Self-Examination; The Almost Christian

[Davies]

Good evening,

Do Christians sin? Didn't Peter deny Jesus three times? If we were to take a snap shot of Peter at this moment, we may take him for a Judas. This is why it's important to reserve judgement even though an outward act is easily discernible as sinful.

"You read in Hebrews vi. 4, of some that were "once enlightened, and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost." What work shall we call this? It could not be a saving work, a true change and conversion of state; for notwithstanding this enlightening, and tasting, and partaking, yet they are here said to fall away, verse 6.

Had it been a true work of grace, they could never have fallen away from that: a believer may fall, but he cannot fall away; he may fall foully, but he cannot fall finally; for "underneath are the everlasting arms." His faith is established in the strength of that prayer of Christ, " that our faith fail not:" nay, he tells us expressly, that it is eternal life which he gives, from which we shall never perish." - Matthew Mead, The Almost Christian...

The longer I am a Christian, I am comforted by the belief that it is Jesus who is sustaining me. My salvation doesn't depend on my efforts or good deeds. If it was, I'm afraid I would have fallen away long ago from the faith. Isn't it comforting to know the Almighty's arms are under you as you walk the tight-rope of life? Isn't it comforting to know that Jesus' intercession is keeping you safe just as Jesus prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail? Eternal life is freely given and death has become a friend that will usher us to the throne of grace. That is real comfort!

- Davies

 

[farouk]

Isaiah 55 speaks of the Lord searching the heart. The same chapter speaks of His word not returning to Him void.

It's a healthy thing to allow the Word of God to search us thoroughly.

Daily, prayerful Bible reading is essential.

 

[Davies]

Good evening,

The conscience of man is a gift of God, but it's not enough to bring us to God even when reading the Bible. We know that faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God, but without the help of the Spirit of God, not even reading the Bible will help you.

"4. "Natural conscience enlightened by the word, may discover to a man much of the misery of natural state:" though not effectually to bring him out of it, yet so as to make him restless and weary in it: it may shew a sinner his nakedness; and hereupon the soul runneth to a life of duties, thinking hereby to remedy the misery of his case, and to make a covering for his nakedness. It is said, that when Adam and Eve saw they were naked, they " sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves a covering:" so it is when once the sinner seeth his nakedness and vileness by reason of sin; whereas he should run to Christ, and close with him, and beg his righteousness for a covering, "that the shame of his nakedness may not appear." He rather runneth to a life of duties and performances, and thus maketh himself a covering with the fig-leaves of a profession, without Christ truly embraced, and conscience at all renewed. Natural man would fain be his own saviour; and supposeth a change of state to be a thing within his own power; and that the true work of grace lieth in leaving off the practice of sin, and taking up a life of duties: and therefore upon this principle doth many a graceless professor outstrip a sound believer; for he resteth in his own performances, and hopeth these will commend him to God." Matthew Mead, The Almost Christian...

This is a picture of a person who reads the Bible, holds to it as true, but then rests in what he has done to justify him before God. When you think of all the religions in the world, all of them would say you have to perform such and such action, and even an action preceded by faith in order to be justified by God except Christianity. God does not justify a man based on his own good deeds. God justifies him based on the deeds Jesus has done which have been imputed to a person when he puts his faith in the Savior. Rest in the finish work of Jesus.

- Davies

 

[farouk]

Davies: Yes, as Hebrews 9 says, by the eternal Spirit, the blood of Christ needs to purge our conscience from dead works, right?

Blessings.

 

[Davies]

Davies: Yes, as Hebrews 9 says, by the eternal Spirit, the blood of Christ needs to purge our conscience from dead works, right?

Blessings.

Hi farouk,

Most people would say that we have to pay for our own sin. How else can the conscience be satisfied? The conscience healed before God can only tell the truth. It is the blood of Jesus that satisfies the accusations of the conscience, having our sins paid. We stand in the righteousness of Jesus.

No question about it, farouk,

- Davies

 

[Davies]

Good morning,

The conscience is a precious gift from God, and though we have the freedom to think what we want to, who's going to stop us, we do great damage to it, to our own detriment.


""If a natural man's conscience check or accuse for sin, then he seeks to stop its mouth but not to satisfy it." Most of the natural mans' duties are to still and stifle conscience.

