Search and Rescue

How can a small creature destroy the complete peace of an entire household?   A creature so small I have to search with a magnifying glass to verify it exists.  Oh, my mission is quite simple: this creature will be exterminated!  It will be exterminated without any evidence of ever being and its offspring terminated.  How can I say something so terrible?  Any parent will completely share my passion for destruction of this creature named “head lice.”  It’s no pleasant experience to have this un-welcomed guest in your house.   It’s contagious to all members of the household, so I had to search carefully through each scalp.  Besides search for this creature I had to completely re-clean my house, bedding, and spray chemical on my furniture.   It was no small undertaking to destroy the creature or it’s offspring but it had to be done to prevent further breakouts. 

As I started to re-think about this episode it brought a great revelation about sin.  Our hearts can be deceptive, so we must allow the Holy Spirit to search us.  Although the head lice was present, it wasn’t visible to the naked eye.  Nevertheless, it couldn’t be ignored because of the itchy discomfort upon my family.  Also, it could have been complete misdiagnoses as dry scalp.  So, I could have prolonged the issue with the wrong shampoo or caused a greater outbreak.  If I wanted to find out the problem, I had to search intensely for it.  As I carefully sifted through the hair of my entire family I couldn’t discover the problem until it was magnified, searched for, and properly diagnosed.  

If we truly desire to walk in the light, we must allow the Holy Spirit to search us.  If we refuse to allow the Holy Spirit to search us, read the Word, or to follow the voice of God we are opening our soul for sin to

take root.  The Holy Spirit desires for us to walk in the fullness of Christ, so He will convict us of sin.  It’s not pleasant to be exposed of sinful deeds but it’s only through the conviction of the Spirit can we discover the problem.  Correction, discipline, and obedience will open the door to maturity but it's must come directly from the Word and the Holy Spirit.  If we are unwilling to be pruned; we prevent growth or slowly allow life to slip away.  Sin will cause our spirits to be completely restless until we confess it.  "When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer." Psalm 32:3-4

Sin has to be acknowledged, confessed, and exposed.  We can't run from it or it will run us over.  If anyone preaches or teaches otherwise; they don't follow the Word of God.   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. Psalm 32:5

Sin doesn’t discriminate against anyone; it’s only power is bondage and destruction but it's start when we yield to it.  Instead of capturing his lustful thoughts for Bathsheba, David got captured in adultery and murder.  We may not have committed the acts of King David but it doesn’t mean we are sinless.  Our sins or temptations may be different for someone else’s but it still cost God the same price-the death of His Son.  So, whether if the issue is gossiping, lusting, lying, pride, rage or un-forgiveness it has to be dealt with because we are to be imitators of God.  “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling, and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32)   Sin only needs an open door crack to gain possession.  It may seem “fun” or “have a season” of pleasure but it’s very costly destruction.  It’s not only destructive to our lives but it can destroy the lives of those we love, our reputation, and lead us to gates of Hell. 

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” Psalm 139:23

By allowing the Holy Spirit to search our heart, we will discover the truth.  We can have the intimacy with God we crave but we must allow our hearts to be searched, confess our faults, and submissive to His Word and leading.  “To love God and build a relationship with Him is our call, our purpose, our commitment, our very reason for existing. Everything else....EVERYTHING else flows from that.” Sue King

So, the question is has the bondage of sin been exterminated in your life?  Sin is very powerful but its no match for the grace of God.  God's grace is greater than all our sins.  At the cross the power of sin broken, the penalty has been paid and the curse has been destroyed through the blood of Christ. “Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” (Romans 3:24 NLT)

Forgiveness is promised to anyone who acknowledges, admits, and confesses their sin.  Christ didn't come to condemn the world but to redeem the world from it's sin.  Christ paid the penalty to free us, cleanse us, and make us His own.  The price has been paid through his love; He doesn't ask for refunds.

Titus 2:14 "He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."