afraid of fearing Jesus.

Occasionally, Connie would ask me to go to the storeroom to get a sauce or the like. Sometimes when I got there, I couldn’t find what she had requested. When I told her that, she would say, “I know it is down there,” so off we would go to look together. Sure enough, it was there. I had been looking straight at it but couldn’t see it. This is often like our relationship with God.

The early Hebrews saw God’s stunning miracles. Yet soon they returned to worshiping the local cultural gods. To this day, practicing Jews will do their ritual of worship of God, yet not see Him in the life of His Son, Jesus. But are we that much different? We can go to church, read our Bibles, serve others, and the like, yet rarely, if ever, encounter God in doing so.

We commonly think that if so and so could see a miracle, they would believe and trust in Jesus, but that is not so. Jesus’ brothers and sisters, who ate meals with Jesus, saw, touched and conversed with Him, yet only Mary, their mother, saw who Jesus really was. It is thought that many of his family members did not believe in him until after He died and rose again. John the Baptist, declared Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Yet, he became confused about who Jesus was and sent his disciples to inquire of Jesus if He was really the Son of God. The scribes and Pharisees heard Jesus teach and witnessed the miracles God did through Him yet could not see Him for who He really was.

Our preconceived ideas blind us to what is true. We often view spontaneous thoughts as harmless clouds drifting by. We ignore Paul’s warning, “…we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 (NLT2) These evil spirits confuse us too often. Peter couldn’t distinguish the difference between the Holy Spirit’s and Satan’s ideas that popped into his mind. When something puts our mind in a spin, we aren’t able to see Satan or Jesus when looking at them.

I’ve been intrigued with how those physically close to Jesus didn’t realize who He was. It was like me looking in the storeroom and not seeing what was in front of me. The Jewish leaders, people in his hometown (Nazareth), the community of Gadarenes, and scores more. Mary at the tomb and the men walking and talking with Jesus on the road to Emmaus didn’t recognize Him.

We would like to imagine that if we saw what they saw, we would go all in for certain. However, we don’t realize the influence twisted ideas can have on our minds. Consider Judas Iscariot. Jesus empowered him to do mighty miracles with the other disciples and the seventy whom Jesus sent out to do the miraculous. He had to be blind not to see Jesus for who He was.

This makes me question how often I might miss God at work around me. Why is it that we find it difficult to credit God for small things that happen to us? I, too can be as obsessed with the physical. How about you? I can only say I am still on the learning curve of seeing God instead of myself in what happens around me. But the more I watch for Him working daily in my life, the greater healing and joy I experience. I’m sure that is how it would be with you as well. He is working when we don’t see or feel Him working. But when I look more for Him, I can see Him.

Love can be defined in many different ways, but all the definitions include a form of one common element. That element will be stronger at some points than others, but it still remains. That element is how it affects what you think about. If you are looking to buy a car, or whatever, your mind repeatedly gravitates towards that item. The same is true when a person falls in love. Their minds repeatedly gravitate towards that special person. The same seems to hold true if you fall in love with a particular house, vacation spot, etc. When I visited a seminary in the Philippines earlier this year, some aspects of it repeatedly return to my mind. I sense God is preparing me to return to serve as a volunteer there.

The first fruit of your being captivated by God is the repeated musings in your mind upon God. If you are ravished by God, your mind will repeatedly be transported back to some aspect of Him. David wrote, “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!  Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.” Psalm 139:17-18 (NIV) He also wrote, “I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.  Therefore, my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.  You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:8-11 (NIV) He genuinely loved God, and it showed in how he thought of God and how often he thought of Him.

When the prophet Ezekiel prophesied about spiritual rebirth or regeneration that would come in the future, he wrote something profoundly significant about the results or fruit of that salvation in the life of a new convert. First, he points out what His Spirit will do in the person, then points out the effects of what He does. It inspires a dramatic change in a new believer.  He wrote, “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols.  And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.  And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. Ezekiel 36:25-27 (NLT2) To me, that is saying the awe of God’s work in the person is so profound the person falls in love with God. We are only careful to do things we place a very high value on.

The goal of Satan and his companions is to eliminate the awe and love for God. That’s exactly how he treated Eve and the church at Ephesus. Comparing the church of Ephesus in Acts 19:23-31 shows a clear difference from the same church roughly 30 years later. John’s description of that church still doing all the right things, but had forsaken its first love, which God values far more than continuing to do all the right things. (Revelation 2:1-6)

The enemy still does the same to believers now. It’s disheartening how many former churchgoers now seem to lack their earlier zeal. Renewal requires a fresh encounter with God’s awe via Scripture or a new revelation of our Lord.

