Today I went on a walk around the Old City of Jerusalem - literally. It took me about an hour and 15 minutes from stepping out the door of my hotel to follow the rampart walk path, walk up the Mount of Olives for a few pictures of the Temple Mount, and then complete the circuit around the ancient walls. When I have the proper cable connection, I will share a couple pictures!
One of the themes which has been on my mind of late is the importance of walking in the light. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:1-2, "Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God." Christians freely confess their belief that God sees all, yet this knowledge does not mean we naturally walk uprightly. We tend to hide sinful and shameful things rather than confessing and renouncing them publicly. Our hearts can be littered with sins and we can be like an overwhelmed housewife who feels compelled to apologise for the mess to her guests. The laundry on the floor, dirty dishes on the table from two days ago, and the overflowing rubbish bins may very well be a normal sight in the home, but the apologies keep coming because it would be embarrassing to admit the mess is normal life.
Every human heart is messy, and using the analogy of our heart as Christ's home it is good for us to open up the windows so light can stream in. He should have unrestricted access to all parts of our lives. It is good for us to see the dust, grime, and sticky residue so we can take steps to clean the place up. This sounds great in theory, but "spring cleaning" is actually a thing because it is not long before stuff starts to accumulate. Rooms can be so piled up with stuff it is hardly a functional space any longer. In a spiritual sense we must be willing to bring our entire life into the light for examination by our Saviour, not hiding our sins in cluttered junk drawers and darkened closets. We are very good at keeping our living room presentable when we know guests will be arriving soon, but we ought to live as if we expect a surprise inspection by an eagle-eyed associate from the rental agency with a penchant for copious notes. We live in borrowed bodies, for we aren't our own.
God doesn't want to expose our faults for all to see to humiliate us but to forgive. Should we continue to conceal our sin it opens us up for deadly sinful infestations. Rodents and vermin which carry disease and spread filth begin to multiply in the darkness. Some hoarders come to a point where their homes become dangerous, and simple tasks critical to a functioning home like washing and cooking are impossible. Woe to the man who hoards and hides sin! Spiritual power correlates directly with purity, even as a clean and organised kitchen is a useful one. If Jesus is the Light of the World, how can we be in Christ if we prefer to remain in darkness? This is the condemnation, that Light has come into the world and men preferred darkness! It follows, therefore, those who are in Christ must live their lives in the light. God's Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.
It is written in 1 John 1:5-9: "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Instead of apologising because we are embarrassed for sins we'd rather not anyone know about, let us confess and renounce them. Bringing them into the light breaks the power of secrecy they once held over us. Then we can actually have fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ and walk in the joy of redemption, forgiveness, and salvation. That is way better than trying to hide our problems from men and the God who can forgive and deliver us from all sin!
One of the themes which has been on my mind of late is the importance of walking in the light. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:1-2, "Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God." Christians freely confess their belief that God sees all, yet this knowledge does not mean we naturally walk uprightly. We tend to hide sinful and shameful things rather than confessing and renouncing them publicly. Our hearts can be littered with sins and we can be like an overwhelmed housewife who feels compelled to apologise for the mess to her guests. The laundry on the floor, dirty dishes on the table from two days ago, and the overflowing rubbish bins may very well be a normal sight in the home, but the apologies keep coming because it would be embarrassing to admit the mess is normal life.
Every human heart is messy, and using the analogy of our heart as Christ's home it is good for us to open up the windows so light can stream in. He should have unrestricted access to all parts of our lives. It is good for us to see the dust, grime, and sticky residue so we can take steps to clean the place up. This sounds great in theory, but "spring cleaning" is actually a thing because it is not long before stuff starts to accumulate. Rooms can be so piled up with stuff it is hardly a functional space any longer. In a spiritual sense we must be willing to bring our entire life into the light for examination by our Saviour, not hiding our sins in cluttered junk drawers and darkened closets. We are very good at keeping our living room presentable when we know guests will be arriving soon, but we ought to live as if we expect a surprise inspection by an eagle-eyed associate from the rental agency with a penchant for copious notes. We live in borrowed bodies, for we aren't our own.
God doesn't want to expose our faults for all to see to humiliate us but to forgive. Should we continue to conceal our sin it opens us up for deadly sinful infestations. Rodents and vermin which carry disease and spread filth begin to multiply in the darkness. Some hoarders come to a point where their homes become dangerous, and simple tasks critical to a functioning home like washing and cooking are impossible. Woe to the man who hoards and hides sin! Spiritual power correlates directly with purity, even as a clean and organised kitchen is a useful one. If Jesus is the Light of the World, how can we be in Christ if we prefer to remain in darkness? This is the condemnation, that Light has come into the world and men preferred darkness! It follows, therefore, those who are in Christ must live their lives in the light. God's Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.
It is written in 1 John 1:5-9: "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Instead of apologising because we are embarrassed for sins we'd rather not anyone know about, let us confess and renounce them. Bringing them into the light breaks the power of secrecy they once held over us. Then we can actually have fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ and walk in the joy of redemption, forgiveness, and salvation. That is way better than trying to hide our problems from men and the God who can forgive and deliver us from all sin!
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