Because my sin never pleases but always grieves God who loves me.
It would take quite a hardened heart not to be moved by the thought that the Spirit of God is literally grieved by my sin. But, what if it doesn't necessarily have to be a hard heart? What if it's enough to simply be unaware and unconcerned about the true ramifications of my sin? I would NEVER purposely grieve the Spirit of God. Or would I? I'm just keeping it real here, but sometimes I want to do what I want to do and I want to do it when I want to do it.......and so I do. I'm sure it's just me.
When I was a teenager and there was the chance to do something wrong, I could pretty well ensure that if I just thought for ONE SECOND, I would quickly realize that the thought of disappointing my father was an effective deterrent. I was saved from many a poor choice by the grace of God and because I revered my father so highly. In retrospect, the times that I did disobey and disregard what he'd told me, the sting of the discipline wore off long before the regret of hurting and grieving him.
These days I'm pondering the merit of stopping for just ONE SECOND before sin to consider how it will grieve my heavenly Father. I want to caution against any temptation to use the "Jesus already died for all my sins and I'm covered by grace" argument here. It cheapens His death entirely. Most people would probably even say that sin sneaks up and happens before we have a chance to consider it. I would say that we have the chance not to sin. We have the chance not to grieve God. The enemy would love nothing more than to have us so desensitized and so tolerant that it actually does seem that sin sneaks in without warning. The truth is, there's always warning and there's always a way of a escape. Don't believe me? That gut feeling you get when a conversation is headed the way of gossip and slander? That's your chance to get out. The slow boil that begins when your husband or children has done that thing that annoys you once too often today and you're about to spew? That's your chance to change. Knowing full well that if you talk with him or her, it will lead somewhere that it most certainly shouldn't? There's your opportunity. It means being aware, being concerned and being intentional. It means being in conversation and communion with the Holy Spirit. It means being as in tune with His desires and will for me as I am with facebook, twitter or my favorite tv show. It means relying on the unending stream of grace from God (which is new every day and is never used up) and appropriating it for the killing of sin. Am I going to be successful 100% of the time? Absolutely not. It's by no means strictly human effort, but it is also by no means going to happen by osmosis. This is not about works-based faith, but about working out our salvation. It WILL require work on my part and it WILL require diligence. But wow......when the alternative is grieving the Holy Spirit of God by Whom I've been sealed? It is worth it. I want to hear what you think. I'll end today with some more John Piper. He wrote a blog post not too long ago on this very subject.
One of the poems I wrote during my leave of absence grew out of my sorrows over grieving the Holy Spirit. It is bad enough to know that God is dishonored by my sin. But to hear Paul connect my particular sins with grieving the Holy Spirit was even more painful.
This he does in Ephesians 4:30-32. He says, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” And then he names my sins: “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
There are mysteries in the self-sufficient Spirit being grieved. And there are many sorrows in saints who do it. And there is a day coming when it will be done no more.
This he does in Ephesians 4:30-32. He says, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” And then he names my sins: “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
There are mysteries in the self-sufficient Spirit being grieved. And there are many sorrows in saints who do it. And there is a day coming when it will be done no more.
Doubly Relieved
My patient Comforter, my God,peace.
My Life, my Breath, my holy Zeal,
My soul is doubly sorrowful:
That I still sin against your Seal,
And sinning cause my Sovereign grief.
I know it is your holy way
To make your grief serve perfect joy,
But I still pray, O bring the day
When, in the twinkling of an eye,
My soul will doubly be relieved:
I will not ever sin again,
And you will nevermore be grieved.
Ok, a little late in the day, but just got a chance to sit and reflect on reason 4. A verse (ok, I could quote the whole chapter, but won't) that I keep thinking of since day 1, is Romans 6:1-4
ReplyDelete"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life."
This comes after a chapter where Paul talks about the grace of God for our sins. In Romans 5:20b he says "where sin increased, grace abounded all the more"
And Shannon as you said, as Christians, it is easy "I am covered by grace. It's kinda like an "oh well, I mean Christ suffered on the cross, no big deal, I mean I am covered". Wow! If we would just think about what that means . Instead we should say "I can't believe I did it again. I can't believe I hurt my Father and made His Son suffer for me. WHY do I KEEP sinning??"
I agree, we can stop ourselves from sinning. The more we are in tune with our Father, the more we are in tune to stop our sins. I like the end of Romans 6:4 - "that we may walk in the newness of life".
That's what I pray for today and everyday. To live like I am dead to sin and walk in that newness, the life without sin.
I love the way the Ephesians passage pulls in "grieving the Holy Spirit" with the act of being "sealed". He is the very One who protects us from the Evil One and who preserves us for eternity. It's almost like looking a gift horse in the ...mouth! As if Paul was saying, "How can you hurt the One who is keeping you from all harm?"
ReplyDeleteAt times, I think that my sin is just disappointing to God. As if He gives me a "Tsk, tsk" and thinks, "Margie, you've GOT to do better!" But when I consider that He is grieved, and even pained by my sin, it moves this reason to the top of the lent list.
Had no idea when I started this journey that I would be weeping so much. "My soul is doubly sorrowful that I still sin against my Seal, and sinning cause my Sovereign grief."
ReplyDeleteGrief is close to home. Most of us have lost a loved one and know the anger, sadness, numbing feeling that it comes with it. Your heart hurts. The sorrow overwhelms you. Knowing those feelings is how I can get a tiny glimpse of this grief ...God has for my sin. If I am to imagine my earthly father having grieved for me as I did at his death, that hits the soul. It puts into perspective what an impact the sin in my life has on my Loving God. Lord, may I live this life surrounded by sin that so easily entangles, realizing your deep sorrow when I fall and your lovingkindness as I turn back towards you.
ReplyDeleteshannon, (and margie and anne and tammy), thank you for your thoughts. what a challenging and moving list. Lord, SEARCH ME.
ReplyDeletei've had realizations/paradigm-shifting...in my adult life that have caused me to become aware of thought processes ...and patterns in my youth that were unhealthy. one such "recording" (in my mind) was that I AM GUILTY. i have hurt my Savior. i have felt guilt and remorse and contriteness deeply...(i have spent unhealthy amounts of energy feeling sorrowful for forgiven sin). at some point (don't even know exactly when), i grabbed and held on (and swung... like rapunzel on her hair!) to the truth that i am forgiven and free. somehow, though, i DO NOT WANT TO LOSE the awareness and jilt and ache that when i sin now...He IS grieved. this is something for me to think on to ponder and to pray through...for awhile. i want my Crucified and Risen Savior to know that i would never ever ever do anything intentionally to hurt Him. to grieve Him. i don't want to go back to a place where i allow my accuser to make me feel unmerited guilt. but i DO want to feel the sorrow of my Savior when i sin (and the healing of His embrace when He whispers "you are forgiven").
you ladies are challenging me...i love it and I NEED it.
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