Faster Turn-Around Times Lead To Unparalleled Growth

Have you ever hurt someone, causing a rift in your relationship, and then found yourself thinking that a few days without contact would be good before mending the relationship? Most of the time we do it emotionally/relationally (limiting conversation) but occasionally we feel the need for physical separation in order to 'maintain the peace'. I think we've all done it, in fact, I believe it is one of the most common responses of the human race. The belief that time heals all wounds, separation defuses hostility and it's duration is somehow a measure of how 'deep' we are experiencing the pain/consequences of what we've done.

In some circles they would call this penance, but for most of us it has simply become a way to deal with our own brokenness and shortcomings.

So last week I put myself in one of these situations, disappointing myself, my wife and putting an obstacle in the way of my intimacy with God. In the past I would have typically waited an 'appropriate' amount of time before dealing with my brokenness, asking for forgiveness and pursuing deep relationship with God again. However, I've been in a season of renewed intimacy with God in which I've encountered intense times of worship, prayer and an insatiable hunger for the Bible - a hunger so strong that this time I couldn't wait. I wanted to get back to that place, and it needed to be a lot sooner then later!

So, in uncommon fashion, I took immediate steps to confess my sin, ask for forgiveness and had the opportunity to immediately engaged in an extended time of prayer and worship in the form of my weekly intercession group. The result was amazing! My relationship with my wife hardly skipped a beat, my loathing and self-abuse for being so stupid was rendered powerless and God showed His true colors by embracing me (as always) in full-faced grace during our intercession time! There was no waiting period, no 'being put on hold', no extended recovery time. God's forgiveness and embrace was immediate.

Then I had a conversation with a friend of mine who had experienced a similar brokenness that same week. He too comes to our weekly prayer/worship gathering, but contrary to my experience, had felt disconnected and unable to engage in anything other than an internal conversation along the lines of "I'm so sorry. Why do I keep doing this?". He went on to tell me that the entire week he had been down about his foolish compromise, but didn't feel like he could restore that God relationship just yet. He had entered into a time of self-imposed penance. Choosing to believe, as we all seem to do, that unless we 'feel' the immensity of our sin we can't truly be repentant. What I would call the 'sack-cloth and ashes' phase of our forgiveness.

As we continued to talk and share our stories I began having a revelation about my response to my sinful behavior. This was my thought - If I impose upon myself a time of separation, a mourning period for my sin, then I am essentially believing in a forgiveness based on works. That I MUST do something to show that I am sorry. I will PROVE that I have grasped the magnitude of my actions and by entering into the penance of separation.

So now, instead of having a sin (common to us all) that needs confession/restoration, I have taken upon myself the work of saving my own soul! I am functioning as though I believe I can achieve/merit God's grace through work! The result is that instead of "stumbling" in my walk towards holiness, I have successfully dug, and fallen into, a big hole that I must be rescued out of. It is a pit marked "Salvation Through Works Apart From Christ". (Along with a big WARNING sign beside it!)

Now some might be thinking, but isn't it good for us to understand how our sin hurts God (and others), and that the separation process for the sake of grappling with the depth of our sin is a worthwhile endeavor. (After all, we want our confession to be sincere) Well this is what I have experienced - the best way for me to understand the depth of my sin, to have true repentance, is to place myself in the presence of a pure and holy God. Suddenly my sin, and the impact it has on my relationships and my character, comes into full view - producing in me a deep longing for purity and confession - the source of true repentance. And so it isn't in running from God that I find myself, it is in running to Him that I find out who I am and how I am to live! (Ephesians 1:11)(MSG)

It caused me to come to a few conclusions:

1) Self-Imposed separation from God is not an act of righteousness but of self-righteousness - When I separate myself I am placing a requirement on my restoration. A requirement that puts me under judgment, requiring the penalty to be paid. A penalty that has already been paid by Christ! I have stepped outside of Justification By Faith (by grace, through faith in Christ alone) and taken a hold of Righteousness By Works.

I have denied the power of the Cross of Christ and once again taken it upon myself to earn my salvation.

2) Darkness is void of enlightenment - But Light exposes truth, and the Truth sets us free! - When I wallow in the shadow of my sin, I am allowing it to put down roots into my soul and character. It is allowed to define me, restricting me from encountering the life giving presence of Jesus. I become spiritually imprisoned, acting as one who has not been set free from sin, death and punishment. (I am not actually re-imprisoned by sin, but I'm living as though I am a captive. Choosing to ignore my pardon and the truth that the door to freedom is wide open!). I will not discover repentance in this place, only condemnation and guilt. (And since there is no condemnation for those in Christ this is obviously not a good place to function out of.)

But in the light of God's love, mercy and compassion I get to see my sin for what it really is, while enjoying full forgiveness through Christ which leads to thanksgiving and praise. It transforms me from being a down-trodden sinner into a joyful worshiper whose heart is full of gratitude (and free from guilt and shame).

I believe that this mindset is prevalent in all of us. That it is a major contributor to spiritual mediocrity and immaturity - effectively robbing us of deep joy and gratitude for the gift of Christ's cross.

I also believe that if we became quick to confess our sin that God would do just as he says, that he would be faithful to forgive us, heal us and transform us into a praising and glorious people. That we would reclaim days, months and for some even years worth of time lost by an un-required, self-imposed type of separation from God. Time that He would love to have spent with us in His glorious presence and favour. Time needed for our maturation and growth as followers of Jesus.


So here's to faster turn-around times that lead to paralleled growth!