"If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which
does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who
commit sin not leading to death" - 1 John 5:16
If we are not heedful and pay no attention to the way the Spirit of God works in
us, we will become spiritual hypocrites. We see where other people are failing,
and then we take our discernment and turn it into comments of ridicule and
criticism, instead of turning it into intercession on their behalf. God reveals
this truth about others to us not through the sharpness of our minds but through
the direct penetration of His Spirit. If we are not attentive, we will be
completely unaware of the source of the discernment God has given us, becoming
critical of others and forgetting that God says, ". . . he will ask, and He will
give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death." Be careful that
you don’t become a hypocrite by spending all your time trying to get others
right with God before you worship Him yourself.
One of the most subtle and illusive burdens God ever places on us as saints is
this burden of discernment concerning others. He gives us discernment so that we
may accept the responsibility for those souls before Him and form the mind of
Christ about them (see Philippians 2:5 ). We should intercede in accordance with
what God says He will give us, namely, "life for those who commit sin not
leading to death." It is not that we are able to bring God into contact with our
minds, but that we awaken ourselves to the point where God is able to convey His
mind to us regarding the people for whom we intercede.
Can Jesus Christ see the agony of His soul in us? He can’t unless we are so
closely identified with Him that we have His view concerning the people for whom
we pray. May we learn to intercede so wholeheartedly that Jesus Christ will be
completely and overwhelmingly satisfied with us as intercessors.
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