"Know Thy [Sinful] Self"

Among the many things that stir in our hearts at Easter, one of the most pernicious is our own sinfulness. It's one thing to know that sin sent Jesus to the cross; it's quite another for me to feel each pang of Jesus-denying vice that rises in my heart. The first can be relegated to the objective, to a subject to be studied, and even one with which we may readily agree. The other (MY Jesus-denying iniquity) is something I must face subjectively. In other words, this is no theory; this is a fact and in MY LIFE! I sin! And to claim otherwise is absurd! Paul admitted, "If I want to do right, evil lies close at hand" (Romans 7:21). Spurgeon warns that this very issue blew away the disciples that night in the garden of Gethsemane.

He never deserted them, but they in cowardly fear of their lives, fled from him in the very beginning of his sufferings. This is but one instructive instance of the frailty of all believers if left to themselves; they are but sheep at the best, and they flee when the wolf cometh. They had all been warned of the danger, and had promised to die rather than leave their Master; and yet they were seized with sudden panic, and took to their heels. It may be, that I, at the opening of this day, have braced up my mind to bear a trial for the Lord’s sake, and I imagine myself to be certain to exhibit perfect fidelity; but let me be very jealous of myself, lest having the same evil heart of unbelief, I should depart from my Lord as the apostles did. It is one thing to promise, and quite another to perform. (Morning & Evening Devotions, March 27)

Resurrection conquers sin, but does not release us from sin's effects upon us. My point here is that WE MUST REALIZE THIS IF WE ARE TO BE RIGHTLY PREPARED. Not do be prepared is to invite failure. Again Paul warned the Corinthian church, "Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12). I would be the last to denigrate the awesome work of God in the sinner's life, conquering sin in full. But by the same token, I would not teach contrary to Scripture that the believer is therefore free from all sin. Be prepared. Know your own frailty. And throw the full weight of your dependence on the Lord . . . ALWAYS!

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