True story. It happened before Christ came into my life. My first husband, now deceased, worked near home. We had two small children so supper was at a regular time, but occasionally he and his business partner would go for drinks without telling me. When he got home, his supper was cold and I was hot. One day a radio program said that when people do something wrong and get punished, they feel better because that is what they expected. The suggestion was ‘no punishment’ and then they must face up to their guilt.
I never thought of it as being manipulation so tried it. The next time he was late for supper, I warmed his meal and acted as if he was on time. He was puzzled, but he never was late for supper again.
Today’s devotional is about a Christian’s reaction when we fail. It says that discouragement is never a remedy. Just as a child who is learning to walk might lie down in despair when he has fallen, so a believer who is learning to walk by faith might give up in despair when he has fallen into sin. The author adds, “The only thing to do in both cases is to get right up and try again.”
God never says, “Lie down and be discouraged” yet this is often the temptation. Some might feel it is presumptuous and even impertinent to go at once to the Lord after having sinned against Him. It seems as if we ought to suffer the consequences of sin first for a little while and endure our accusing conscience. We might struggle to believe that the Lord can quickly receive us back into loving fellowship even though He says:
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:5–9)
This links to the profound truth illustrated by the advice on that old radio show. Grace that God forgives has a far greater effect on repetitive sin than punishment! When I know that He forgives me, I am less liable to do it again. However, when I try to ‘punish myself’ with feeling bad and calling myself an idiot, that has little effect. Not only that, the idea of ‘trying again’ does not work either. If I could succeed that way, I would not need Jesus.
Furthermore, I can see a parallel between those self-directed accusations and my pride. The deeper my pride, the more I tend to punish myself when I fail to be godly in some way. Sin always happens when I listen to such things as “try harder” or “you can do better” or “you are too smart to make mistakes” — blah, blah, blah. Yet when conscious of being helpless and having no power without Jesus, failure is less of a surprise and more of a motivation to rely on Him.
Not only that, the answer is never “get up and try again” but “get on your knees and confess — be forgiven and cleansed.” Regret and self-centered ‘poor dumb and foolish me’ does absolutely nothing. Jesus is my Savior because I cannot save myself. Far more important to realize…
For I have died, and my life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is my life appears, then I also will appear with Him in glory. (Colossians 3:3–4)
PRAY: I’m thankful for the lessons in living and walking with You, Jesus. Keeping short accounts means a great boost to spiritual growth. I am not only forgiven but recognize that when I confess sin, You do amazing things to wipe clean my sinful desires. Your love and grace to keep me in fellowship with You is far more effective than my disgust with myself or any motivation to get up and try harder.
Sometimes I read too fast. Speed reading is okay for novels and other lighter fare because I usually get the gist of the story. However, when I clip along at 500 plus words a minute, I can also miss important details.
For instance, the first chapter of Ephesians is filled with long sentences where piles up phrase upon phrase describing all that is ours in Christ Jesus. His descriptions give a similar sensation to that of walking into a candy store. Delights abound. Who can see all that is in those bins? Instead of letting my eyes sweep the store, if I want to find the best treasures, I must carefully look at each bin.
I might not do a speed reading in a candy store, but I must have whipped through parts of that first chapter of Ephesians. I missed something that Spurgeon zeroes in on in today’s devotional reading.
(That you may know) what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places. . . . (Ephesians 1:19–20)
I’ve seen this for myself and know that my salvation depends entirely on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If He did not rise from the dead, my sins are not forgiven and I have no hope. I also know that this was done by the power of God. What strikes me this morning is how this power is connected to my prayers for the salvation of others.
I’ve known others who say things like, “Oh he will never be saved. He has no interest in spiritual matters and is far too stubborn.” They think salvation depends on us making the choice, but for this Spurgeon says salvation is totally about divine power. Those who suppose that it happens because of human free will and a willingness to know God are in error. When we see the dead rise from the grave by their own power, then may we expect to see ungodly sinners of their own free will turning to Christ.
Sin is such that no one cares about God or is interested in God. Without Christ, we are DEAD in our sin, totally separated from God and spiritual life. We do everything our own way and for ourselves. Conversion does not happen even if the Word is read or heard in a sermon apart from being combined with that life-giving, resurrection power that comes from God through the Holy Spirit.
Not only that, His power is irresistible. Spurgeon says that all the soldiers and the high priests could not keep the body of Christ in the tomb. Death itself could not hold Jesus as the “great might” of God worked in Him.
Spurgeon says that it is this same irresistible power God employs to raise sinners to newness of life. No disinterest, sin, total corruption, devils in hell or sinners on earth can stop God’s grace when He intends to convert someone. If God omnipotently says, “Thou shalt,” no one can say, “I will not.”
It was this way for me just as it is for others who believe. The salvation wrought by God through the power which raised Christ from the dead is glorious, honors God and produces dismay in the demonic world. This power is irresistible but also everlasting.
We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. (Romans 6:9)
Those who have genuinely been raised to new life may sin now and then, but they cannot go revert to their old life. “Because he lives we live also.” This is why the Bible says to me . . .
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:3–4)
When I am praying, my human and me-centered focus tends to a burden for the humanness in others. But rather than focus on their sinful state and their spiritual apathy, God speaks sharply to me — their salvation is not going to happen because they can do something about it. Salvation happens only because of the power of God, the power that raised Jesus from the dead.
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Father, I don’t know why these wonderful truths slip by me, or are so easily forgotten. I just know that without You, I can do nothing. My life so easily becomes sidetracked and I do not notice or remember even such important things. This proves again that salvation is of You. Your Word says that when I delight in You, You put the right desires, even the right thoughts in my head. Help me hold these thoughts, particularly when I pray for those that I love. I’m asking You to take initiative and employ Your resurrection power to raise them out of darkness and sin and into the life-giving light of Your Son.
