Ivy and Ebony
Strange though it may seem, we did not notice it.
Over the past few years, a lovely rose plant in our back garden was slowly dying. Encircled by a ravenous vine, life was being choked out of it, month by month and year by year.
A relative visiting the house (long before lockdown) pointed out the strangled bush. So on one spring day earlier this year three of us attacked the ivy plant with gusto and saved the rose bush from its smothering embrace.
To be honest, we did not know if the rose would survive. The branches had turned brittle and we feared a strong wind would snap them off.
But a few months later, freed from the entangled snare of the vine, what an astonishing change! Life has returned to the plant which now wears a crown of roses.
The Deadening Effects of Sin
Unrepentant sin in the life of a believer can little by little destroy the life of the soul.
We are all sinners, and that will never change while we are in this body of sin. In today's blog and tomorrow's blog we are not talking about that kind of ongoing sin.
John says that if someone claims to be without sin they are merely deceiving themselves and the truth is not in them (1 John 1:8). [We do well to note that John does not say that Mr "I am perfect" deceives others with his claims, only himself. Others continue to see the sin Mr Perfect pretends is not there.]
We are all sinners.
From time to time we may also struggle with a besetting sin. This is a sin that trips us up again and again but which we are taking very seriously and prayerfully putting to death by the Spirit.
No, in these two blogs, we're not talking about ongoing sin or besetting sin; we're talking about unrepentant sin.
Unrepentant sin is knowing sin, deliberate sin, "I will not give that up" sin. While all iniquity wars against the soul, this kind of premeditated sin can easily harden the heart. Like the prodigal walking out on his dad, this sin takes us into the far country.
It saps the life out of a child of God like ivy sucks the life out of the plants it chokes. "For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer." (Psalm 32:4)
And unrepentant sin not only damages the heart it also ruins the usefulness of God's people for no-one stops to enjoy the barren rose bush any more.
Hope for the Repentant
That is exactly what had happened to Israel when the prophet Hosea was sent to prophecy to them. Their sin was idolatry. Instead of trusting in God in every trouble, they trusted in the "gods" that their hands had made, or in other nations, or in their own military strength.
Idoltary flies under the radar in western culture. Idols, what idols? we say. We imagine that idols are those silly metal or wooden statues that primitive peoples put up on their mantelpieces - and that image helps us to gloss over a thousand idols lurking in our own hearts.
And idol is any substitute for God. An idol is that someThing or someOne I trust in, rely upon, can't live without. It can be family, money, health, pleasure, fame, education, sport. The list is endless because the human heart is an idol-factory.
One tell-tale sign of an idol is this: we can't bear the thought of it being taken away. If our idol is money, then the thought of losing it would cause the idolater extreme anguish. If money was not an idol, the thought of losing it would be met with a "so what?" or "big deal!"
Israel was entrenched in wilful idoltary. Visible and created things were worshipped instead of the invisible Creator.
But in spite of Israel's sin, Hosea ends his prophecy with one of God's most beautiful and gracious appeals in the whole of the Bible.
Let's study it today and tomorrow:
"Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God
Your sins have been your downfall!
Take words with you and return to the Lord.
Say to him, "Forgive our sins and receive us graciously,
that we may offer the fruit of our lips.
Assyria cannot save us;
we will not mount war-horses.
We will never again say "Our gods" to what our own hands have made,
for in you the fatherless find compassion." (Hosea 14:1-3)
Let us notice four simple helps for wilful prodigals.
Prodigals are Weak
Hosea is aware that sin-worn prodigals are weak, in fact, too weak to compose their own prayers, so he gives them the very words to say. "Take words with you...." it starts and goes on with the prayer they are to pray.
Isn't it wonderful how the Lord stoops to our low estate and gives us the very words we need to say?
Prodigals Need to Own Up
Secondly, we notice that prodigals need to take ownership, "Your sins have been your downfall."
The start of all repentance is honesty, convicted by the Holy Spirit. The prodigal "came to his senses." He realised what a fool he had been. Once he had feasted in his father's house but now he was feeding pigs! What a fool!
Prodigals need to confess their sins
Thirdly, prodigals need to confess to God their sins verbally. "Forgive us our sins..."
Prodigals need to Repent
And finally, prodigals must repent. Repentance is a turn around, a change of mind and heart. They must tell God that they won't sin any more. They must tell God that they won't trust in their gods no more, they must tell God that next time they are in a pickle, they will turn to Him and not to their own resources.
Summing it All Up
The Lord loves his children too much to allow them to continue in deliberate prodigal walk-out sin. One day, because he loves them so, he will lead them to the pig's trough.
Tomorrow we will learn how God
responds to sincere and earnest confession and repentance. How he
promises to heal them, restore them and make them useful once more.
"I will heal their waywardness and love them freely..." is how God's gracious response begins.
A SONG FOR THE DAY
Stuart Townend has taken an apt hymn by William Cowper and brought it up to date.
A PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Stuart Townend has taken an apt hymn by William Cowper and brought it up to date.
O for a closer walk with God,
A calm and heavenly frame,
A light to shine upon the road
That leads me to the Lamb.
Where is the blessèdness I knew
When I first saw the Lord?
Where is that soul-refreshing view
Of Jesus and His word?
O Fire of God, come burn in me
Renew a holy passion
Till Christ my deepest longing be
My never-failing fountain
My never-failing fountain
What peaceful hours I once enjoyed,
How sweet the memory still!
But they have left an aching void
The world can never fill!
The dearest idol I have known,
Whate’er that idol be,
Help me tear if from Thy throne,
And worship only Thee.
So shall my walk be close with God,
Calm and serene my frame;
So purer light shall mark the road
That leads me to the Lamb.
You can hear it HERE.
A PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Our gracious and merciful Father,
We thank you for your kindess in sending us beautiful weather during this pandemic, sunny weather that has helped us bear up under it. We acknowledge you as the giver of sunshine.
We are amazed at the way you pursue the ones you love and won't let them go. We thank you for your love for us.
We pray for backslidders and prodigals, that you will bring them all home.
We ask this for Jesus' sake,
Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment