False Assumption #2

 

“If only I am spiritual enough, I will have no pain or sinfulness.”

 

  1. The example of Job. Some false assumptions…
    1. You will be protected from pain if you are truly holy. Job 4:6-7
    2. If you stay away from sin, your pain will go away. Job 11:13-16
  2. Job’s friend made some assumptions and judgments, without knowing the deeper purposes of God. God vindicated Job. Job 42:7

Some ways we try to avoid pain…
 

  1. Denial.
    1. King David wanted to face the truth; he did not fear his badness because he knew the grace of God was big enough to handle it. Psalm 139:23-24
    2. We often criticize others for things we deny in ourselves. Romans 2:1.
    3. Our ‘uncleanness’ come from what is inside. Mark 7:20-23
    4. Those that denied their sinfulness Jesus confronted. Matthew 23:25-26.
    5. Denial is clearly not a biblical option. 1 John 1:8

2. Works.

a. We try to perfect ourselves by working harder. Galatians 3:1-3.

    1. Concealing what is within you is not good. Proverbs 10:18
    2. Religious efforts done by rote, without facing the truth about ourselves and our problems is useless. Colossians 2:20-23

  1. The Law.

a.       The law condemns us, causes more sin, and holds us prisoner, even if we just sinned once. Romans 4:15, 5:20-6:2, 7:5; Galatians 3:23, James 2:10.

b.      We will repeat this pattern of sin until overcome it with His grace. Christ died to set us free from condemnation and no place in our lives. Romans 8:1-5.

Not all negative feelings are sin…
 

1.      The Bible teaches us how to deal with appropriately with sadness (Romans 12:15) and anger (Ephesians 4:26-27) and how suffering refines us (Romans 5:3-4, Hebrews 2:10-11.) Nowhere does the Bible say that suffering resulting from an act against you is a sin.

2.      To blame victims for their pain is a sin against the wounded. Psalm 34:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:14, Job 6:14.

1.      If you are taught spirituality means no pain or sin, you will bear bad fruit.

a.       Feelings of failure. Romans 7:14-21.

b.      Hiding. The only viable answer to sinfulness is repentance, forgiveness and grace. 1 John 1:8-9, James 5:16.

c.       Unforgiveness. Forgiveness is God’s way of taking the power out of past hurts. Forgiveness should not be an act of the will, but rather from the heart. Matthew 18: 23-35

HEART, HEARTILY

 kardia NT:2588, "the heart" (Eng., "cardiac," etc.), the chief organ of physical life ("for the life of the flesh is in the blood," Lev 17:11), occupies the most important place in the human system. By an easy transition the word came to stand for man's entire mental and moral activity, both the rational and the emotional elements. In other words, the heart is used figuratively for the hidden springs of the personal life. "The Bible describes human depravity as in the 'heart,' because sin is a principle which has its seat in the center of man's inward life, and then 'defiles' the whole circuit of his action, Matt 15:19,20. On the other hand, Scripture regards the heart as the sphere of Divine influence, Rom 2:15; Acts 15:9.... The heart, as lying deep within, contains 'the hidden man,' 1 Peter 3:4, the real man. It represents the true character but conceals it" (J. Laidlaw, in Hastings' Bible Dic.).

As to its usage in the NT it denotes (a) the seat of physical life, Acts 14:17; James 5:5; (b) the seat of moral nature and spiritual life, the seat of grief, John 14:1; Rom 9:2; 2 Cor 2:4; joy, John 16:22; Eph 5:19; the desires, Matt 5:28; 2 Peter 2:14; the affections, Luke 24:32; Acts 21:13; the perceptions, John 12:40; Eph 4:18; the thoughts, Matt 9:4; Heb 4:12; the understanding, Matt 13:15; Rom 1:21; the reasoning powers, Mark 2:6; Luke 24:38; the imagination, Luke 1:51; conscience, Acts 2:37; 1 John 3:20; the intentions, Heb 4:12, cf. 1 Peter 4:1; purpose, Acts 11:23; 2 Cor 9:7; the will, Rom 6:17; Col 3:15; faith, Mark 11:23; Rom 10:10; Heb 3:12.

 The heart, in its moral significance in the OT, includes the emotions, the reason and the will.

(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright (c)1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

d.      Lack of love. “We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19. “’Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.’ Then Jesus said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’” Luke 7:47-48

1.      After we receive grace, we must forgive those who have wronged us. Freedom from the past is both receiving and giving grace.

2.      Any feeling or behavior that we feel condemned for is a signal that we have not accepted the grace of God. Christ died for us, and as a result unconditionally accepts us with all our faults. We need not hide.

3.      Since God accepts us in our fallenness, we can too. We can take our fallenness to each other and to God and through these safe relationships find healing that leads to love and good deeds. Hebrews 10:22-26

 

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