But the believer chooseth rather to let conscience cry, than to stop the mouth of it, until he can do it upon good terms, and till he can fetch in satisfaction to it from the blood of Jesus Christ, by fresh acts of faith apprehended and applied.

The natural man seeketh to still the noise of conscience, rather than to remove the guilt; the believer seeketh the removal of guilt by the application of Christ's blood; and then conscience is quiet of itself. ...

If then, when conscience accuseth for sin, I take up a life of duties, a form of godliness, to stop the mouth of conscience; and if hereupon conscience be still and quiet, then is this but a natural conscience: but if when conscience checks, it will not be satisfied with any thing but the blood of Christ, and therefore I use duties to bring me to Christ; and if I beg the sprinkling of his blood upon conscience, and labour not so much to stop the mouth of it, as to remove guilt from it, then is this a renewed conscience." Matthew Mead, The Almost Christian...


What harm do we do to the conscience when we don't listen to it, when we try to bribe it with good deeds? All religions, except Christianity, have made it an art form of killing the conscience. 'Just shut the voice off that accuses me of doing wrong!' This reminds me of the attitude that people have towards the Law of God. It's all the more disturbing because the voice is not coming from anyone else, but from the conscience within. A person may be convicted of sin by the Holy Spirit too. What better reason do you need to create a man made religion?

To remove guilt from the conscience, one most put his faith in Jesus Christ, knowing that Jesus' death satisfied God's righteous requirements for sin. You might be able to shut the mouth of your conscience with good deeds, but only by faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus will you be able to remove your guilt.

- Davies

 

[Davies]

Good evening,

Someone told me, here, on CFnet that we don't need the Law of God to tell us that we are sinners, but the Bible tells us differently.

"Where the Spirit of the Lord cometh to work effectually in any soul, he holdeth the glass of the law before the sinner's eyes, and openeth his eyes to look into the glass, and to see all that deformity and filthiness that is in his heart and nature.

The apostle Paul said, "I had not known sin but by the law." How can this be true, that he had not known sin but by the law, when the light of nature discovers sin? It is said of the Gentiles, that "having not the law, they are a law unto themselves."

This sin therefore that the apostle speaks of, is not to be understood of sin actual, but of sin original: "I had not known the pollution of nature, that fountain of sin that is within; this I had not known but by the law." And indeed, this is a discovery that natural light cannot make.

...Quintilian saith, "It is more marvel that any one man sins, than that all men should live honestly; sin is so against the nature of men." How blind were they in this point! And so was Paul, till the Spirit of the Lord discovered it to him by the word. And indeed this is a discovery proper to the Spirit. It is he that makes the sinner see all the deformity and filthiness that is within; it is he that pulleth off all the sinner's rags, and makes him see his naked and wretched condition; it is he that shews us the blindness of the mind, the stubbornness of the will, the disorder of the affections, the searedness of the conscience, the plague of our hearts, and the sin of our natures, and therein the desperateness of our state." Matthew Mead, The Almost Christian...

A lot of people feel bad when they do something they know is wrong, but do they know that sin was with them from birth, and that they are helpless and condemned in and of their own abilities. That is a work of the Holy Spirit to expose, and you know He is working in you when you see the sacrifice of Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life, and that there is no way to the Father but by Jesus.

- Davies

 

[smaller]

Why is it do you think Davies, that there are few believers who ever see that their supposed 'tree' does sometimes not produce 'good fruit' or even no fruit whatsoever and that they always and only produce only good fruit?

Why is it do you think that in any serious forms of self examination that believers always and only see themselves as 'sheep' doing always, only and ever 'sheep works' when the blatantly obvious is that those same 'all' do also goat works?

It's an interesting phenomena when believers can't see the simplest of facts in 'self' examinations.

s

 

[Davies]

Why is it do you think Davies, that there are few believers who ever see that their supposed 'tree' does sometimes not produce 'good fruit' or even no fruit whatsoever and that they always and only produce only good fruit?

Why is it do you think that in any serious forms of self examination that believers always and only see themselves as 'sheep' doing always, only and ever 'sheep works' when the blatantly obvious is that those same 'all' do also goat works?

