The state of the heart must outweigh the conduct of the life; therefore John said “you have left your first love” [Rev 2:4] a gross sin indeed. Thus the sin of omission was recognised and revealed; often tribulation reveals the heart’s condition. There are common laws that suggest if we do one thing another will automatically happen, so we thus teach our children, but normal retribution follows waywardness. Hear God’s parental heart as He speaks: “O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? For your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.” [Hos 6:4], knowing He must do something He struggles to manifest love in their error. It is the same for all earthly fathers who love their children. Love demands correction to ensure future compliance to improvement. God loves us too much to leave us alone. Job says it right — Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man: [Job 8:20]. His attempt is to bring us to perfection in the daily swirl of life, for we “are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” [2 Cor 3:18].
The subtlety of backsliding is often ignored as we talk of the sins of commission, Proverbs comes to our aid [Prov 14:14] “The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways,” and as long as we walk in OUR way we are backsliding. Do not be surprised if correction comes. Although there is no apparent decrease in fervour what formality can arise in our hearts, what decay of devotion, and what coldness of love? We need to pray with the Old Testament saints: “I will not offend any more: That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more” [Job 34:31-32]. Let this be our prayer:
Burn fire of God! By Thine own love transcending,
Let all I hold be Thine, and Thine alone!
Heart, mind and will, a sacrifice ascending,
Consumed by fire from out Thy fiery throne.
They say that prevention is better than cure, and that is especially so with regards to moral failure and obesity! Better not to have done it rather than done it and repented. David the king is never free from Bathsheba. Our repentance may never recover us, for David was reclaimed but his illegitimate child died and the sword never left his house. However, Joseph faced with similar trial survived it and he kept his peace of mind, but lost his freedom. When facing great temptation often we can only have concord at great personal cost. God gave him approbation for his conduct, his strength marked the value of his reputation, and others could be influenced by the development of his character. We read that Hezekiah’s heart was lifted up, and wrath came upon him, better to have preserving trial.
Paul had a similar experience and because of God’s favour he was in danger of being exalted, so along came the thorn in the flesh, “a messenger of Satan to buffet [him]me” [2 Cor. 12:7] which is always a great leveller. Although we have seriously examined ourselves and there is not one sin that we can identify in our lifestyle, or one duty we have willingly neglected and no idol we have knowingly embraced, yet there could be the possibility of that which might be, there could be the embryo of pride forming, and God knows how to deal with it, to preserve our testimony. We do not know the treachery of our own heart.
Then there is the aspect of examination; we all need tests in life. Israel refusing to enter the Promised Land were given 40 years probation by God; this sought to test their principles, commitment and belief in divine guidance and provision and whether they could keep his commandments. Take Job as an example God put a hedge about him and then allowed him to be stripped of his safety, health, housing, children and goods. His response was prevailing; “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” Even his wife railed against him: “Then his wife said to him, ‘Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!’ But he said to her, ‘You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” [Job 2:9-10]. Compliance to the divine will brought him to the point where he cursed the day of his birth; there was a slight malfunction in his soul. Such trial discerns the motive, tries the soul, and makes us all appear human! Even Jesus before His Father said “let this cup pass from me, nevertheless . . .” Thy will be done irrespective.
