“If anyone sees his brother committing a sin that does not bring death, he should ask, and God will give life to him — to those who commit sin that doesn’t bring death. There is sin that brings death. I am not saying he should pray about that.” 1 John 5:16 HCSB
What is this sin that brings death? This death is the death of your soul. NO eternal life for this one. Jesus said:
“Because of this, I tell you, people will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. ” Matt. 12:31 HCSB
Here is why I am writing about this. It is an issue I have to fight daily, sometimes minute by minute. I have submitted it to the Lord God, and He is dealing with me. And this is a tough one.
HEARING THE HOLY SPIRIT, OR HYPOCRISY…IT’S A CHOICE!
This is an issue that hit me by surprise. Having been the recipient of hypocrisy over these last 11 years, you’d think I would not have trouble recognizing it in myself. But alas, and alack, here I am struggling with this.
If I am not paying attention to the way the Holy Spirit is working in me, I am in danger of becoming a spiritual hypocrite. I have prayed to God that I should be remade in the image of Christ Jesus, My Lord. And this is a work the Spirit of God has begun in me. Sometimes, He deals with several issues at once, but the issues I refuse to hand over willingly, He confronts in me, when I chose to rebel against His work in me.
Positionally, God sees me as complete in Christ. I am still alive and on Earth, and am being made into the image of Christ over time. I will be actually complete when my life is joined to Christ in fact.
But the danger of my hypocrisy comes when I see other Christians failing, and the Spirit of God makes me aware of it, and instead of interceding on their behalf, I turn my discernment into criticism of them.
This revelation was not made to me by any acuity of mind, but by the insistent and immediate penetration of the Holy Spirit. If I fail to pay attention to the SOURCE of this revelation, I turn into a gossiping critic of that person instead of remembering that God said: “…he should ask, and God will give life to him — to those who commit sin that doesn’t bring death. “
I have to really be careful that I don’t play the hypocrite by spending all my time trying to get everyone else right before I worship God myself.
The subtle burden that the Holy Spirit places on all Christians is this discernment concerning other souls. God reveals things to us, concerning other souls, saved and unsaved, so that we can take their burden of sin before the throne room of God, and intercede on their behalf. This is where the mind of Christ is revealed in us. As we intercede for others, in the way Christ would plead for them, God says He will give us “…life for them that sin, not unto death.”
I am not bringing God into touch with my mind. I am bringing my mind into submission to the Holy Spirit to the point that God is able to convey His mind to me about the person I am interceding for.
I used to work with an Engineer who was from England. He used to call me his “Flaming Jackass!”. He knew that I would kick the door down, shoot everyone in the room, and THEN try to discern who is innocent.
God has made MAJOR changes in me since then. So, even today, when I see someone, ANYONE who is knowingly or unknowingly in sin, The Spirit of God calls to my heart to step into the throne room and intercede on behalf of that person. It is important that I give all my fleshly will to Christ so that He can remove it and replace it with His character. This is all part of the process.
DOES Jesus see the travail of His soul in me? Jesus cannot unless I am SO identified with Him, that I am wakened to the realization that I need HIS view about the people who I pray for. This takes the sacrifice of the flesh. I have to be willing to suspend my desire to judge someone, and allow the Holy Spirit to show me how Jesus sees them.
My Prayer: My Dear and Holy God, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, My Lord and Savior, that Jesus will be overjoyed with me as an intercessor on behalf of those who He shows me need His touch and forgiveness of sin. Teach me not to Judge, making me a hypocrite, but teach me to show your grace and mercy, just as you showed me when I was swimming in sin. AMEN
PS – The last 11 years of my life served as a living opportunity for other Christians to practice this. Dear God, I pray that you forgive me my attitude, knowing they failed, teach me to see them the way YOU see them. Teach me to intercede in Love on their behalf. Take away my hypocrisy by filling me with Your Spirit, and teaching me your Love, Grace and Mercy. AMEN
I love you
Let’s Be About It!
sammy.snardfarkle@gmail.com
David G. Perkins 