It's an interesting phenomena when believers can't see the simplest of facts in 'self' examinations.

s

Hi smaller,

This is the very thing I'm fighting against. I like to see myself in a much better light, often, not realizing that because I put my faith in Jesus, I already have the very righteousness that God requires. Now, I have to grow in that grace. So looking at my sin, no matter how bad it may be, should not be an occasion to condemn myself.

To answer your question directly, which I think you may know the answer to already, the reason why people want to view themselves as always doing 'sheep' acts is because they haven't learned to trust that they have been given the righteousness of Jesus. It's good for us to not be pleased with our sinful behavior, but as Christians, we have to be willing for Jesus to wash our feet. Jesus told Peter, if you don't allow me to wash your feet, then you don't have any part of me, and Jesus wasn't talking about clean, physical feet. This was done after three years of being with Jesus.

- Davies

 

[smaller]

Hi smaller,

This is the very thing I'm fighting against. I like to see myself in a much better light, often, not realizing that because I put my faith in Jesus, I already have the very righteousness that God requires. Now, I have to grow in that grace. So looking at my sin, no matter how bad it may be, should not be an occasion to condemn myself.

To answer your question directly, which I think you may know the answer to already, the reason why people want to view themselves as always doing 'sheep' acts is because they haven't learned to trust that they have been given the righteousness of Jesus. It's good for us to not be pleased with our sinful behavior, but as Christians, we have to be willing for Jesus to wash our feet. Jesus told Peter, if you don't allow me to wash your feet, then you don't have any part of me, and Jesus wasn't talking about clean, physical feet. This was done after three years of being with Jesus.

- Davies

And I might observe that the cause is merely dishonest 'self' examinations.

s

 

[childeye]

Is it even possible to conduct an honest self examination without seeing both sheep and goat?

 

[Davies]

Is it even possible to conduct an honest self examination without seeing both sheep and goat?

Hi childeye,

I don't think so. When looking into the mirror of God's law, who can say, 'I'm a good person.' This was the point Jesus made when He told the rich, young ruler there was no one good, but God.' To smaller's observation, it is telling that so many people find that message oppressive and only look at what they do as good, when it is meant to point us to Jesus, and be liberating. Christians are often accused of being fuddy dudds, but then again, those who haven't put their faith in Jesus don't know the joy of forgiveness, and the gift of His righteousness.

- Davies

 

[Davies]

Good evening,

When someone tells me they are a good person, they have a good heart, or when I hear, 'believe in yourself,' as the self-esteem promoters teach, I think to myself, they need the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

"There is nothing more common than for a man to "think himself something when he is nothing," and so he "deceives himself."... This was the very temper of Laodicea: "Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not, that thou are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked."

There are several rises or grounds of this mistake....

First, "The desperate deceitfulness of the heart of every natural man." "The heart is deceitful above all things." The Hebrew word is the same with Jacob's name. Now you know he was a supplanter of his brother Esau; "he is rightly called Jacob," saith he, "for he hath supplanted me these two times." -(Gen.xxvii.36.)

So the word signifies, to be fraudulent, subtile, deceitful, and supplanting. Thus is the heart of every natural man," deceitful above all things."

You read of the deceitfulness of the tongue.
And of the deceitfulness of riches.
And of the deceitfulness of beauty.
And of the deceitfulness of friends.
But yet the heart is deceitful above them all; nay, you read of the deceitfulness of Satan, (Rev. xx. 3,) yet truly a man's heart is a greater deceiver than he; for he could never deceive a man, if his own heart did not deceive him.

It is from hence that a man presumes upon the goodness of his case, from the desperate treachery of his own heart." - Matthew Mead, The Almost Christian...

When I heard and read Jeremiah 17:9, it was in direct conflict to what society says today. My heart deceived me for many years, and I still struggle against it. The only thing we can trust is what the Bible says. We can even be wrong when interpreting the Bible, yet, a person who humbles himself and seeks after God will acknowledge when he learns he is wrong, and he will repent out of his love to the Savior. This desire and ability to repent is a sure sign that the Holy Spirit has convicted him and granted him repentance, a great blessing.

- Davies

 

[Davies]

Good morning,

The pride of a man/woman has a blinding effect. What Christian can say they don't suffer from it?

