With a Subtitle: Searching our hearts for hidden pride and the false security that can deceive us
A brief Excerpt: How can I be sure my heart is truly right with God? A candid reflection on pride, self-deception, and the Biblical warnings that keep us from a false sense of spiritual security.
Am I a Modern-Day Pharisee?
I had a very sobering thought the other day: How can I be sure that my heart is right with God? How can I be so sure that I am not a modern-day Pharisee (Luke 18:9-14) saying: “I thank you Lord that I am not as other people who rejected the free gift of salvation which I accepted; You forgave all my sins, and I can dwell in the house of the Lord forever while the unbelievers will spend eternity in hell”?
How can we be so sure about that?
Blessed Beyond Measure, Yet Undeserving
I have a very positive outlook on life and am fully aware that God is blessing me beyond my wildest expectations. I also know that Jesus Christ laid down His own life willingly so that I could have never-ending life. At the same time, I am acutely aware how undeserving I am of all the blessings and that I am not even sure whether my heart is right with God or not.
King David’s Prayer to Search the Heart
King David must have had the same thoughts, for he urged the Lord to search his heart to see if there was any wickedness in him (Ps 139:23-24). He understood that we don’t even know what is in our own heart, that we can only look at the outward appearance, but that God looks upon the heart (1 Sam 16:7). I somehow knew this for a long time, but it has only recently begun to sink in.
Paul’s Warnings Are Written for You and Me
The apostle Paul gives a stern warning to us when he reiterates Israel’s travails in the desert and tells us that all those things are warnings to us. That means that they are warnings to you and me (1 Cor 10:1-11)! If it is true that these are examples, what other warnings are there in the Bible? And, are these warnings about consequences for this life or the next? Seriously, we profess to know things about Heaven and Hell while we don’t even understand many things in this life.
Are We Really on Solid Ground About the Afterlife?
Israel had a view of the afterlife that evolved over time, showing us that they did not know because Sheol did not change to match their evolving imagination. But are we really on more solid ground with our belief? We believe that, once we are saved, we go to Heaven and that there is no difference whether we only did good in our natural life or whether we sinned a lot. Moreover, we believe that all unbelievers go to Hell for unending punishment because they rejected God. In contrast, I know that I rejected God at least a couple of times before I believed, and yet, He saved me anyway.
Don’t Lull Yourself Into a False Sense of Security
Paul warns us, saying that Israel’s troubles in the desert were recorded as warnings and as examples for us, meaning that this is not the only warning and that we need to take this seriously. We don’t like to hear this, but we need to have our eyes opened so we can see the other warnings and examples from the Scriptures, or we may lull ourselves into a false sense of security.
We Cannot Fully Grasp What Lies Ahead
Since we have no possibility of experiencing our life in Heaven before going there, we cannot possibly relate to any matters of the next life. All we can do is listen to parables and allegories that give us a little glimpse of things to come. But even then, we are unable to fully understand those parables, which is underscored by the many different interpretations of what they mean.
The Hidden Root of Pride
I am aware that I am biased and unable to judge rightly. I am even aware that I sin frequently and that my only righteousness is in believing in our Lord Jesus Christ and that He paid for all my sins. But did that really sink in, or is this just a platitude, grouping me into the general category of “saints who sin?” I would like to view myself as a believer whose heart is right with the Lord, but then: every man does what is right in his own eyes (Judges 21:25).
In a very real sense, this is true even for me personally, for I judge by the outward appearance, but God looks upon our heart (1 Sam 16:7). We are judging when we or someone else sins, but if we confess our sin, our heavenly Father will forgive us all our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The problem is not the commission of sin, if we repent. The problem is our attitude, which is rooted in deep pride, lurking deep within our soul, hidden from our own sight. This is where I pray to God and join King David’s plea: Search my heart, O Lord, to see if there is any pride in there. For it is pride that causes us to rebel against God, to act as if we have all the answers, and to insist on our own way.
Take These Warnings to Heart
Paul warns us, saying that Israel’s troubles in the desert were recorded as warnings and as examples for us, meaning that this is not the only warning and that we need to take this seriously. We don’t like to hear this, but we need to have our eyes opened so we can see the other warnings and examples from the Scriptures, or we may lull ourselves into a false sense of security.
Accepting the Limits of What We Can Know
Since we have no means of experiencing our life in Heaven before going there, we cannot possibly relate to any matters of the next life. All we can do is listen to parables, prophecies, and allegories that give us a little glimpse of things to come. We need to learn to accept that we are unable to fully understand those parables, knowing that it is not for us to know the times and seasons.
We Know Only in Part Until the Perfect Comes
Paul cautions us that now, we know in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away (1 Cor 13:9-10). We don’t even know what is in our hearts unless the Lord reveals it to us, for only He knows.
Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words
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