This begs the question; what might the temperature of your love for Him look like today. Do your thoughts snap back to His awesomeness you recently experienced, or might they occasionally find their way back into your mind through the many memories of family, experiences or accomplishments? Are you comfortable with where it might be?

As I write this, the day is predicted to be sunny but partly cloudy. Clouds appear innocuous as they float through the sky. But they can also bring furious storms and disastrous destruction. They are like ideas that float through our minds.

Like clouds, ideas have a source, which primarily appears as innocent circumstantial conditions. But their source can also be stirred up by threatening changing atmospheric conditions. Their source is the determining factor. Ideas that come from God are based on established truth and reality, and they produce great fruit. His truth has endured unchanged throughout the millennia. However, ideas from Satan and company are based on imaginations that at first appear very appealing but will eventually morph into what will produce death and destruction.

Here’s how Paul described the source of these destructive ideas.  “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 (NLT2)

Interestingly, we will encounter both types of ideas, and it’s most critical that we discern the difference between them. John recorded the Holy Spirit’s explanation of a pre-rebirth state, observed in Jesus’ disciples. “By this he [Jesus] meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. John 7:39 (NIV). So, when Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am” (Mark 8:29), an idea from the Holy Spirit was dropped into Peter’s mind, and he blurted out, “You are the Christ.” However, we read soon after Peter had this idea from God, Satan dropped an idea into his mind. He then pulled Jesus aside and rebuked Him. (Mark 8:32) This shows Peter was not discerning one idea from the other. Unless our spirit is attuned to the Holy Spirit, we will make the same mistake Peter made.

Ideas that come from God are saturated with supernatural peace. They are based on a rock-solid, proven reality. Secular Humanism, actualized today as Progressivism, was man-generated with the Ancient Greeks and Romans. Progressivism has produced those who riot, burn and loot cities, confuse sexuality, and the like, including killing and assassination of the righteous, as just occurred with Charlie Kirk. Charlie, on the other hand, has distinctly shown us how admirable fruit comes from following the ideas coming from God. Sadly, too many in the church today have confusedly mixed the different sources of ideas. The results have been faint versions of Charlie Kirk, some more so than others.

This raises the question each of us must ask ourselves. Have I allowed myself to adopt human ideas rather than those coming from God? Possibly, the most important scale is how much I value my desires compared to God’s plans. Charlie Kirk’s complete surrender to God’s plans brought amazing results. Ironically, though costly, being an apprentice of Jesus is the sole path to a most fulfilling life. Charlie’s big and consistent  smile confirmed that. This is the life that experiences the authentic version of a healthy well-being and all that includes.

We all must frequently reconsider Jesus’ words, “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?  Is anything worth more than your soul?” Mark 8:36-37 (NLT2)

How does continuous sin affect our lives? More often than not, we let it defeat us, or we grow callous to it. Can that defeat serve a good purpose if we allow it to do so?

All of us have fought to overcome a nasty habit we acknowledge does not honor God. Connie acknowledged in her prayer journals that she had struggled with eating for decades. In her mind, it was keeping her from the joyful victory of overcoming.

 

I have struggled with my memory since high school days. I remember many times when I locked up the shop I worked at, only to get halfway home and couldn’t remember if I had locked the front door before I left. Believe it or not, it kept me humble! I am also humbled every time I am unable to remember someone’s name when I see them. I’ve repeatedly prayed for deliverance, but for reasons beyond me, God didn’t deliver or heal me. It’s been like Paul’s thorn in the flesh.

Others have struggled with unhealthy habits like smoking and the like. Despite many prayers and the practice of spiritual discipline, the habit persisted, and they lived with defeat.

Why does God let us struggle so much with what feels like a sin to us? Could it be that God is more concerned about something else in our life than that certain sin—like our pride? Interestingly, humility is like a backbone to having sufficient trust in God. We can only see our unique ‘sin’ while He sees the result His deliverance would have in our lives. Would we bring God more glory if we were free from our sin but full of self-righteous pride? While striving for holiness, we must not underestimate the value of humility. Is it possible our confidence and freedom would release in us the attitude of the self-righteous man who thanked God he wasn’t as bad as that wretched publican. (Luke 18:10-14) I’m not certain we understand how God sees pride. He hates it.

