SIN is the friend of
the person of God… it reveals
opportunities for growth.
But only through the
Holy Spirit does such revelation as an opportunity come.
We need not be discouraged when we
sin. Rather, we are to thank the Holy Spirit for revealing our lack so we might
repent and grow.
The purpose of the
Spirit’s revelation of our personal sin is to highlight exactly how and when we
have strayed from God’s holy objective in our lives. This happens numerous
times every single day. It is nothing that should disappoint us, barring the
momentary shame that is right when our flesh is mortified in the sight of truth
that we are not God.
I spoke out of turn
with my father-in-law only last night, bringing a fellow brother into judgment,
because my motive was for a petty personal vindication. The Holy Spirit showed
me this morning that there was no need to highlight such a point; this
revelation was about my flesh need to be treated nicely. But the disciple of
Christ can never expect to be treated nicely when their example of love is the
cross. They are to love despite what treatment they get, and love all the more
when treatment is harsh.
The very good thing
about such revelations is this: they remind us that we are not God and never
will be; that we will ever need to depend on the Spirit as our only guide.
True discipleship is
being aware of God’s otherness to such an extent that we are constantly
learning of his otherness. It’s, appositely, the practice of not feeling
condemned when we are reminded of his otherness. We are at one and the same
time reminded of his grace!
True discipleship is
in amplifying the divine tension between our sin and God’s grace.
The more we are
brought face to face with our sin, whilst at the same time, we magnify the
all-pervading grace of God, the more we stand amazed by the love of God.
We have this privileged
life as believers: nothing we think is harmful is actually harmful at all, so
far as the relational life is concerned.
God wants us
empowered by truth and, hence, willing and able to love.
***
We need not be discouraged when we
sin. Rather, we are to thank the Holy Spirit for revealing our lack so we might
repent and grow.
© 2015 S. J. Wickham.
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