Rationalizing (3)

There may be times when we feel we will never conquer this desire within us to rebel against the God who made us and who desires that we should walk in His ways.  If this is how we feel, we can take heart, because we  are not alone.  Jesus in us is greater than the evil one who is encouraging us to a life of sin. Jesus has overcome the world, the flesh and the devil and we need have no fear for He has freed us from the law of sin and death.

So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.  Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 7:21 - 8:2 NIV)

For all sin that results from rationalizing our behaviour, there is forgiveness--instant, total, and completely undeserved.  Nevertheless, the sin of rationalizing is nothing to toy with. Making excuses for sin gives it a foothold in our lives and sin causes hurt for us and for those around us. It damages our relationship with God and our relationship with the people we sin against. If we continue to rationalize our rebellious actions, our hearts become hard and the Holy Spirit’s voice in our lives grows increasingly faint.  To grow stronger we may ask of God,

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24 NIV)

Sometimes we've been rationalizing for so long that it is more an unconscious process than a deliberate deception. God knows the truth regarding the root of our actions and reactions.  He knows and understands the actual impact of the events that make up our lives. When we surrender our imperfect understanding of ourselves to God and ask for His help, He will reveal the root cause of our confused behaviour and bring us to the knowledge of all truth.

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  (John 8:31-32 NLT)

Let’s make a conscious decision today to believe and remain faithful to, not just be hearers of the word of God but be believers and doers of what it says.

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