The Sword Cuts Both Ways

Good Friday morning! A politician sins; the media reports it; the politician claims the media is "destructive, vicious, negative", the media reports it. Reporting the news is the job of the media. Anyone who has sinned doesn't want the light shined on that sin. We have a similar experience before salvation when we hear a minister on the radio pointing out our sins and we feel guilty. Many of us have taken the step of not going to church, or listening to church, or watching any kind of church service on television, and in all ways have tried to avoid God's word and His Holy Spirit placing that guilt on the unrepentant heart. However, after salvation we may feel that same temptation when the messenger, God's own Spirit, convicts us of sin. We might even avoid a daily time of Bible reading because it points hard into places that hurt. In fact, the Bible, God's Word, is sharper than a two-edged sword as we read in Hebrews 4:12 -

For the word of God is living and active, sharperthan any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

That sword of the Spirit is our primary weapon in the whole armor of God, but it also cuts and jabs our own sin. The flesh and emotions may not like that hurt. The grave cloth of pride still clinging to our heart may jerk painfully to the conviction of sin, that knowledge that in this area of life there is darkness. We want to be completely clean, but the Spirit reminds us that deep down in the corners of the heart we have a few dark spots. Like a politician, we might react badly to this poking and jabbing. We might whine and complain wishing the Spirit would give us a break. God must cleanse us completely though or Heaven will not accept us into His presence. Submission to the Spirit does not end at salvation. Giving up those areas of our lives where we often fall into sin is not always easy. We are weak and we need the strength of our Lord Jesus to cleanse our sins.

Praise God that we do have a Savior who cares enough to send His Spirit into each of us to remind us of His teachings and to convict us of our sins.

Bucky