Diagnosed by the Bible

This Sunday I wrapped up a series focused on the spiritual practices of self-examination and confession by focusing on the Ten Commandments as one of the opportunities the Bible gives us to test ourselves against a frame of reference. From Sunday's message:

I’ve talked about self-examination as being like a spiritual MRI scan, which I think is a pretty good analogy. But what would happen if you got an MRI scan and the technician just handed you a print-out of the images that were gathered by the machine and sent you home?

That certainly wouldn’t do me much good, because I have no idea what my insides are supposed to look like on an MRI. I don’t have the medical knowledge to interpret the results. To make any sense of them I would at least need to compare my scans to other examples to see what is normal and what doesn’t look right.

Spiritual self-examination also benefits from having some knowledge and comparisons to help you understand how you are doing. If you just go to prayer and say “God reveal any improper things I need to address” that could lead to some major revelation. But it could also lead to your mind going blank for a few seconds before you starting to think about what to have for lunch…

It helps a lot to compare yourself to a reliable standard.

One of the early lessons on self-examination and confession reminded us of what the Bible says about our reliability in figuring ourselves out: "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9) Without some outside input we don't always have a very good sense of how we are doing, or how well we are living up to our desire to be disciples Jesus. The MRI scan analogy still works here - I can feel completely fine while having something unhealthy, or even deadly, developing within me.

This is where the Bible's teaching, and especially some of the lists of "shalls" and "shall-nots" can illuminate things that we need to see. In Sunday's message (you can find it here in video or the written manuscript) I showed how the Ten Commandments can be used that way, and mentioned several other places we might go to in the Bible to test ourselves. For today's Overflow I simply want to offer some of these passages that could most help you in self-examination and confession as you invite God to search you with the help of His Word.

Prayer of Invitation

Loving God, remind me of your great love for me, love that cannot be earned, love that is unchanged by my performance, love that will last forever. From a place of security in that love and the knowledge that Jesus paid the price for my sin on the cross I invite you to help me see myself as I am. I want to be humble - to have an accurate sense of myself that is not distorted by pride. I want to know where I am falling short so that I can grow to be more like your Son and able to bless, and not harm, the people around me. As I look to what the scriptures say about what is good and right show me the good path you have laid out for me and how I can walk it more faithfully. Amen.

Options:

1st Corinthians 13:1-8 (some Christians replace "I" with their name as a way of testing the truth of these words for them)

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

Galatians 5:19-26

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Matthew 5:3-10 (The Beatitudes)

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 22:34-40 (if you need a reminder of the bottom line!)

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Psalm 51 (a guide for confession or recognized sin more than for self-examination)

Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion

blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity

and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is always before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight;

so you are right in your verdict

and justified when you judge.

Surely I was sinful at birth,

sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;

you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins

and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from your presence

or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

so that sinners will turn back to you.

Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,

you who are God my Savior,

and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

Open my lips, Lord,

and my mouth will declare your praise.

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;

you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart

you, God, will not despise.

May it please you to prosper Zion,

to build up the walls of Jerusalem.

Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,

in burnt offerings offered whole;

then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Psalm 32 (another possibility for confession and forgiveness)

Blessed is the one

whose transgressions are forgiven,

whose sins are covered.

Blessed is the one

whose sin the Lord does not count against them

and in whose spirit is no deceit.

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him. Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!