Think about this ... “Self-justification is a slippery route that leads to death. Self-justification is to justify/excuse our sin—especially when God Himself confronts us. It is evident in fake repentance. Self-justification is nurtured by self-confidence, self-aggrandizement, self-protection, and self-deception. In spite of his preceding grievous errors, God gave King Saul ‘another [golden] opportunity’ to learn the lesson of ‘unquestioning obedience to God’ (E. G. White, PP, p. 627). Through the prophetic voice of Samuel, God commissioned Saul to lead Israel in defeating Amalek because of their arrogant wickedness and contempt for God and Israel. The command was clear: Kill all. Spare none (1 Samuel 15:3). Saul obeyed and won ‘the most brilliant victory’ he ever gained in his leadership experience (White, PP, p. 629). The intense smell of success reignited his pride. Saul and Israel disobeyed the express commandment of God by destroying the vile and taking the best while sparing the king of Amalek. Again, God confronted Saul through the prophetic voice of Samuel. Amazingly, Saul initiated the conversation with Samuel by cunningly stating, ‘I have performed the commandment of the Lord’ (1 Samuel 15:13). By doing so, Saul deliberately committed himself to the risky journey of self-justification. First, Saul pretended he did right (1 Samuel 15:13). Then he denied his sin by spiritualizing it and setting the blame on the people (1 Samuel 15:14-13). Finally, Saul admitted his sin only after Samuel pronounced the divine sentence which doomed his kingship (1 Samuel 15:24-30). It is interesting to note that at this point, God did not reject Saul as a person but as a kings–another golden opportunity for Saul to redeem his soul. What a merciful God! Unfortunately, Saul resorted to pretense, hypocrisy, lying, blame, and even repentance as defense mechanisms. Saul’s repentance was not genuine. Saul repented not because of his sin but because of its consequences. He only wanted to preserve his authority and prestige. Saul wanted to save his face not God’s. Many will miss heaven by trying to save their face instead of assuming their responsibility for their mistakes and confess them to God. The best option for Saul was not delayed repentance but prompt confession. For example, his successor David did not justify himself but genuinely confessed his sin after he was prophetically confronted by God through Nathan (2 Samuel 12:1-13). Self-justification is a symptom of pride and satanic influence. It is a satanic delusion that makes people think and feel that they can deceive God by concealing their rebellious spirit with a cloak of ritual righteousness. This is the spirit of Cain that pervades the world and even God’s church today. Not so for God’s true disciples. It is high time for Christ’s true disciples to value God even above their own life (Luke 24:26). It is high time for Christ’s true disciples to win their souls even if it means losing the whole world (Matthew 16:26). Are you Christ’s genuine disciple today? Would you be one? What does your current behaviors reveal about your attitude to sin? What defense mechanisms do you generally use to mask your guilt in order to save your face? Let go … Let God … Allow Christ in and savor a genuine Christian experience daily!” Pr Christian E. Ekoto, Personal Morning Devotion Reflections on 1 Samuel 15:1-35 on May 15, 2014
Posted on: Thu, 15 May 2014 00:39:37 +0000
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