A Christian’s Iniquity Part One

"Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken falsehood, your tongue mutters wickedness.” -  Isaiah 59:1-3

What an echo: the ringing of the words in the heart of “the abandoned”. Every Sunday and throughout the week we hear over and over, “God will never leave you. You are not abandoned”. Yet in our hearts is an echo of loss. If God is so strong and so powerful, where, then, is our deliverance?? Where, then, is our answer? This repetition of “no answer” creates this pervasive doubt that, in our moments of weakness, in the times when we are tired, or overwhelmed, comes rushing into all the empty, lacking spaces with crushing whispers of, “see...He HAS forgotten. Maybe others can have, but you can’t. Your faithfulness has been for nothing. You thought you were loved; you thought if you persevered it would come but...” And so it echoes over and over. You pull yourself up. You reassure yourself in the Word and you persevere knowing full well that those words will come to haunt you again, and it wears you down. Your faithful, struggling heart is crying out, “Where are you, God?!?” So in a moment like that I come to this verse. To a tender, broken heart this feels like an assault. How can this be?

We Christians tend to want to ignore these kinds of verses. We stick to the comfort of the New Testament and want to rely exclusively on the Cross as our justification that these verses no longer apply to us: The Redeemed.

But these verses are written to us as much as they were to Israel. We may not crush the bodies of those around us, but have we shed the blood of the heart? Have our judgments and verbal assaults broken their spirits? Do we encourage and build up our brothers and sisters in Christ, and even those who have yet to come to the Savior, or are we spending our spare time perverting their justice by the words that we speak and by selfish grasping for our own? In a time that makes immediate anonymous judgement online, are we in fact holding justice far away from those who desperately need it?

There are so many ways that our iniquities accumulate: When we choose a television/internet show that “gently” assaults what is right, and boasts in perversity; When we would rather spend our time pursuing self-interest, or comfort, instead of spending time in prayer, petition and in the Word of God. Our lives have become so comfort seeking that we have forgotten to seek the Maker of our hearts. We have become accustomed to seeing our lives as the pursuit of pleasure instead of a means to serve the King of Kings. Every time we see someone who cuts us off as an assault on our rights instead of a moment highlighting someone who needs a face-to-face meeting with the very God. If that moment drives us to cursing instead of prayer of petition for that driver's salvation, we have perverted justice. 

We want to hang the weight of justice on the big momentous decisions, but God cares about all the little decisions just as much. These little decisions in fact comprise a whole life. These are the moments we can dedicate to the will and purpose of God, or the moments we do the work of the “Accuser of the Brethren”. Jesus defined that kind of character this way,

"You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies." John 8:44

It is not that such individual decisions cause us to lose our salvation standing before God, but about whose nature is being produced in us. We are in the process of being transformed into the image of God (2 Corinthians 3:18). So what nature are we fostering with us?

(Next article continues in Isaiah 59:9. How do we rate as one of those who are stumbling in the dark at noon as if we deserve such penitence? If we are covered by the blood of Christ, are not we covered despite our poor behaviour?? )

The Blessing of Suffering (cont...)

“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Mt 5:11,12

Matthew 5 that tells us when we are reviled, persecuted, or lied about, that we are “blessed”!! WHAT?!  I admit, in fact I adamantly state, it doesn’t feel like a blessing, but that’s what the Word of God declares about it. It goes on to say that there is a reward laid up for us in glory as a result of this mistreatment.  In other words, those “persecutors”, are gaining for you a greater weight of glory that you could not have earned for yourself. You will enjoy for eternity what they have gotten for you that you could not have gotten on your own.

You should offer thanks to them for this great blessing they have achieved for your continuing benefit…but they likely would not understand. 

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Romans 8:18

"My friends, do not think it strange, these fiery trials that come against you." I Peter 4:12

Despite the assault on our opinion, our reputation, our jobs, our entire selves and those we love, we are called to present the Love and Blood of Jesus because of who we are: Children of our Father. When you read this does your heart yell, "NO!" even reading it I hear that yell. Our whole society is built on the supposition that I must defend my rights. To do less is failure. But the Bible teaches the principle of servant-hood, not self-rights. If in the face of injustice we do less than present Jesus, we withhold the beautiful Glory of Jesus. The world is looking for something that is real. How can we not deliver to them the truth of the good news? If you are afraid they won't understand, likely they won't. But it isn't your job to reveal the truth, only speak it, only live it.  It is only the Holy Spirit that can reveal that truth. And He will do it in the most amazing ways.

So then what can we say when we walk this sometime solitary walk?? "The LORD is on my side, and I am not afraid of what others can do to me." (Psalm 118:6) and "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)

This persecution then is of the greatest of blessings we as Christians can receive. Revelations 12: 11 "They triumphed over him (overcame the accuser of the brethren) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." This is the heart of our victory. 

If you need some more encouragement, if you are facing fiery trials; here is a page full of verses to remind you of the greater glory of those tribulations. (http://www.openbible.info/topics/persecution) You are not alone. You have the Comforter within to encourage you (Jn 16:5-15), and Jesus Himself is making constant intercession for you (Heb 7:25).