""There is nothing more common than for a man to "think himself something when he is nothing," and so he "deceives himself."...

Secondly, this mistake arises from the pride of a man's spirit; there is a proud heart in every natural man; there was much of this pride in Adam's sin, and there is much of it in all Adam's sons. It is a radical sin, and from hence arises this overweening opinion of a man's state and condition. Solomon saith, "Be not righteous overmuch," Austin in speaking of those words, saith, it is "not meant of the righteousness of the wise man, but the pride of the presumptuous man." In this sense every carnal man is righteous overmuch, though he hath none of that righteousness which commends him to God, to wit, the righteousness of Christ; yet he hath too much of that righteousness which commends him to himself, and that is self-righteousness.

A proud man hath an eye to see his beauty, but not his deformity; his parts, but no his spots; his seeming righteousness, but no his real wretchedness.

"It must be a work of grace that must shew a man the want of grace," The haughty eye looks upward, but the humble eye looks downward, and therefore this is the believer's motto, The least of saints, the greatest of sinners; but the carnal man's motto is, I thank God I am not as other men." Matthew Mead, The Almost Christian...

It's evident to me that I need to spend time looking at the perfect obedience and righteousness of Jesus, because that's when I see my pride. It's like looking at the Law of God, but Jesus doesn't condemn. Doesn't anyone feel shame when they see Jesus doing things so differently then what we do? Don't we feel shame when we look into the Law of God? Having put our faith in Jesus allows us to believe that Jesus' righteousness is our own. Certainly, gratitude will be a part of our daily lives for what God has done, and we won't be overly righteous.

Ecclesiastes 7:16

New King James Version (NKJV)

16 Do not be overly righteous,
Nor be overly wise:
Why should you destroy yourself?


- Davies

 

[farouk]

Good morning,

The pride of a man/woman has a blinding effect. What Christian can say they don't suffer from it?

""There is nothing more common than for a man to "think himself something when he is nothing," and so he "deceives himself."...

Secondly, this mistake arises from the pride of a man's spirit; there is a proud heart in every natural man; there was much of this pride in Adam's sin, and there is much of it in all Adam's sons. It is a radical sin, and from hence arises this overweening opinion of a man's state and condition. Solomon saith, "Be not righteous overmuch," Austin in speaking of those words, saith, it is "not meant of the righteousness of the wise man, but the pride of the presumptuous man." In this sense every carnal man is righteous overmuch, though he hath none of that righteousness which commends him to God, to wit, the righteousness of Christ; yet he hath too much of that righteousness which commends him to himself, and that is self-righteousness.

A proud man hath an eye to see his beauty, but not his deformity; his parts, but no his spots; his seeming righteousness, but no his real wretchedness.

"It must be a work of grace that must shew a man the want of grace," The haughty eye looks upward, but the humble eye looks downward, and therefore this is the believer's motto, The least of saints, the greatest of sinners; but the carnal man's motto is, I thank God I am not as other men." Matthew Mead, The Almost Christian...

It's evident to me that I need to spend time looking at the perfect obedience and righteousness of Jesus, because that's when I see my pride. It's like looking at the Law of God, but Jesus doesn't condemn. Doesn't anyone feel shame when they see Jesus doing things so differently then what we do? Don't we feel shame when we look into the Law of God? Having put our faith in Jesus allows us to believe that Jesus' righteousness is our own. Certainly, gratitude will be a part of our daily lives for what God has done, and we won't be overly righteous.

Ecclesiastes 7:16

New King James Version (NKJV)

16 Do not be overly righteous,
Nor be overly wise:
Why should you destroy yourself?


- Davies

Davies:

Good post.

The Christian antidote must be to consider Him, Who humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross' (Philippians 2).

Blessings.

 

[Davies]

Davies:

Good post.

The Christian antidote must be to consider Him, Who humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross' (Philippians 2).

Blessings.

Thanks farouk,

That's right. Jesus made Himself of no reputation, and He is God!

- Davies

 

[farouk]

Thanks farouk,

That's right. Jesus made Himself of no reputation, and He is God!

- Davies

Davies:

It's truly wondrous to consider.

So for His professed follows to keep cultivating their egos and standing on their "rights", makes no sense. He was among His followers as one who served (Luke 22.27).

