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Spiritual Examination

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Luke 6:46

"But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?"

~Lord Jesus

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I must first caution the reader; the testimony, words I wrote below, are NOT suggesting a works, human merited salvation. If it was, it would be a false gospel, [reference, Galatians chapter 1]. With this said, let's look at the words of the Apostle Paul as he wrote in Titus 1:16 and 2 Timothy 3:5a below, for they describe my life some time ago. 

Titus 1:16

They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. 

2 Timothy 3:5a

...having a form of godliness but denying its power. 

 

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Taking a quick and brief look, snapshot, of my life; I graduated from a Christian University in May of 1990, majoring in Pastoral studies. Yet, for several decades of my life, while studying for the ministry and afterwards, I was deceived and held hostage by my sin(s), the devil and this

world system.

Putting it in plain and simple words,

I was a HYPOCRITE.

No better than the legalistic Pharisees whom the KING of Kings, Jesus Christ the Lord, quite often, yet justly and correctly, rebuked for their blatant hypocrisy. In the Lord's ministry, we also see the unrepentant sinners, that He met, spoke to and interacted with on a daily basis.

Years ago, my personal life was both.

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Those closest to me, know that on a regular basis, throughout the years, I declared Jesus Christ as Lord to others but I never, until around February 2024, started living as He really is:

The LORD, God, King, Creator, Saviour, Redeemer, THE Life and so very much more. He is EVERYTHING, God in the flesh. Without Him, I am TRULY nothing, (John 15:5). 

​Revelation 19:16

And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. 

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​With all this said, I want those reading this, to know that I have NO room whatsoever to judge ANYONE. I can only warn those who are deceived by their own sinful lives and blinded by the evil one as I was. The ONLY one I am to judge--is myself. 

 

For I am often reminded of,

 Romans 2:1

Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 

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Please let me make it clear: I do NOT     think I have "achieved" some "higher" spiritual level of existence, for, the Holy Bible says, in 1 John 1:8,

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and

the truth is not in us.". 

Yet when my loving, merciful and kind Lord breathed LIFE into my soul through FAITH--through true and genuine repentance towards God,

("For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death."),

and FAITH in the Lord Jesus Christ; I became a new *creation.

This was NOT by ANYTHING "good" within me; NOTHING I have done, will do or ever can do ...but rather, ALL of God's GRACE and MERCY.

"Not I, but Christ."

Titus 3:4-5 

But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 

*2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a *new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 

No longer dead but now alive.​​​

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Every single day is a new day of experiencing God's GRACE and MERCY to live for Him, to love Him and to learn new and beautiful things from Him each and every new day He gives me. 

Lamentations 3:21-23

This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 

 

Every day, as I am led by and yield to the Holy Spirit, I am learning to TRULY love. "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected", but I strive to express my FAITH through LOVE, "for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love." ~Galatians 5:6

(Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends-1 Corinthians 13:4-8.) 

While always falling so very short of His 'perfect love' I continuously strive to become more and more like my Lord, who died for me.

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Philippians 3:12-14

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected;

but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

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The LORD is so incredibly patient, kind, good and full of GRACE and MERCY.

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My prayer is that those walking in darkness, as I was once walking in darkness, for many, many years, will come to their senses and walk to and into the Light--who is the LORD.

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2 Timothy 2:25b-26 ... if God perhaps will grant them repentance,

so that they may know the truth, 
  and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will. 
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