As we truly begin to examine our hearts in light of Scripture the Spirit of God will begin to stir within us a desire to be different than what we are.
Only Jesus can change us
As we try to overcome our sin it becomes painfully obvious that only Jesus Christ can deliver us from our sin. As this truth dawns on us we can become increasingly frustrated that He does not come and instantly deliver us and change us. The question then becomes, “How can I get God to move on my behalf and deliver me?”
God will not give up His glory
God only moves for His own glory. He will not give His glory to anyone else. This is why God does not move on our behalf; we are seeking our own glory. We want to be whole at His expense. We want our sin to disappear and pretend that we have always been righteous and holy. We want God to give us peace so that others think well of us. We want to appear righteous, holy, and strong before men. This is robbing God of His glory, and He will not move on our behalf to facilitate this blasphemous robbery.
God’s glory comes at the expense of our own
The only way for God to deliver us is for us to acknowledge our sin through open confession. We must see ourselves for who we truly are and let others see that we are mere sinners. We must be willing to stop seeking the praise of men at God’s expense and seek God’s glory at our own expense. It must no longer matter what people think of me; only what people think of God matters. I must be willing to freely confess my sin for the glory of God.
God moves on behalf of those who live for His glory
God delights to show off His greatness in the salvation of a sinner or the deliverance of a saint. He delights in being glorified for His grace shown towards wretched sinners. We must live for His glory and make His glory the central focus of our lives. As we do this He will transform us into His image and deliver us from the disease of sin.
Application
Do you care more about your reputation that God’s glory? Will you confess your sin and sacrifice the opinion people have of you so that their opinion of God might change?
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