 

[Davies]

Davies:

It's truly wondrous to consider.

So for His professed follows to keep cultivating their egos and standing on their "rights", makes no sense. He was among His followers as one who served (Luke 22.27).

farouk,

If I remember right, this cultivating the ego was what the disciples were doing when they were arguing who would be the greatest. Then we also have the example of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples' feet at the last supper. I believe Judas had his feet washed as well. How many people respond the way Peter did? 'Lord, are you washing my feet?' Worse yet, how many respond the way Judas did? God stooped way low to take man's sins upon Himself, and if we don't receive the cross for the payment of our sin, we won't have any part in Jesus.

- Davies

 

[Davies]

Good evening,

My hope in sharing these excerpts is to find out how much or how little I love the Lord. If I find myself lacking, then I should consider this a blessing from God, and put myself to the task of looking into the face of Jesus. Jesus said He doesn't turn anyone away, but the person who is likely to keep us from God is ourselves.

"4. It is dangerous to be almost a Christian, in that this stills and serves to quiet conscience." It is very dangerous to quiet conscience with any thing but the blood of Christ: it is bad being at peace, till Christ speaks peace: nothing can truly pacify conscience less than that which pacifies God, and that is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now the almost Christian quiets conscience, but not with the blood of Christ; it is not a peace flowing from Christ's propitiation, but a peace rising from a formal profession; not a peace of Christ's giving, but a peace of his own making; he silences and bridles conscience with a form of godliness, and so makes it give way to an undoing, soul-destroying peace; he rocks it asleep in the cradle of duties, and then it is a thousand to one it never awaketh more till death or judgment." - Matthew Mead, The Almost Christian

I wonder how often throughout the day, when I do something wrong, I use something other than the blood of Jesus to pacify my conscious. I have an argument with my wife, then I decide to go out and get something for dinner. I get angry with my daughter, then I try to make her feel better by buying her a toy. What if I sat on my conscience for a while a listened to it; allow it to have all its say instead. How long would this be?; five minutes, a few hours, a few days. How about praying about it until I had confidence in knowing that Jesus had forgiven me, and then when I was moved in my heart because of my love for God, repented, and established a new pattern of behavior. Wouldn't that be a tremendous gift to your wife, or your children if you could point them to Jesus with your repentance. Knowing you are trusting in God's righteousness should be the energy supply for all we do. Right now, it's time to play with my daughter.

Good night,

- Davies

 

[JLB]

Good evening,

My hope in sharing these excerpts is to find out how much or how little I love the Lord. If I find myself lacking, then I should consider this a blessing from God, and put myself to the task of looking into the face of Jesus. Jesus said He doesn't turn anyone away, but the person who is likely to keep us from God is ourselves.

"4. It is dangerous to be almost a Christian, in that this stills and serves to quiet conscience." It is very dangerous to quiet conscience with any thing but the blood of Christ: it is bad being at peace, till Christ speaks peace: nothing can truly pacify conscience less than that which pacifies God, and that is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now the almost Christian quiets conscience, but not with the blood of Christ; it is not a peace flowing from Christ's propitiation, but a peace rising from a formal profession; not a peace of Christ's giving, but a peace of his own making; he silences and bridles conscience with a form of godliness, and so makes it give way to an undoing, soul-destroying peace; he rocks it asleep in the cradle of duties, and then it is a thousand to one it never awaketh more till death or judgment." - Matthew Mead, The Almost Christian

I wonder how often throughout the day, when I do something wrong, I use something other than the blood of Jesus to pacify my conscious. I have an argument with my wife, then I decide to go out and get something for dinner. I get angry with my daughter, then I try to make her feel better by buying her a toy. What if I sat on my conscience for a while a listened to it; allow it to have all its say instead. How long would this be?; five minutes, a few hours, a few days. How about praying about it until I had confidence in knowing that Jesus had forgiven me, and then when I was moved in my heart because of my love for God, repented, and established a new pattern of behavior. Wouldn't that be a tremendous gift to your wife, or your children if you could point them to Jesus with your repentance. Knowing you are trusting in God's righteousness should be the energy supply for all we do. Right now, it's time to play with my daughter.

Good night,

- Davies

Are you familiar with the works of Fenelon, Molinos or Guyon ?


JLB