Faith & Falling
Soul Snack 56/14 ... There can remain a hidden pride in the long-redeemed heart, or long-suffering forgiven soul.
The injunction to be dead to sin can be lived faithfully. Accumulation may be denied and confession supplied. The saint may scar his knees and gaze ever so intently into the Holy Writ. He may deny his eyes and resist his thoughts. Such a holy one can pursue poverty, purse his lips in praise or give all away to the poor. He may even spill blood for the Lord, seek secrecy or dwell in a divine solitude, but a blinding pride can still remain.
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:11)
While being dead to sin is commendable and indeed scriptural, don't forget sin is not dead to you. Satan still seeds the pride of purity, and therefore the intellectual activity of comparison to other lesser disciples.
To those seeking a spiritual heartbeat, grasping at a Calvary modelled holiness - don't forget the enemy still seeks to kill you as he did your master. The pride of comparison is as deadly as the pride of success. Humility is a disciple's home, but pride remains the calvary he can be crucified upon.
Pride still comes before a fall and the enemy still seeks to have you.
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)
Strike satan a resounding blow, for it is in thwarting him he will flee.
His eternal home already has the air freshened with sulfur and the heaters turned to ' too high', yours doesn't - keep it this way that you may not fall.
Today's Soul Snippet:
The man who knows love is the wealthiest man on earth.
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