Just keep having this realization over and over,..... We as humans have the most amazing powers of rationale!
I mean we can pretty much rationalize and/or justify whatever it is we want to do..... which concerns me greatly.
Yes we all have "blindspots" and tho we can see other people's we can't see our own, if we could it wouldn't be a "blindspot"....
In a time where we are all too often distracted from eternal things- and when speaking of deception, Jesus says "even the elect" ...
Often when we here this, we think "oh how terrible it will be for *them*" not realizing He is speaking to us about us!
Just in the past week here on SI there has been unseemly behavior,...
Behavior that would have to have been "rationalized" in the mind of the author as it is straightaway condemned by the scriptures without exception, yet here it is occurring amongst brothers and sisters in Christ??!!
And what's more, it's not entirely uncommon... in fact I'd say we are almost accustomed to it, desensitized to the point of apathy.
All the while ignoring the clear commands of the scriptures and the only way to do this is to "rationalize" our actions and attitudes.
Is this not evidence of the fall still lingering within us? Are we "saved from sin" or aren't we?
It's my sincerest desire to anyone who takes the time to read these words to know that I do not fancy myself as an exception or exempt in anyway and am as guilty as you are dear reader. Yet, by the grace of God, this has been on my radar for some time now as I have observed this phenomenon in most everyone (including myself) in varying degrees and this very day have been awakened by the Lord our God at some 3AM with a burden to blow the horn and sound the alarm in hopes to awaken my brothers and sisters to this very subtle scheme whereby many are being defiled. There is such a restlessness in my spirit regarding this as its presence amongst the children of God is inescapable, and no matter how accustomed we've become to it,...I submit it should not be!
I'm not saying we, as followers, will never stumble but that should be the exception and not the norm, and should definitely never become a practice!
The scriptures are replete with warnings about this, as well as admonitions to the contrary so it's not a "new" problem but rather an old one, perhaps even the original one. Were not the first acts of sin "rationalized" while in the garden?
It's impossible to be obeying God and rationalizing our behavior at the same time. In the one case we are submitted, humble and are by faith, partaking of the victory won by Christs work upon the cross,(Which was quite irrational from Jesus's perspective yet he trusted and obeyed). In the other case, we are "playing God" by running our own lives and are just rationalizing doing so. In some cases we even 'rationalize our rationalizing'
and is this not what the scriptures call 'having our conscience seared as with a hot iron' ?
Again I don't mean to come off as self righteous, or doom and gloom for that matter, if anyone here actually knew me on a personal level you'd know I'm quite the joyful fellow, which perhaps is why this has left such an impression. I just can't stand the thought of my brothers and sisters being caught in the schemes of the devil and me seeing it and not saying anything, even though I run the risk of being misunderstood or even considered a self righteousness legalistic jerk, I can live with that if it be the case but I can't live with saying/doing nothing.
One of the most subtle ones I've witnessed is our tendency to "use God" or His word to rationalize our actions and thereby "justify" ourselves... this I believe is one of the most dangerous directions. When doing this we make excuses for ourselves while condemning another all in *Gods name* but just like Saul before Damascus, "God was not in it" and in fact was being persecuted by it! Yet Saul was "using God" to justify himself and rationalize his actions tho in the end he was fooling himself, sinning in Gods name and calling it righteousness!
Let us heed his warnings regarding these matters and give all diligence to bring honor to the name of our King and not to ourselves, lest our good be spoken evil of and not taking heed and examining ourselves, when we
think we stand -we fall.
So ask yourself,... Are you 'using' God, or is He 'using' you?
Blessings to you and may you abound in Christ doing all that you do to the glory of God our Father:)
_________________
Fletcher
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