Soul Temperature

Ps. 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!

Heb. 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

It seems like there is 2 sides to our walk with Christ. One side is our responsibility, as we are to test our faith, work out our own salvation with fear and trembling and pay close attention to what we are teaching. Those passages point to the human responsibility. We are to run and set aside and to look.

But there is another side to our sanctification. Today is the first time I have actually thought about Heb 12:2 in this light. I have talked about Jesus being the only way we are able have a desire for spiritual things, but here it is in plain text. Jesus is the One who authors our faith and He is also the One who will perfect, or complete our faith. He is our perfect example of how to get through this life and have faith that will last.

With eyes looking to the Father for direction, even though He was God incarnate, He prayed w/o ceasing for direction from the Father, even though He knew the hearts of men. With a word He raised mountains and those same chords calmed the sea. By His voice forests are leveled and by that same voice the dead are called forth from the grave, blind can see, lame are made to leap and the sick are made whole. He wasn't distracted from His mission here on earth. He laid aside every possible encumbrance that He might be free to minister to His children.

The cross was the instrument of death that paid our ransom. He knew the cost before He came to earth. He knew the humiliation that He would have to suffer at the hands of His created ones. He knew the pain of the cross and yet He was still willing to come to earth. In meekness He bore all this for my sin. He chose to die to win me. He chose to take on the task of changing me into the image of Himself knowing full well that I would fight against it. Knowing that I would love my sin and choose lesser joys for so long.

Praise God for His unspeakable Gift. Praise Jesus that He was willing to suffer and die for my sake. Thank you for being willing to take on this dilapidated project to make it into something You will call beautiful. How can it be?

One last thing, but a key thing. I was talking to our youth pastor at dinner the other night and we were talking about this question. I want to ask all you who are reading this to answer it for yourselves. Don't answer it for me. This is serious and is between you and God. "What is the spiritual temperature of your soul?" Are you hot for God, lukewarm in your affections, or cold to the Truth? This is one of the most important questions you can ask yourself. Don't blow it off. When you have answered then ask you spouse and your kids. Oh that we would be boiling hot with love for our Savior.