A Dip into the Depths

If we take an honest and straightforward look at what is going on inside us, we must be ready for a number of strong spiritual challenges. But we must not allow ourselves to be disheartened, for in looking at our hearts we become ready to move upwards into the mountains of God.

The suggestion I want to make to you is this—recognize the subtle and insidious nature of sin. There is a view in the Christian church that as long as we focus on the sins that are obvious (sins of behavior), then we can forget any hidden sins that may be in the heart, trusting God to deal with them in His own way. Dealing with obvious sin is extremely important—don’t hear me minimizing this fact. Moral discipline is part of the Christian commitment. We are expected to resist the temptations that come our way and correct any spiritual violations that may occur. But to concern ourselves only with obvious sin and avoid facing the sins of the heart will cause us to miss our footing on the slopes of God.

Someone has put it like this: “The grime has been so embedded in the carpet that a simple vacuuming will not do the job. We need a scrubbing brush and a strong detergent.” Diligence in putting right the things that are obviously wrong is good, but without a clear understanding of how sin has penetrated our hearts, we will be nothing more than surface-copers.

Further Study

Jr 17:1-11; Gn 3:8; Pr 28:13

What is the tendency of the human heart?

What is one condition for us to prosper spiritually?