Plank and Speck

Originally written Sunday May 20th, 2007

HEAD GAMES

I think it's a human pursuit to avoid conviction. To distract ourselves form listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit evoking change and repentance. It's almost like if I can focus on someone else's sin and make it worse than my own, I'll be fine. Why do we wallow and sit in our sin when we could focus on Jesus and be set free. If you bring others sins to light you can distract others from your own sins. Problem is the One who matters sees it all and you're only heaping sin upon sin.

Matthew 7:1-5
1. Judge not, that you be not judged, 2. For with what judgment (condemnation) you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3. And why do you look at the speck in you brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in you own eye? 4. Or how can you say to your brother, "Let me remove the speck from your eye"; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5. Hypocrite! First remove the plank from you own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

Sometimes after we remove the sin or fault from our own lives we see that our brother doesn't even have a speck in their eye. It was our own plank impeding our vision. Chances are the person you're trying to judge is fully aware of their own sin and needs no help in bringing it to light. They're probably even aware of the sin you're trying to cover up and hide from. If we say we do not sin we are liars. It is hard to deal with someone who feels it is their duty to point out all your flaws as if they have none them self. And will not allow anyone to hold them accountable.

1 Peter 2:1-3
1. Therefore laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2. as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3. if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

I almost feel that verses 1 and 3 should be swapped. If you have experienced God's graciousness you should want to lay aside these sins that ensnare you and search after the pure milk of His Word.

Precious Grace

God struck me with this scripture the other day.

Hebrews 10:28-31

28. Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

29. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

30. For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And again, "The LORD will judge His people."

31. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Which reminded me of another passage of scripture.

Romans 6:1-2,4,15
1. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?

2. Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

4. Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

15. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but grace? Certainly not!

1 Corinthians 6:20
For you were bought at a price; there fore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

Grace is not free. Yes it is free for us to receive, when we chose through faith to accept that we are separated from God in our sins seeking repentance and the forgiveness Christ shed His blood to give us. Yet grace was not uncostly for God or Christ in the slightest.


John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Could you imagine sacrificing your one and only son, or your one and only family member for the greater good of many?

Romans 5:6-8
6. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

7. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.

8. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Matthew 20:28
just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

I have yet to see a small priced ransom. Most ransoms are set to reflect the value of what is being held hostage. God saw us as so precious He was willing to pay in full the cost of His only Son to redeem us from our sins and the wages of those sins which is DEATH-(Romans 6:23). I'd say we were in pretty deep considering the circumstances. If we were up a creek with no paddle when judged by the law and God has a "worse punishment" for those who have "insulted the spirit of grace," I would say it is a fearful thing to fall into the hand of the living God. I guess what I'm saying is if it has been your practice to sin and say, "it's okay, God will forgive me, there's grace," think twice because you just might be counting "the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing" and verse 30 isn't far behind.

For the Sake of the Cross

An interesting thought came to me the other day. I've been dwelling on it quite a bit lately. "How willing am I to lose friends for Christ? even 'christian' friends?" I mean there were plenty of people who knew the ins and outs of scripture like the back of their hands back in Jesus' day. When enough people were watching they could clean themselves up pretty good, they knew how to act holy and what prayers to pray. And yet, when it came down to it Jesus Himself saw their deeds and called them white-washed tombs. He didn't want to have anything to do with them. He also says in Revelation He wishes christians would either be hot or cold rather than lukewarm. And again He said you cannot serve two masters you will hate one or the other, you cannot serve God and your belly, or better put the lust of your flesh (Tina paraphrased). I could go on and on. My point is this God wants all, not some! I'm getting tired of people who know better thinking they can get away with giving some as if it were all as if God's not going to notice. If Acts 5:1-10 has taught us anything it's that this line of thinking will only get you into trouble. To paraphrase Proverbs 6:27; Can you take fire into your bosom and not get burned. God shows no partiality. Back to my original quandary, I expect in life to lose some people as friends who don't share my same beliefs, but what about those who say they believe as I do, but their lives are completely opposed to what they speak. I don't know but I feel those days aren't too far away for me. I do know that It's good to remember "never the righteous man (or woman) forsaken."