Spring cleaning our lives, conclusion

We mentioned yesterday that our Father will not load us down with more than we can stand....the Spirit will show us the sins that we need to repent of, a little at a time. If He shined a light on everything, we might despair of having fellowship with our holy God!

Another thing that helps us as we venture out in prayer, and ask Him to show us things that need cleaning, is the knowledge that God is already aware of our faults and our flaws. He already knows our failings. AND HE STILL LOVES US!!!! Our flaws and our epic fails come as no surprise to Him, because He understands human weakness. And yet, in spite of everything, He still loves us, and accepts us as His children, and cherishes us!

As a father has compassion on his children,    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed,    he remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103:13-14)

A third thing that can encourage us as we seek to clean up our lives, is that no matter what we find in our hearts, we know it's forgiven. We're covered. There is no possibility of discovering something that would cause God to withdraw His affection for us, or to revoke our salvation, or to go back on His promises!

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)

Blessed is the one    whose sin the Lord does not count against them
    and in whose spirit is no deceit. (Psalm 32:2)

All of our sins, past, present, and future, have been paid for in the death of Jesus Christ. We don't have to try to hide them from God or from ourselves. Talk about a sense of freedom!
So, let's not try to hide or to deceive ourselves, when we hear from the Spirit, either through the scriptures, or a book, or another believer's gentle admonition. Of course, we will try.... to deceive ourselves, that is. We can't trust our hearts to tell us the truth, because inwardly, we always put ourselves in the best possible light. (Grin) We are not the most impartial judges of our own motives and conduct!
Just like we can be walking around in our home, in the midst of clutter and not notice it, so we need God's help to see the spring cleaning that is needed in our own spiritual lives. You see, with His help, we will be able to see ourselves as He sees us.   I'm sure that all of us have been in the situation of getting ready for a visit from relatives or friends, and suddenly seeing that the windows need cleaning, the rugs and furniture are covered with dog fur, and the garage has shrunk from a two-car to a one-car, simply because so much "stuff" is piled inside it!
Whew!
Close your eyes, pardner!
It was much more pleasant before when we didn't really "see" all that stuff, and we could do other things that were more fun..... instead of cleaning windows, vacuuming furniture, and organizing the garage!

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. (James 1:22-25)

Uh oh.
Talk about hitting the nail on the head..... those verses from James sure do that.
When the Holy Spirit holds up the mirror of God's Word and shows us how God sees us, what do we do? Close our Bible? Walk out of church and forget that God showed us something important?
Yep, I have been there, done that, and even bought the T-shirt.
Haven't we all?
It's easier.
More pleasant.
Not as hard as the work of changing what needs to be changed in our lives.
But that person doing the hard work is the person who will be blessed.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3)

Will you join me in spring cleaning today?

Let's decide in our hearts that we will seek to rid our lives of anything that hinders us from following Christ our Lord. Let's remember that it's God Who shows us what needs changing, and that same Almighty God will provide us with His power as we try to change.

His grace is sufficient!
Amen!