We teach on these things, sometimes, and some of us get nervous, “Oh, dear God, Phinehas is going to jump up at any moment.”  Well, dear God, if Phinehas is moving in jealousy for God and in love for you, you should get run through with a javelin!  Or better, the Sword of the Spirit; amen?  That old man needs to die.  You need to die.  “Well, what if Phinehas is getting carried away?”  That’s what spiritual leadership is all about.  That’s what church authority is all about; amen?  We’ll take Phinehas’ javelin and until his heart turns, he’ll only be allowed to use rubber javelins.  Can I tell you something?  We need that kind of zeal; amen?  What are we going to do?  Are we going to just sit around and watch all of the whoredoms still in our midst?  You’re saying, “Pastor, we’re nothing like that environment.”  I know that we’re not physically like that.  But I’ll guarantee you one thing.  There’s a lot of heart cleaning that needs to be done in our midst.

There’s a lot of discipline of our minds that needs to take place.  Where out of our heart our mouths are speaking and we’re criticizing one another, speaking evil of one another.  All of these different things that are in our midst that we don’t even consider sin anymore.  If we did, we would repent of it!  “Ah man, I wish I hadn’t done that,” and you don’t say anything to the person you hurt.  You don’t apologize to those that were around.  You won’t receive reproof.  Let me remind us, again, that if we’re going to repent, there must be a carefulness; amen?  There has to be a hatred.  And yet, we justify ourselves in the midst of it.  We want to see the Holy Spirit have free course in our midst.  He is so easily grieved.  He is so easily quenched by what Bridges called in his book “acceptable sins.”  The fruit of the Spirit wipes out all of those acceptable sins and it establishes one law.  Love God with all our hearts and our neighbors as ourselves.

I trust that the Holy Spirit has enlightened us.  At least to the place of knowing we need to take a look, not at the picture we’ve painted of ourselves, but of the Mirror (Bible) that reveals what we really are.  I’m not convinced that large segments of the professed church really want to look at who they are, to come to grips with who we are.  That’s part of the problem, the problem with those of us who walk in self‑righteousness…  You notice I used the word “us.”  But when you finally become honest enough and you deal with those issues and the Holy Spirit begins to bring consistent victory in those areas, what praise, what worship, what thanksgiving comes out of your heart when you encounter Him!  The one area that people who walk in that have is we become so impatient with ourselves and critical with ourselves.  Sometimes people think it’s almost admirable, but the real motivation behind it is, “I’m better than everybody else.  I shouldn’t be having the problems they have.”  Every one of us needs this daily death, this daily cross.  This continual washing by the water of the Word.  This life that is entrusted solely to the One who is always loving and kind and merciful and temperate as the Holy Spirit lives out the character of Jesus in us.

Father, we thank You for Your Word.  We ask that You would prepare us as we go on to have teachable hearts.  That You would have us open to the Word of God.  Speak to me, Holy Spirit, and lead me into all truth.  I’m asking, I’m believing for it.  I receive it with a thankful heart.  In Jesus’ name; amen.