The Beauty of Christ, 2

I am re-listening to Powlison and reflecting on this issue of introspection.  There is no doubt that there is a biblical call to examine our lives but it can so quickly become perverted and self-focused.  What are some additional biblical guidelines?

1. I think David is correct -- the Bible no where gives us a model for a life of introspection.  The endless combing of our hearts for every trace of sinful motives is not encouraged.  The Bible is a call to be extro-spective, to look away from ourselves.  Faith is the least self-regarding of all virtues, notes Tozer.

2. I think church history has hit the nail of the doctrine of sin on the head . . .  and that sin makes us curve in on ourselves.  That means I must be very careful with introspection.  What starts out as a look for sinful idols quickly becomes a fascination with me.  We are self-focused.  As one quip in a movie notes, "Enough of my talking about me.  What do you think about me?" It is of note that if we ran a special seminar in our church on the character of God we might have a decent turnout -- but if we ran a seminar on knowing our gifts, knowing ourselves, being free to be ourselves -- it would be flooded with participants (this is not a theoretical illustration, I have seen it happen). People think a sermon is good if it in some way is about them -- we call that "relevance."

3. The risks of introspection are seen in a couple of places:

• Jer 17:9 "the heart is deceitful above all things . . . WHO CAN KNOW IT?  I the LORD test the heart . . .  " This would seem to say that my heart is a bottomless pit of sinful motives and desires.  The desire to get to the bootm of my real motives and idols is futile.
• Ps 139:23-24 "search me O God and know my heart . . ." It would seem that David thinks that the only reliable guide to the heart is the Living God.  Exploring the cavernous depths of the human heart without the Light of the World is dangerous.  He actually asks God to search him.
• Ps 19:12 "who can discern his errors?" We cannot know our hearts!  Only God can.
• Phil 3:15 if you are not mature in any way, God will reveal this to you. Once again, the sense of God guiding us.

If I look inward, I do so with a sense of the dangers of such a look and seeking the help of God.

Comments

[rob tombrella]

Mark--

Thanks for this post. It makes me think of the small amount of time David spends on the probing his soul before he settles on the solution.

Ps. 42:1
"Why are you downcast O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Hope in God! for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God."

Your thoughts on God's help whenever we do need to examine our hearts is helpful. This implies that faith in God (your word "seeking") is required for the task. Would not the task of trying to discern our sin, without faith in God's help, be sin (Rom. 4:23)?

[Thomas Binkowski]

Thank you Mark, for pointing me to Christ today. I always thought introspection was a good thing. I wanted to "root all that sin out." But how can I keep hammering myself over and over. I must trust God to search me and test me to know my ways. Blessed be our Savior, who paid it all on the cross!