When I reach the end of myself and have become discouraged by the discovery, I learn from the gospel that I am to go down further and look up to Christ. True humility will look to Christ only; all else leaves me in the pride of self-righteous humility. Looking to Christ gives true joy in Him. Pride prevents joy, because pride finds reason for despondency in the lack it sees in self, thinking that recovery, help and promotion come from what is to be found in me, brought from me or even worked in me. But faith finds no lack, indeed, faith finds every requirement perfectly and eternally met in its only boast, the Lord Jesus Christ. How can I be discouraged when Christ is all and He is mine?!
In myself, I am impotent and vile. The discovery and knowledge of this is painful beyond words. God mercifully reveals it in degrees, because a complete view of my true emptiness and shameful nakedness would be too painful, in my pride, to bear. There is none righteous, there is none that seek after God, none that doeth good, all are wretched and filthy in their very best state (Rom3:10-19; Ps39:5). If it is so, and I know that it is by the testimony of scripture, what am I to do? I thought I was far better, that I had at least something, however small, that could give me hope. Yet God has said that in my flesh, in my old man, in my natural state, I am nothing but sin: no good whatsoever. Yet, when experience together with God's word teaches me this at sundry times and in divers manners and in so many areas of my nature, it is painful and unsettling indeed. But when we are enabled to look away from all that we are not, and all that we mistakenly think ourselves to be, to look away to Christ who is the only righteousness in all the universe (Ps71:16) and to His finished work alone; when we are enabled by God’s grace to glory only in Him, then we receive in our experience that covering that covers our shameful nakedness, that medicine that turns the pain in our conscience to joy, that cleansing that washes our conscience, and joyful confidence that causes us to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus -- by His blood alone -- in spite of our sinfulness, and with no regard to the filthy rags of our self-righteousness. See Genesis 6:5; Job40:4; Psalm 14:2-3; Luke 5:8; Romans 7; Romans 8:6; John 3:6 with John6:63; Philippians 3:7-9; Heb10:10-23; 1John1:7-10.
In myself, I am impotent and vile. The discovery and knowledge of this is painful beyond words. God mercifully reveals it in degrees, because a complete view of my true emptiness and shameful nakedness would be too painful, in my pride, to bear. There is none righteous, there is none that seek after God, none that doeth good, all are wretched and filthy in their very best state (Rom3:10-19; Ps39:5). If it is so, and I know that it is by the testimony of scripture, what am I to do? I thought I was far better, that I had at least something, however small, that could give me hope. Yet God has said that in my flesh, in my old man, in my natural state, I am nothing but sin: no good whatsoever. Yet, when experience together with God's word teaches me this at sundry times and in divers manners and in so many areas of my nature, it is painful and unsettling indeed. But when we are enabled to look away from all that we are not, and all that we mistakenly think ourselves to be, to look away to Christ who is the only righteousness in all the universe (Ps71:16) and to His finished work alone; when we are enabled by God’s grace to glory only in Him, then we receive in our experience that covering that covers our shameful nakedness, that medicine that turns the pain in our conscience to joy, that cleansing that washes our conscience, and joyful confidence that causes us to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus -- by His blood alone -- in spite of our sinfulness, and with no regard to the filthy rags of our self-righteousness. See Genesis 6:5; Job40:4; Psalm 14:2-3; Luke 5:8; Romans 7; Romans 8:6; John 3:6 with John6:63; Philippians 3:7-9; Heb10:10-23; 1John1:7-10.
Rick Warta, Pastor
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