Are You Brave Enough to Deal with the Truth?

“You sin because you love your sin more than you love God.” That was a disturbing but true reality spoken to me by Joy Dawson in her book, “Intimate Friendship with God.” I prefer to ignore that raw truth. However, because I have a covenant relationship with Jesus, He won’t let me ignore it. It has been over 10 years since I read Joy’s book and I find myself being pulled back to this stark truth. I sin because I love my sin more than I love God.

I am a self proclaimed “world class justifier.” I can give a convincing argument for just about any action, even sinful ones. I am my own most gullible audience. I have justified my pride, anger that leads to sin, slothfulness, and a myriad other things that are far from Christ-like. When my “justifications” are honestly assessed under the convicting gaze of the Holy Spirit, I am left “wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked” (Revelation 3:17) and must repent.

You see, for some time I have been praying for those who willfully live on the fence. At the same time, to my chagrin, the Holy Spirit is exposing the lack of compassion in my own heart. God is calling me to a higher standard of compassionate intercession. I am frustrated with how easily so many just seem to be playing church. I am fearful for those who want the safety net of praying the sinner’s prayer, but have no visible desire to follow Jesus’ teaching, let alone deny themselves or pick up a cross.

I am finding God laying their care on my heart. I don’t want to carry this load. I can easily justify not agonizing in prayer for them, because they have already heard and know the way. Then God points to me, and reminds me of my willful disobedience and love for sin.

James chapter four deals with those who call themselves Christians yet are involved in terrible, sinful things. As I read through the chapter, my heart grows heavier, and I even use these verses as promptings to pray for others. But then I come to the last verse and find my name all over it.

You see, in my eagerness to wipe the dust of those who don’t receive the message of holiness and righteous living (Matthew 10:14) off my feet I am confronted with James 4:17 (NKJV) “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” And the simple truth I must deal with is this: I haven’t been carrying the load of intercessory prayer for those whom God is laying on my heart, and I must. (Galatians 6:2-6) I might end up wiping their dust off my feet, but not today. Today I must pray for them. Today I must plead with the God of Mercy to pour out His grace upon them one more time. If I don’t, I love my sin of prayerlessness more than I love my God.

If you are interceding as you ought, I pray that this reflection encourages you. If you are not, I pray that it will have the same haunting affect on you as it has on me.

Blessings as you pick up the cross of intercession!