I am so excited to share this as I think it's one of the best things I've ever read. I hope it can help someone as much as it has helped me.
I emailed my wonderful uncle Terry (Rev. Terry Roberts) as he has a special relationship with the Lord and this was my question or questions to him:
"I have a few questions for you if you don't mind. I was wondering, do you think that there are some people who have a very sensitive spirit, maybe more so than others that can sense the Holy Spirit more? I hope that even makes sense. I guess I should explain. I often struggle with deep feelings of being unworthy. I sense how Holy the Lord is and I feel how wide the gap is between me and God. It is this reason that I stick very close to Jesus and call out to Him often. Yet I often feel frustrated because I feel the stink of the world on me and I think this keeps me from experiencing a deeper relationship with the Father. I keep having to come back to Jesus for the same issues in my life and I long for the day when I won't have things that keep me from the Father and I can experience His love more fully. I guess I've gotten a good taste of His love and I'm very eager and hungry to keep tasting it."
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This was my uncle Terry's reply:
"The feelings of unworthiness may be due to your sensitivity to the supreme holiness of the Lord, which many people are not sensitive to. In fact, most are rather casual about God’s holiness, so naturally, don’t feel the sense of their own unholiness. So it is a good thing, in that sense, that you sometimes feel unworthy.
However, it is also good to be aware that we have an enemy who likes to beat up on sensitive people. Knowing how much you love Jesus and want to please Him, the Accuser will sometimes bombard your mind with thoughts of condemnation. This is not good, and should be resisted. (Read Romans 8:1, Revelation 12:7-11, James 4:7, 1 Peter 5:7-9.)
How to know the difference? The positive feelings of unworthiness flood us with a deep sense of awe for God and gratitude to Him for saving us just as we are. They call forth adoration and praise to Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. Read Revelation chapter 5, where John has a vision of Heaven, and is asked, “Who is worthy…?” He sees no one who is worthy, except the Lamb – and then all creation join in worshiping the Lamb because He is worthy. That’s the way God wants us to feel about our unworthiness and His worthiness.
The negative feelings of unworthiness – what we sometimes call “condemnation” – make us want to avoid coming into the Lord’s presence, because we feel like scum under His feet and doubt whether He will even hear us. We feel hopeless. The Lord doesn’t want us to give into such feelings. Don’t believe such feelings. They are lying “spirits” sent to torment God’s precious children. Arm yourself with the Word of God – the helmet of salvation and the shield of faith… Quote what God says about you in Ephesians chapter 1 and Romans chapter 8.
Of course, we are all unworthy in ourselves, but Colossians 1:12 says He has “qualified you” (or made you worthy) to participate in His glorious inheritance. (Read Colossians 1:9-23; 2:1-23). Chapter 2 verse 10 says we are “complete” in Christ (NIV says “you have been given fullness in Christ”) which means everything we need to satisfy the Father, we have in Christ. Also, 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 says, “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." So, Jesus is our holiness and our righteousness. We have none apart from Him.
We do pick up the dirt of this world, and we need a washing from time to time. The Word washes us (see Ephesians 5:25,26) Every day you open the Bible and meditate in it, it washes your spirit. When you come to Him in prayer, just ask Him to cleanse you with His Blood and renew you in His Spirit. He will. (In John 13:1-10, Jesus shows His love to his disciples by washing the dirt off their feet. Read about the conversation between Jesus and Peter and meditate on it.)
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Jennifer, here:
Isn't that awesome what my uncle wrote? I don't know about you but I'm very eager to grab my Bible and do some reading! This is exciting stuff!!!
2 comments:
Wow Wow Wow... That was great and so true. I know that the Devil has used earthly things to keep most of my family away from God. We were raised, and had it drilled into our heads that so many things would keep you from heaven. Things like going to the Movies, and well, too many things to list. I think that this condemnation put a wedge into our faith and allowed the Devil access. Almost all of my family Smoke. Because of this, none of us were ever close to some older relatives that had so much wisdom of God, because we did not want them to know we smoked. This condemnation also kept many of us out of church in later years. I believe now that so what if we smoke, if everyone would just except us lovingly into the Church etc.. then maybe we could receive deliverance from smoking. Any way, now after what your Uncle has said, I pretty much know that it is the devil that gives us this feeling of being unworthy, and not God.... Please tell him Thank you.
anonymous, Oh I'm so glad this has touched someone else too! I'm so sad to hear that comdemnation has kept some of your family out of church. I pray for freedom for them so they may experience God's love fully.
Thank you for commenting, I find what you had to say very interesting. God bless you!
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