“Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults”
- Psalm 19:12
Did you know you have sins in your life you don’t know about? Don’t worry, everyone does. We all have undetected weaknesses like the earth has undetected faults from which massive earthquakes erupt. How we respond to these weaknesses is what builds spiritual steel into our lives.
We need the spiritual steel of God to make us inwardly strong against the schemes of Satan. How do we acquire the spiritual steel of God?
1. We must learn to hear the still small voice of the Holy Spirit above the roar of Satan who wants to deceive and lure us into sin. — 1Peter 5:8-9.
2. We need to also listen to the Holy Spirit’s call of conviction — cleansing and restoration. After we have heard the Holy Spirit’s voice, we need to heed His call, making every effort to stand firm with His empowering presence in our lives. To which voice are you listening?
Post Author: John J. Bagby, Sr.
And I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
- Ezekiel 22:30
The ministry of the British preacher Charles Spurgeon was often marked by controversy, as opponents constantly criticized his work. One day a friend of Spurgeon’s remarked, “I hear you’re in hot water again”, Spurgeon answered, “I’m not the one in hot water. The other fellows are. I’m the man who makes the water boil.”
A Christian has the responsibility to be gentle and peace loving. The desire for controversy and argument is an ungodly trait, 2 Timothy 2:24-25. Too often folks are guilty of withdrawing from the battle because they are unwilling to take a stand or they may be afraid of saying something that needs to be said. We may become like the townspeople in the old cowboy shoot-em-ups who stayed behind their doors, leaving the courageous sheriff in the street alone to face the bad guys. Sooner or later the casualties are suffered on the side of the right because people were too cowardly to speak up.
We need to follow the example of the Lord, while gentle and humble in heart, Matthew 11:29 was also bold and forceful when pointing out error and hypocrisy in Matthew 23:12-36. He didn’t go looking for trouble, but when He found it He didn’t tuck and run.
Today the Lord’s churches need men and women who will stand in the gap like Joseph and Daniel, Deborah and Esther; men and women who are ready and willing to stand for that which is right, true and holy. We must work hard to maintain a sweet spirit. We must never go about looking for an argument, but we must always be ready to contend for the faith, Jude 3. May God never say to us, I searched for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.
Post Author: John J. Bagby, Sr.
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