So, be of good cheer, Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Jn 16:33

I think the most precious thought the Bible presents in this regard was the very same promise that Paul himself held on to, "Oh that I may know Him in the power of His resurrection and in the fellowship of His sufferings being made conformable to His death." Phil 3:10. What a strange promise, but to know resurrection, one has to die. Paul assumed that was a forgone conclusion, but he knew this process of dying would lead to fellowship, intimacy, knowing God the way Abraham, the friend of God, knew Him. What greater prize can there be in life than to have fellowship with the lover of our souls, the creator of the universe. Yes, that is the most precious gift that can only come from suffering.

The Blessing of Suffering

"But the Jews stirred up devout women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabus, and expelled them from their region. But they shook the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." Acts 13: 50-52

"And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra (where Paul had been stoned and left for dead), Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, 'We must through many tribulations enter the Kingdom of God.'" Acts 14:21,22

We see Paul and Barnabas, faithful Christian workers who have “sold out” for the cause of Christ. At the heart of their ministry, even their teaching, was the understanding that the entry to the Kingdom of God was going to be through tribulation. This message they not only taught, but lived. How amazing to read that after being left for dead, Paul “rose up” and later re-entered back into the same city where he was stoned. On clear display, Paul indicated he did not fear persecution, nor would it deter him from his purpose. Paul was focused on the great mission of reaching people with the gospel.  Perhaps the words of Jesus "Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” (Jn 15:20) were ringing through their ears.

The goal of the believer, contrary to popular current opinion, is not to build for ourselves "better lives", "a better financial base", "happiness in this life", or any other "kingdom" we think will earn us the praise from those around us. In fact our primary goal is to earn praise of our Father, to come into intimacy with God, and to make Him known. It's an idea that rubs our comfort-loving flesh absolutely the wrong way. While the Bible promises that a faithful man will abound with blessings (Prov 28:20) we completely miss the second half of the verse, "but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished". Pursuit of the "good things" of the world will destroy us, but in pursuing Christ all that is His becomes ours, the blessings AND the suffering.


This seems illogical to the world. In fact, the Bible states that the life of the disciple of Christ is foolishness to those who are not one.

"The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.

"As the Scriptures say, 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”

"So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish.

"Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.

"It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.

"So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.

"But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

"This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.

"Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you.

"Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.

"God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.

"As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

"God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.

"Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

1 Cor 1:18-31

Understanding the wisdom of Christ in these matters in fact can often seem like foolishness to those of us who say we believe. There are a million differing opinions on what suffering, and even what devotion looks like in the life of the believer. Does it mean self-flagellation? Should I purposely putting myself in danger to be harmed or killed to show devotion? Does it mean that if I see great blessings in my personal and spiritual life I have confirmation that I please God, or when I am targeted and assaulted for my faith that my love for Him is confirmed?

We can admit that we ourselves struggle with the same opinions that those during the time of Paul struggled with which made understanding of the message of Jesus so confusing. How difficult it can be to believe without the signs we all want as proof! How difficult when loving Jesus demands sacrifice, and may at times make no logical sense!!  

Can it be that we keep putting the cart before the horse, as it were? Our focus so often tends to be controlling what can be seen or perceived and therefore controlled, and by that we determine the truth about what can not be seen or controlled. We are walking after the flesh, the five senses.

Romans 8 brings all this into focus: 

"1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."

Paul urges us to put to death the deeds of the flesh and is reminding us to walk not after the inspiration of what our five senses dictate but what the Spirit of God in us inspires us to do. We are no longer living from the outside in but from the inside out. The Spirit dictates to our spirit which dictates to our flesh the course of action.  Later on Paul calls this "mortifying the deeds of the body" and tells us in vs 17 "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." 

It puts a new spin on suffering doesn't it?

The truth of the revealed Word of God calls to us to lay aside our worldly wisdom and human logic that wants to put suffering, and every other aspect of the nature and revelation of God, into a mathematical equation. The revelation of the Truth of the wisdom of God flips all that on it's head. 

Paul's dramatic conversion meant that where he measured the mettle of his devotion by inflicting suffering on others who perverted what he saw as truth, he now saw no merit in even counting physical suffering he personally endured as part of his devotion. It hardly registered. His passion became knowing Christ and making Him known. Everything else was something in the way that was to be overcome. He considered his biggest threat not those who looked to stop him or punish him, but it was his own flesh, which was to be subdued. Putting to death the deeds of his own flesh was to him the fellowship of suffering.

We feel that doing something big for God, some vast physical endurance plot or some great assault on us from the outside proves the intensity of our love for Christ. But the biggest struggle, the greatest suffering that will bear for us the greatest return, is to put to death the deeds of our body. To submit the weakness of our understanding to the bliss of pure trust in God, without requiring the endless justification we seem to need to keep our flesh in check.

Those who yield to this surrender to the Holy Spirit's work begin to see a crack in the supernatural, a shocking glimpse of Glory, that subdues all the other markers we look at that taunt us to define Him by our own selves and our own understanding. This dying to self and surrender to His Glory at work in us will overwhelm all we surrender to Him, will move us to live on another plane of understanding and redefine to us what even feels like suffering  anymore. 

(Watch in the next post for the continuation of the Blessing of Suffering...)