|
|
|
|
Self-Examination (2 Corinthians 13:5) In order to continue to walk close to the Lord, we must examine ourselves constantly. Determined self-examination destroys the bad habits of busybodies, judgmentalism, and faultfinding. Pray, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts (Psm. 139:23). Responding to God’s searching requires frankness, humility and patience, but we will experience more of the Spirit of God. To be born of the Spirit and to walk in the Spirit are two different things. Walking is progressive. Only those who examine themselves regularly will continue to walk in the Spirit. Jesus taught us that “evil thoughts defile.” Matt. 15:19-:20 “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts. These are the things which defile a man…” Evil thoughts are merely wrong thoughts in our hearts that keep us from fellowship with Christ Jesus. The words “heart” and “mind” are often the same in scriptures. If we let sinful thoughts or motives reside in our minds, our hearts are affected and we lose fellowship with Christ. We stop walking in the light of His Spirit (1 Jn. 1:7). The standard is clear = “KEEP YOUR THOUGHTS AND HEART PURE IF YOU WANT TO WALK WITH THE LORD.” Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 11:28 “But let a man examine himself…” and in 2 Cor. 10:5 he writes, “Bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” Don’t get into suppositions, daydreams, and imaginations. These are proud, lofty, rebellious thoughts that cut off the leading of the Spirit. Thoughts that despise other people are also deadly. We must bring every thought into subjection to the written Word, and make our minds obedient to the Living Word. As we do, our minds become renewed and we become transformed. Otherwise, we forfeit our chance to walk with Christ. God is continually looking at our hearts – the center of our affections and thinking. Pro. 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Everything in our personal lives originates from our hearts. Right thoughts keep the flow of the Spirit. Wrong thoughts quench the flow of the Spirit, cutting us from the Vine and leaving us in confusion. Self-examination eliminates disobedience from our hearts and allows life to flow out. Disobedience is sickness to our hearts. The Holy Spirit is sent to help us monitor our heart conditions daily so we don’t fall into deception or spiritual darkness. Jesus promised that signs would follow those who obey Him. (Mk. 16:17 – believe = ones’ spiritual well-being in Christ) Divine powers and signs follow those who regard the issues of their heart and keep it with all diligence. The Holy Spirit has given us mechanisms to reveal our hearts. I have listed 12 of these mechanisms: 1. LOSS OF PEACE – (Col. 3:15) God’s peace is the judge of our hearts. [AMP – “let it be an umpire continually”] In other words, we are to let the Holy Spirit decide and settle all questions that arise in our minds and hearts. The peace that passes our understanding is to rule us. Then when our hearts do become agitated, the Word of Truth will fill us with an overwhelming peace. 2. A DEAD BIBLE – (John 14:6) The Word inspires us to rise above sin, whereas indulgence in sin causes us to neglect the Word. As long as we are in obedience, the Bible is living in us. But if we sin or self-will rules, the Bible becomes dry and empty vain words. Then we begin to fall away because our hearts have separated us from “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” 3. FEAR OF EVIL – (Prov. 14:26) Salvation comes with deep confidence. Every believer who trusts and obeys is protected from fear. Fear torments, but God’s Spirit brings calm and assurance. There is an hour of great fear coming to the earth, but the Bride of Christ will not be moved. (Prov. 1:33). 4. POWERLESS PRAYER – (Mar. 11:24) Because God is Holy, He has no respect for those who do not respect Him. A holy heart is kept free from known sin. [Do the heavens seem as brass to you lately, or do you believe that you will receive because you ask?] Too many people are double-minded, lacking confidence God will give them what they ask for. 5. WEAKNESS – (Psa. 27:1) If the Lord is our strength, then sin is our weakness. Only confession and repentance reunite us with the power of God and life in the Vine to strengthen us to bare fruit. 6. SICKNESS – (1 Cor. 11:30) Sometimes God uses the pressure of sickness to convince us we are disobedient. But the true evidence of sickness as a result of sin follows with sickness spiritually. [3 John 1:2 “Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.”] When sickness comes, the first thing we should ask is how is our heart toward the Lord and our obedience in our walk of the Spirit. If we have sinned and sickness takes us on, James tells us what to do (Jam. 5:14-16). If sin causes the affliction to come, then repentance and confession will make it go. Without a truthful confession, our souls and bodies will remain sick. 7. DOUBLE-MINDEDNESS – (Jam. 1:8) A double-minded man cannot make decisions and stick with them. The signs of double-mindedness = hesitation, uncertainty, timidity. The outcome is instability in all ways. [AMP – “unstable in all he thinks, feels and decides.”] Remember what the Spirit of God says, “How long will you halt between two opinions?” 8. A RUNNING MIND – (Matt. 6:34) This kind of mind is obsessed with the future; tormented by anxiety; exhibits an attitude of faithlessness. When faith is strong we will be tested with patience. If we allow our minds to panic over the future, our hearts will be overcharged with surfeiting and debauchery causing us to forsake allegiance (Luk. 21:34). Profuse worrying is a curse – there is never any rest, there is never freedom from pressure because we don’t leave tomorrow in the hands of the Lord. 9. A CONFUSED MIND – (Jam. 3:16) A state of confusion creates a state of emergency. There is something between us and the Lord – something evil. Christian brothers and sisters, take heed. Examine yourself to see if you are in the faith; prove what is in you to see what is operating against you. A confused mind might be the result of harboring ill-will, strife, or envy. It might be a sign of fear. Confusion may come from pride because we continue to resist the Spirit of God for our life. Only God produces a sound mind. 10. A CONFOUNDED MIND – (Isa. 41:11) A confounded mind is chaotic thoughts that just grind to a halt. It is mental paralysis – we can’t think at all. It is reserved for the unrighteous, the unjust ones. Sometimes a confounded mind is caused by shame: Psm.40:14 “Let them be ashamed and confounded together who seek after my soul to destroy it…” It is deadly. It leaves you with no feelings of any kind. 11. CARNAL CRAVINGS – (Gal. 5:16) Only the Spirit of God has the power to control our carnal cravings. If we begin to give into carnal cravings again and again, we have become weak-minded spiritually. Only the Spirit of God deadens the appetites of the flesh. 12. LACK OF BROTHERLY LOVE – (Matt. 24:12) When we begin to withdrawal from the body of believers, slowly we are losing our love. It happens because we are losing our desire for God. It is a subtle spiritual disease that can take our lives. God’s purpose in ordering self-examination is for correction, not punishment or penalty. He seeks to purge us so that we may remain in touch with Him at all times. But for this to occur we must be correctable; willing to see where we have missed it; and to do whatever it takes to make it right. We may confess, quench wrong thinking, put on new thinking, cast off bad attitudes or put on the mind of Christ, making restitution – but whatever we do, we must do it quickly to restore fellowship with God. -Pr. Steve February Newsletter 2006 | Self-Examination | Understanding Habits part 2 of 2 Pastor's Journal February 2005 | Here, World, Take My Children part 1 of 3 | God's Breath part 2 of 3 |
Biblical Counseling for Leaders
|
|
Copyright © 1995-2007 Living Word Christian
Fellowship, Inc.
|
