God and

Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. [2 Corinthians 13.5]

I see an association here today with what Jesus discusses in John 3:

“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” [John 3.18-21]

Oh boy, here we go...

Judgement is removed from the genuine believer. That judgement is the "default" condition of every human being up to the point of Christ redeeming him. That judgment includes every curse upon disobedience (Deuteronomy 28.15-68) including God's original warning, "If you sin, you will die" (Genesis 2.15-17).

Just as Adam and Eve hid from God after they sinned, so every one of us tends to withdraw from God when we sin. But this may not be as obvious as most of us would like to think...

I propose here that people "love the darkness more than the light" when they consider miracles in their lives. By "consider" I really mean, avoid. This is done when we encounter the need for a miracle in our life and turn to sources other than God for help. Of course we say, "God uses <insert the other source here>" as if that makes it okay. "Besides," we reason, "God created <insert the other source here>, so it is certainly a gift from God to us." More about this to come later.

People "love the darkness" because it hides their lack of faith (and, to be clear, faith is obedience). To shy away from undiluted, unadulterated miracles (miracles not dependent upon <insert the other source here>) is to hate the light. But to insist that God uses <insert the other source here> is to love the darkness because it cloaks unbelief (disobedience).

We have already seen a reference to Adam and Eve above. Let's explore that just a bit. Satan did not approach Eve with a flagrant denial of God. Nor did he demand disobedience from the first couple. He simply planted a little seed of darkness, "Did God really say..." which led Eve to conclude that God couldn't really have meant what He said and so she ate (and Adam joined in). They did not flagrantly "deny God and worship Satan" but simply took what God said, allowed a little modification from an outside source (<insert the other source here>) and reasoned that they would be fine. Well, they were wrong. They loved the darkness and then hid from the light for their actions were evil. Had they done right, there would have been no inclination to hide from God.

The Bible is not lacking for stories of people depending on God and <insert the other source here>. God gave the snake on a stick (Nehushtan) to the people of Israel in the wilderness, but it had to be destroyed in Hezekiah's day because the people had begun to worship it. Yes, God gave rocks, trees, mountains, plants, and everything for man's benefit, but when man chiseled idols of rocks, carved images from wood, bowed down to mountains, and insisted on herbs for healing, did he not make these things "God and <insert the other source here>"?

And, here is where we need then to examine ourselves. When confronted with undiluted, unadulterated faith for healing, provision, and the likes, do we run to the diluted and adulterated faith (darkness) of "God and <insert the other source here>, hiding from the pure singular light of undiluted, unadulterated faith in God alone?

Paul said we should examine ourselves. He said we should even test ourselves. Is the dead-raising, mountain-moving, sight-giving, life of Jesus evident in us or not? "Quick, someone turn off the lights!!!"

Father help us - help me - As I examine myself in the undiluted, unadulterated light of Jesus Christ, I repent before You because I know I have not shown "Jesus alone" to the world. Help me as I test myself - may I emerge with a testimony of undiluted, unadulterated, undeniable faith in You alone.