Could it be that God looks more at our heart’s desire to desperately want to be free than at our unholy habits? That habit has a unique way of keeping us humble. Did you know God patiently bears with us to become more like His Son? Can we not patiently bear with a thorn in the flesh or an unrighteous habit that keeps us humble in His eyes?

We all have imperfections of various sorts. I have more than I can even imagine. They seem to be new every morning, just as God’s mercies are new every morning. Which imperfection is He going to bring His judgement down on me for doing? I dare say we are far more concerned with our imperfections than we are in passionately seeking to develop a heart more like Jesus had while a human walking on this earth. It is like we are more concerned with the outside of the cup than the inside. (Matthew 23:25-26). We then have contempt for those whose cup on the outside is grubbier than ours. No wonder Jesus told us not to judge lest we be judged. (Matthew 7:1-2)

François Fénelon, a Christian spiritual advisor in the 1600s, concluded, “Bear with your involuntary frailties as God bears, wait patiently for His appointed time of complete deliverance, and meanwhile go on quietly and according to your strength in the path before you without looking back; sorrowing over [your sins] with humility but putting them aside to press onwards… towards a Father who loves you.”

When you hear or read the word ‘gospel’, what comes to your mind first? Did you know the gospel Jesus taught was not the forgiveness of sin? Check it out in the Bible for yourself. When you read or hear anything about the ‘gospel’, it generally is associated with Jesus’ death on the cross. Yes, the cross most certainly plays a very vital role in salvation. However, that was not the ‘gospel’ Jesus had in mind when He preached the gospel of the kingdom of God. Again, check it out in the Bible for yourself.

His sacrificial death did far more than deal with our sin. That was like an entry gate to an abundant life. His grace forgives, but the larger part of grace empowers us to grow into His full stature. There is so much more to our relationship with God than His dealing with guilt and shame. He fully intends to transform us into the very nature of Jesus.

The core of Jesus’ teaching was a kingdom, a cultural condition under God’s absolute rule. When Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, they were put out of God’s perfect kingdom. The triune Godhead planned that God the Son would die so you and I could re-enter His kingdom by reversing the process that put humans out of His perfect kingdom. However, God’s forgiveness wasn’t just about providing an entry to His kingdom. Going through the door of salvation was only the start of a lifelong procedure of being transformed into the very likeness of Jesus, the Son of God. I write this only to appeal to you. Please don’t limit Jesus’ gospel to the cross because you will then MISS the fullness of God as a change-agent into His very likeness.

This means the gospel Jesus taught also involved a person’s mind, value system, and ways being transformed into the full stature of Jesus. (Ephesians 4:13). That is what we are predestined to become when we received Jesus’ forgiveness through His death on the cross. Think about it. The New Testament is far more about living a transformed life than about asking Christ to forgive your sins. The gospel could be seen as the whole process of being born and maturing into adulthood. The mark of spiritual maturity is not about years spent doing good things in the church. Doing good things CAN help you grow but certainly do not necessarily make you spiritually mature. Good ‘works are more like your shadow; they are not the real you; they only follow wherever you go.

This is my point: Far too many of us surrender our life to Christ, but over time we take it all back—only to become a spiritual fossil—something that once was alive but died on the inside as the believers at Ephesus had done (Revelation 2:1-7) When you first surrendered your life to Christ, you were “…predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Romans 8:29 (ESV) We retire from work as humans, but there is no retirement plan for our spiritual life.

If you’ve noticed the passion for intimately knowing God has faded and now you only dream of the joy that once was, please know, God is NOT done with you yet. He still wants to talk to you, lead you, empower you, transform you into His image. You have more delightful days ahead than you have ever experienced. They may look slightly different as your body changes its look. But it can be just as exciting and productive. But it will require taking initiative to seek to know and serve God no matter how old you may get. The best of your life is yet to come, that is unless you prefer to sit on your memories and spiritually fossilize.

Temptation isn’t bad; it is what we do with it that is crucial. Jesus was tempted, but those temptations didn’t adversely affect Him. That was because of how He responded to them.

As Jesus neared His Passion Week, He made this insightful statement.  “I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me…” John 14:30 (NLT2) Why didn’t Satan have any power over His humanity? Too often we inadvertently say things that later incriminate us. That same principle applies to inadvertently allowing ideas that pop into our minds. Paul warned, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 (NLT2) The wrestling we do is done in our minds, in the ideas that pop up there that are not on things above.

