Shutting the door: What to do when you've gone further than you wanted to
Not too long ago I wrote a blog post titled “Don’t Answer the Door”. (I would encourage you to check it out.) It was all about the realities we face on a daily basis when it comes to temptation, and how to win the fight.
This time I want to talk about how we can get back on track when we cross a boundary that we know we shouldn’t have and how God can shut the doors of shame and pain in our lives.
Have you ever done something that you later deeply regretted? I have! I think we all have. Do you remember what it felt like when your actions sunk in? It felt horrible, right?
The shame was overwhelming and thoughts of guilt plagued your mind convincing you that you’ve really blown it this time and that this time you’ve gone too far.
I want to tell you that you’ve only gone too far if you don’t turn around. You may say, “You have no idea what I have done!”
I don’t have to know what you’ve done, because I know the mercy of God.
“you’ve only gone too far if you don’t turn around.”
I’ve done some really foolish things in my younger days, but none of them have ever landed me in court. I could only imagine what that would feel like though. The nervousness and anxiety that would be flooding my mind would be almost unbearable. The accusations would be read out against me. The prosecuting attorney would be making their case as to why I am guilty and why I should be punished to the full extent of the law.
Just imagine how you’d would feel! What would you feel like if I told you that you had no one to defend you? That you were stuck to give an answer for your wrong-doings.
Imagine that sickening feeling as you realize that you are in big, big trouble. The judge would ask if we had any statements we’d like to make. We would try our best to plead for mercy or even make light of what we’ve done, but the prosecutor would speak up every time destroying our argument and reciting the law that demands our punishment.
Eventually the judge would begin to make his or her decision as to the punishment. What if at that very moment a voice spoke up from the gallery?
Maybe it sounded like this, “Your honour, I offer to take the place of this person today and pay for their crime.” I don’t know how this would all work in a natural court room, but this is exactly what happened in the courtroom of heaven. You and I were guilty as guilty could be. The list of crimes and transgressions against God’s law had us completely trapped. Yet God purposed, in Jesus, to make Him a sacrifice for our sins so that we could experience freedom from our wrong-doings. He actually becomes our lawyer — our advocate.
“My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world. (1 John 2:1-2)
Isn’t that amazing?! When we are at our worst and we’ve gone further than we wanted to go, it is so important to remember that Jesus has not switched sides on you. He is still defending you! He is still wiping away our sin, guilt and subsequent shame with His nail pierced hands and feet.
Preach the Gospel to Yourself
Maybe this is the first time that you’ve heard about what happens to our sins when we put our faith in Jesus. Or maybe this is the thousandth time you’ve heard about this good news. If you are the latter you are probably thinking,“I don’t need to hear the Gospel! I need discipline.”
The late Jerry Bridges, in his book called “Discipline of Grace”, writes an entire chapter on why you and I need to preach the Gospel to ourselves on a daily (if not hourly) basis. He makes this statement that has stuck with me from the moment I read it.
“Your good days are not so good that you don’t need the grace of God, and your bad days are not so bad that you are beyond the grace of God.”
Jerry Bridges
Just like a coin, the Gospel has two sides to it, and we must remember both sides. Jesus took on our sins so we could be forgiven, but also so that you and I could have the power to defeat sin in our lives, living in a way that pleases God.
I’ll show you where the Bible says so. ”and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” (1Peter 2:24)
Kill It
There are avenues within the Christian faith that are very much focused around peace, reconciliation, compassion and even a tolerance of sorts when it comes to weaknesses of people we have relationship with. However, there is also a brutal militance that is commanded by God when it comes to sin in our own lives. Paul says it like this,
“..for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13)
It’s very important to realize the “deeds of the body” which Paul is referring to. He’s not talking about the needs the body has for sleep, food etc (Even though those things should not master us.) He is speaking more specifically to the desires of our sin-influenced lower nature. He even gives a list of these things in Galatians 5.
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatian 5:19-21)
these things are either killing us, or we are killing them.
Walk It Out
The key to it all though, is not mere human strength but the strength of the Spirit of God.
Just before the previously mentioned portion of Galatians 5, Paul says that if we walk by the Spirit we will not fulfill the desires of our fleshly lower nature. (Galatians 5:16) Have you ever wondered what it practically looks like to “walk by the Spirit”?
Sometimes we say things in the church without really thinking about what it means. One of the dynamics of walking in the Spirit is growing in relationship with the Holy Spirit. Developing a strong prayer life with the Spirit of God, asking for help, leadership and mentorship. This is one of the main reasons the Holy Spirit has been given to us. Look at what Jesus said: