Initially we trust in our ignorance, calling it innocence, and next
we trust our innocence, calling it purity. Then when we hear these
strong statements from our Lord, we shrink back, saying, “But I never
felt any of those awful things in my heart.” We resent what He reveals.
Either Jesus Christ is the supreme authority on the human heart, or He
is not worth paying any attention to. Am I prepared to trust the
penetration of His Word into my heart, or would I prefer to trust my own
“innocent ignorance”? If I will take an honest look at myself, becoming
fully aware of my so-called innocence and putting it to the test, I am
very likely to have a rude awakening that what Jesus Christ said is
true, and I will be appalled at the possibilities of the evil and the
wrong within me. But as long as I remain under the false security of my
own “innocence,” I am living in a fool’s paradise. If I have never been
an openly rude and abusive person, the only reason is my own cowardice
coupled with the sense of protection I receive from living a civilized
life. But when I am open and completely exposed before God, I find that
Jesus Christ is right in His diagnosis of me.
The only thing that truly provides protection is the redemption of
Jesus Christ. If I will simply hand myself over to Him, I will never
have to experience the terrible possibilities that lie within my heart.
Purity is something far too deep for me to arrive at naturally. But when
the Holy Spirit comes into me, He brings into the center of my personal
life the very Spirit that was exhibited in the life of Jesus Christ,
namely, the Holy Spirit, which is absolute unblemished purity.
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