Again, ideas alone are not the problem any more than temptations are the problem. It is what we do with them. When we let them park in our heads and entertain them, the enemy of our souls sets up “strongholds” there that will plague us. For example: When Jesus asked His disciples, who do you say I am? ” (Mt.16:15-16), Peter was inspired to say, “You are the Christ (Messiah)…” Notice Jesus’ response. In today’s language He replied, You didn’t figure that out yourself; that was revealed to you. Peter took pride in that, then Jesus rebuked him, saying. “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Matthew 16:23 (ESV) Peter earlier had heard the Spirit’s whisper but didn’t know the difference between the Spirit’s voice and Satan’s voice.

When we listen to Satan’s ideas in our minds, he is able to set up a “stronghold” there which gives him leverage over us. Jesus immediately recognized it was Satan speaking those words through Peter and called him out. Satan gives us distorted thoughts about people, then makes us talk undesirably to them. In that light, when Jesus said Satan had no leverage over Him, it was because He never entertained the bad ideas Satan tried to plant in His mind.

We mentally discount the reality of the spiritual, whether it be of God or the devil. Therefore, we are slow to think either God or the devil put an idea in our mind that we allow to park there. When Jesus sent out His disciples, Judas Iscariot preached and cast out demons along with the rest. But Satan planted evil thoughts in his mind, and we know the rest of that story.

So how can a person get rid of the strongholds Satan has already planted in our minds, and will plant more of them if we let him? I like how the Today’s English Version translates Solomon’s words, “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.” Proverbs 4:23 (TEV) As we regularly reflect on God’s Word, we are awed when we recognize who He really is. That awe literally transforms us. Paul wrote, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV) Contrast how the Bible describes the people in Noah’s day, “[The Lord … saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. Genesis 6:5 (NLT2) We can’t afford not to guard our hearts!

I get impatient easily, such as in traffic, in a queue, or at a doctor’s office. I spent hours at the hospital waiting to be discharged. My frustration grew as I waited. I considered trying to intervene but knew it would create a bigger mess.

Ironic as it sounds, previously I had been having a delightful time only minutes earlier, thanking, praising and worshiping God. Then, I was focused on gratitude and awe for how He used my TIA diagnosis to remind me I couldn’t trust myself. Only He and His direction of events could be trusted regarding my brief hospital stay. I am unreliable because of my wobbly trust. I saw clearly that I had to leave my life in God’s hands, no matter what.

God is patiently using painful events to break my obsession with the physical. When I feel God is putting me in an unhappy place, my spirit faith would tell my fickle soul that it’s better to trust in God’s love than to rely on myself. Joseph experienced the pit, prison, and being forgotten only to rise to the second in command of Egypt. How can I be so upset by a hospital discharge delay? Shouldn’t I patiently await my loving God’s work to remove my impatience? God arranged for Jonah to be spewed out at the perfect time and place to fulfill what God had asked him to do.

What does my flawed self say about submitting my world to Him? Can I trust Him enough to allow Him to use my illness and hospital stay to lead me? Although I resisted like a child, He’s done so much through me; why does He still put up with my persistent independence?

Samson killed a lion, and later, feeling down, he discovered honey in its skull, from which he drew strength. Why do we struggle to trust God to bring good from our pain? He utilizes that pain to prepare us for His greater plan. Daniel was marched as a prisoner from Jerusalem to Babylon to be tossed into the lions’ den, then ultimately to become a hero of our faith.

I’m truly ashamed of my continuous, toddler-like resistance to God’s wonderful plan for me. What amazes me further is that having patiently wrestled with me, He invests even more grace to teach me to surrender more to His loving trust and mercy. How glorious and marvelous is the God we serve! Deep contemplation of this is very humbling.

What is God trying to teach you that you don’t want to learn? Since Connie graduated, it seems He has been reshaping my independence, so I trust only Him for my future. I hate to admit this, but I just want to know where I’m headed. This shows my mind secretly fears He’ll ruin my future, even though I know that’s not true. His character history reveals He doesn’t want me or anyone else to be spiritually barren on this earth. Fruitfulness is consistently high on His core value list, but it will also involve risk. Will I ever be able to accept the truth emotionally? Not until I decide to fully abandon myself to Him. Where might you be in this area of your real-time daily life?

I’m slowly accepting that this world is a perfectly good and safe place for anyone to be, no matter the circumstances, if I have truly placed my life in the hands of God.

