"Justified"

I have been reading a rather lengthy piece titled, "Justification By Faith," by Arthur Pink and came across something that he wrote that really gave my heart a jolt, i thought it was worth sharing. :)

Pink is discussing how horribly we have failed to keep the commandments of a Holy God and how by that law that we can't keep, we are justly pronounced "unrighteous & unworthy" of His presence. We don't like to think that way, because most, if not all of us are not Jewish and were not taught growing up that we are commanded to keep such. and yet, whether Jew or Gentile alike, all mankind was given this law, and ALL of failed and come short of the Glory of God.

But, then he states something that really showed me the amazingness of His Grace & Unfailing Love toward us! Pink says (because we are unagreeable & disobedient, which we are by nature), "We are ungrateful, unruly, ungodly creatures. Who would keep a horse that refused to work? Who would retain a dog which barked and flew at us?" ...and as i identified myself with the horse and the dog, (through my personal trials, my unwillingness to give up the dominant position of "self,") i realize that Sacrifice He made for me! Him, laying down the expression of His Diety, (for a moment), and in that gratuitous action; trading a Perfect, Holy, Unspotted & Eternal Garment, for the filthy menstruel, tattered, used up and torn rags...worthy of nothing but being trashed and forgotten, (which is what MY righteousness is when exposed, in an uncomparable comparison to HIS,) as His light shines abroad in my heart, i see what i really am.

In utter awe of Him i stand! i'm unworthy to even TOUCH the garments He is loaning to me! And it is interesting to me what i am finding through my current trials and daily lessons of Living for Christ and not self,...I am realizing that the garment He has afforded me cannot be seen by others around me (necessarily), because what i wear is not as much exposed to the world, (i'm talking about living life to please God and not man...not saying that we are not to shine as a light unto the world, but without realizing this, we can't even do THAT!) but to be worn so that i am pleasing in HIS SIGHT, not others. So the clothes that i so unworthily wear (knowing that without Christ i am naked, poor, wretched and homeless), they are for Him and Him only! To me, they seem blood-stained, but in the eyes of My Maker & Saviour, they are White as snow. The tarnish of my sins, wiped away forever.

Alas! Can others still see my many shortcomings? Except the Light of the Glorious Gospel shine abroad in THEIR hearts, and they realize their OWN wretchedness (for ALL FLESH is grass & cannot bear the constant rays of sunlight beating down on it both day and night, for it would wither away and die without refreshment and rest), they will continue to observe, persecute, ever always able to put their finger right on YOUR sin, forgetting their OWN filth that they sport from day to day in the presence of the King of Kings. The Holy Spirit is the searcher of the thoughts and intents of the heart, so to magnify His Perfectness in comparison to the inadequecies of mere man...well such is silly, but yet needful for us to see ourselves this way!. We are not to compare ourselves to each other, but rather to the image of the One in whom we are attempting to mirror.

In Translation: there will always be those like Joseph's brothers, waiting for their hour to throw you into the pit, strip you of your coat, (the one that they desire to possess themselves, and can!), ready to slay or sell into slavery (bondage instead of God's Grace), making us slaves again to sin and it's corrupt nature, which is satan's main ploy. He and his imps work day and night, going about seeking whom they may devour and sift as wheat, in efforts to get us to take our eyes off of the mark, which is Christ and what He has so Graciously done for us. Convincing us that our church attendance, prayer time, bible reading and witnessing efforts are the means in which we should attain such righteousness. therefore, distracting us from our Real Help & Solution, which is Christ and what He did for us at the Cross.

My blurb about others' pouncing is to explain this truth: the only One who is our Justifier, is Christ. Satan likes to be the accuser of the brethren, erasing our memory of the simple message that Christ did it all and all we need to do is receive it, keep our focus on it, and use it to live our life as the means of pleasing Him.

There is a fight for the faith... for the battle is the Lord's and He won it on Calvary FOR US, because we could NOT. :) We may struggle to keep our eyes in the right place, but when we see ourselves failing, over and over and over again, and our sin is ever before us...we need to realize what WE are, compare that to what HE is, and account what He did to be ENOUGH to cover it all. He paid an aweful high price for our freedom, and the devil wasn't the one the price was owed to...it was God. We owe God perfection, not our own efforts, not our so called "godly acheivments," but Him and what He did for us. rather the Word bears out that what God accepts is the blood of a Spotless, Blameless Lamb. (looking to the covering that God gave man in replacement of his leaves, and the sacrifice that God accepted from Abel as opposed to Cain's not received).

Our sin: what we've done in the past, our present sins (the ones He is currently burning out in purifying fiery trials of faith, and the future ones (which unwillingly will commit, but mournfully repent of in submission to Him and His plan)....His blood is sufficient for all of them.

***i have struggled with this, desiring in every day of my life to please the Lord, while upsetting and failing men every time, especially myself. but what i find is i am and always will be woefully inadequate for that job. So, with others surrounding me, pointing to my every flaw (which i know are many upon many), i search mournfully for the solution. and in my quest to find the truth in this matter, God has shown me something important, "IT IS FINISHED." He said it on the cross, to show us that He provided for HIMSELF the Lamb to take away the sin of the world, and to help us walk in an upright position all the way to heaven. it's helped me, i hope it helps others as well.

My garments that i wear (which is Christ), is for Him, in His Sight, and no other! He is my Audience of One!!!