If we understand that something is wrong, if we are aware of something that the Father would want us to be doing, the most obedient thing to do is to go out and do THAT THING, and that thing precisely. Not that there are “levels” of obedience… But there is a difference between the sin of doing wrong, and the sin of not doing right.
It’s easy to feel self-righteous when you look at your walk and count up all the things you’re doing right. All your good works, and measure them up against other people.
“14 I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. 15 If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval."
“22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.”
“Everything that does not come from faith is sin.” If you think about it, that accounts for a lot of our sin. If we do good works purely out of a need to feel self-righteous, isn’t that pride – a sin? Whenever we sin, isn’t that going against our faith?
Faith, then, becomes extremely important regarding works. The Bible talks a lot about the relationship between faith and works – indeed, James talks about how faith produces works, or else it is dead faith. But just as there is dead faith, so the works can be dead.
Sin used to be so foggy and so unclear in my mind. What exactly was it? How did I know if I was doing something wrong? There were times when I was trying so hard to do all the things that I was told to do, and still feeling like I was steeped in sin.
It’s a matter of the heart. When we walk in faith, doing what we know is right, listening to the Spirit’s instruction and keeping the Word in our hearts, (because we will grow in light and understanding by the Word and Spirit) then we will grow in grace and understanding.
Let’s take headscarves as an example. Not Muslim headscarves – Christian women head coverings. If a Christian woman feels convicted to cover her head as an act of obedience, then decides that it would look silly and embarrassing, that would be a sin in her heart, fear of man. Not because not wearing the headscarf is a sin in itself, but because of her conviction in her heart.
Obviously the heart is deceptive above all things so without THE WORD, our hearts will lead us astray, so it is important to constantly be searching the Scriptures and try to always be obedient to the words of Jesus, Our Teacher and Friend.
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With this in mind, I have a lot to be sorry for. I’ve gone against the whisperings of the Spirit in my heart not to dwell on certain thoughts, and to say certain things to certain people… stuff like that.
Recently, as evidenced by my last post, I got caught in a very romantic and imaginative and poetic trance, and while it may have seemed innocent enough, I knew that I wasn’t in a worship state of mind, my heart was not directed toward God, so I was in sin. I was not walking in what I knew was right.
So I’ve failed again. But the words of that Hillsong tune come to mind: “A thousand times I’ve failed, still Your mercy remains…”
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