How critical is humility in becoming an apprentice of Jesus? Does God’s attitude towards pride adequately answer that question? I was unaware of how pride had developed in a certain area of my life. It was recently revealed, and it crushed me. Frankly, it was so traumatic that it occurred over several days and has taken weeks for me to stabilize. It clearly exposed to me how serious God is about our dealing with our pride.

It has reminded me of what God said to the early Hebrews, “Remember how the LORD your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands.” Deuteronomy 8:2 (NLT2) Solomon wrote, “One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.” Proverbs 29:23 (ESV) John wrote, “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.” 1 John 2:16 (NLT2) The only acceptable pride is pride in God or others, rather than in ourselves.

I’m not exactly sure why this is the case, but humility does not come instantaneously. That part of our sin-nature is deep in the core of a person. Trusting God confidently while being humble about myself, as Jesus was, has been a slow process of relearning to walk. Humility and confidence in Christ are born from patient endurance in our daily experiences in life. It could be in something as innocently appearing as waiting in line in traffic, a shopping line, for a doctor or your spouse. Waiting has a strange way of showing us our self-centeredness or self-reliance.

To foster a closer relationship with God, humility requires acknowledging our dependence on His grace and recognizing our inherent limitations. According to James 4:6, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Paul wrote “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8 (ESV). He also wrote to the people at Colossae, “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” Colossians 3:12 (NLT2)

I am still relearning to walk with Christ in a new way. I’m stumbling yet getting stronger and more grateful as I stumble. Just to think that the God of the Universe took the time to take a chisel to me is humbling and elicits humble gratitude to Him.

Having gone through what I have, I suggest that you examine your own life to see where you may have allowed pride to unconsciously sprout up. Trust me. It can be very painful when God has to extract it from you—but then, perhaps that is the only way we will be broken enough to admit we have unacceptable pride and God is not pleased with it in our lives. Keep in mind that if we are serious about our relationship with God, impure pride must be dealt with. Paul wrote, “Christ gave His life … to make [us] holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.  He did this to present [us] to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, [we] will be holy and without fault.” Ephesians 5:26-27 (NLT2) I want spiritual surgery if it will make me more into His image.

More often than I like, I’ve been challenged when a person admits breaking God’s law, but what they said was an admission more than a humble confession. I easily forgave them, but my forgiveness alone left my spirit uneasy. As a responsible leader, should my personal forgiveness override the required consequences? That drove me to a deeper search of God’s Word.

When Adam and Eve sinned, their guilt and shame led them to hide from God. When God asked Adam where he was, He was trying to help Adam take his first step by coming out of hiding, which he did. Then came the crisis point. Adam immediately admitted his sin by saying, “I was afraid because I was naked.” God responded by drawing Adam farther out of his emotional hiding by asking, ‘Who told you that you were naked?’ God was leaving a wide-open door for Adam to come clean with his and Eve’s sin; but Adam refused to go through that open door.

It is easy to acknowledge our predicament. However, our pride makes it hard for us to own the choice that got us into that predicament. Consider Adam and Eve.

Adam immediately became defensive. Instead of humbly confessing their sin, he went on the defense and pointed fingers of blame. Adam essentially put the blame on God and his wife. “The woman You gave to be with me, she gave me of the fruit of the tree, and I ate it.” Does that sound familiar? It also makes me wonder how God felt when Adam blamed Him for his sin.

God then spoke to Eve to expose her position in this situation. She followed Adam’s lead and blamed the serpent for deceiving her. What might you say is wrong with this picture?

Paul had sent a letter to correct the believers at Corinth. It brought them, as well as himself, pain that led to their good. “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regrets for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT

Instead of godly sorrow for their blatant sin, they exhibited prideful defensiveness. Was God angry at them? No, He showed compassion by making coats of skins to cover their nakedness. Adam had admitted the fact that they had sinned but did not have godly sorrow that leads to a changed life. God turned their bad into good by sending them out of His kingdom and enacting His plan of redemption for all of Adam and Eve’s offspring. In doing that, all creation would see the magnitude of His grace and mercy.

We cannot respond as God, but His example teaches us that respectfully accepting negative consequences can positively influence our future confessions. This should apply to our poor decisions and those of others. Were you truly sorry, or did you abuse God’s kindness? Did you think God would forgive you even if you didn’t feel remorse? Does ignoring consequences ever lead to positive life changes for you? Can we help each other assess the value of confessing and owning up to mistakes?