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Get out and stay out! These are the words we should say to the enemy within...the false idol hiding in our hearts, living comfortably under our skin. Could any of us be deceived on even a very tiny level about what is going on within our own hearts and minds? It is possible because that is what happened to me! I grew comfortable in having my own will on a certain matter while feeling great about lining up with God’s will over everything else in my life. How could this even happen? Thankfully God woke me up to this deception which became harder to see as my heart hardened over time. The sin mimicked subtle deception due to complacency which had set in over a lengthy period. In retrospect, quite frankly, I was aware of this sin but was in denial to the truth written in Jeremiah 17:9 pointing out self justification. Humans can seriously justify anything and everything — we are truly our own worst enemy at times and that is exactly why we must examine ourselves daily.
With our eyes we see what surrounds us each day quite readily. It is easier to look outwardly rather than inwardly. It is a challenge at times to focus internally as we are so prone to assessing externally our surroundings which includes others. This comes quite easily to many of us as we are trying to determine righteous living as compared to living unrighteously. Easy to see from people in the world, and from among brethren at times. No wonder we are admonished to keep in mind and pay careful heed to the scripture in 2 Corinthians 10:12 “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise”. When God says it is not wise, it is definitely not wise! We desire wisdom as we strive to learn, grow, and become more like Christ and less like ourselves, shedding all vestiges of the old man, the carnal self who is full of lust, selfish attitudes and prideful ways (Titus 3:3; 1 Corinthians 12:2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Ephesians 2:2).
It is a process, of that there can be no doubt. We were of the world before we were given God’s precious truth as outlined in the above scriptural references. After our conversion and baptism we did not suddenly become perfect overnight. Our lifelong transformation will take just that — the remainder of our physical lives until our change, hopefully in the first resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). It is a daily quest for righteousness through resisting and overcoming sin. That is why we examine our own motives before, during, and after all the things we think, say and do. At various times we can become weary but the challenge is there to keep it exciting. How do we keep it exciting? By taking all matters to God in prayer to see His will for us revealed through allowing His Holy Spirit to lead us. If that is not exciting enough for you then something isn’t quite right. How God can work in our lives with even the smallest of details is quite breathtaking, and when there are several marvels occurring every day this can become very joyous, exciting, and fun! Blessings to be cherished and never taken for granted. We must always be careful to have a grateful attitude and to give sincere thanks.
Instead, when we succumb to our own will, we deceive ourselves and we are then opening ourselves up for further deception which the devil would be extremely happy about. Oh how he would enjoy for all of us to be those to whom Jesus says in Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” How utterly devastating that would be! We must carefully pay attention now in order to avoid becoming like the unprofitable servant in Matthew 25 and the foolish virgins in Matthew 25:12.
1 Corinthians 11:31-32 highlights the relevance and importance for God’s children to examine ourselves now in order to be ready for His soon coming Kingdom. May all who read these scriptures have the eyes to see what God has lovingly provided here for us… “For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world”. We must be ever vigilant in self examination to determine rightly whether we have a false idol or idols comfortably living from within in order to smash these down and destroy them once and for all. Brethren, we must continue to build upon the Rock referred to in the last lines of Matthew 7, in order to be ready, alert, practicing daily self examination in order to know who we are and whether we are fully submitting in righteous obedience to our Master, for the time is well at hand.