DEFYING DISHONESTY

Leviticus 11:1-12:8; Mark 5:21-43; Psalm 38:1-2230-40; Proverbs 10:8-9

“I am the LORD who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.”

“…She thought, ‘If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.’  Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.  At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?'” But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it.”

“The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.  The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.”

When has the Lord ever led me to trouble; when has His guidance ever been flawed?  I honestly cannot think of a time.  Believe me, I’ve tried – it would have made this day’s entry much easier to write.  But I’m left with a tough question: why do I not just wholeheartedly give myself to Him?  If I know – and I really think I do – that He will never hurt me, and wants to provide only the best for me, my response to God’s Lordship is simply irrational when I don’t accept it.  Unless… I just don’t want to be holy, or healed.

Oh, my gosh!  What can I conclude, then, but that I would rather be sinful than holy?  Do I honestly prefer a life with me at the center, rather than God?  That is calling a spade a spade, for sure.  It’s painful.  It makes no sense.  But there are times when it is absolutely true, and I have to own it if I am ever going to get past it! 

Here I am, walking intentionally through every word of the Bible, teaching others the Gospel in Sunday school, and I still prefer sin to holiness?  How can I be so wretched?  Somehow, the answer, “I’m only human” doesn’t cut it.  This sin nature thing is stronger than we ever dare imagine. But not thinking about it, not acknowledging it, not confronting it, does NOT make it any less real.

We Christians face a very real, very deadly enemy: ourselves, that part of us which makes self-preservation and self-satisfaction its Prime Directive.  We don’t choose the Spirit, because we know the Spirit will dethrone self.  No wonder it takes Power to heal us!

Jesus Christ offers to break the bonds that cause us to prefer sin to holiness, and self to God.  That’s no dream; it’s the Lord’s own promise, but more than that, it is His Desire.  We just have to accept it.  He can heal us; we only need to draw close enough to touch His cloak; believe He can make us better than we are; and accept His Lordship.  We have to want to be free from the insatiable desire for comfort, security, wealth and all that promotes self ahead of God.

This is a time for introspection, for self-examination.  More than that, though, it is time for a new priority.  It is a time to defy dishonesty… with ourselves, and with our God.