Greetings in Christ,
I remember a union issue I was part of at work. I was the union president at work, and it was my duty to stand alongside a member when they get into a situation which they may need some advice or counsel to guide them through. It was one of those situations where things started out good but spiraled downward quickly. The individual did not have faith in the system which had to be followed, and they chose to take their own path to seek the results they felt they needed to achieve. The situation became more difficult for all parties involved in trying to resolve the issue.
It was one of those times I had to stand back and let the individual do their own thing and hope I had the patience to give advice when I could, and then take no offense when they do the opposite. It became frustrating and I began to question my ability to reach that individual with the advice I must give, and/or hope common sense will shine through at one point of time.
It did not fare well for the individual in question. No matter how hard this individual fought to clear their name, the guilt of the offense shined through in many places which was hard to deny. The funny thing about it was the guilt was admitted at first, but the individual tried to cover up the offense by denying afterwards any guilt by blaming others. The continued denial and blaming others created more trouble for the individual than the offense itself. The denial made the individual look bad and created a more serious result for the individual in the end leaving others no recourse. In the end truth won over denial.
If the admission of guilt would have remained as the reply to the offense, things would have been worked out for the individual far better than they did. The situation would have been over, and people would have moved on. People would get over what had happened like it never had happened, and the individual would have retained what they were trying to retain in the first place—integrity.
This individual did not grasp the concept of admission to guilt. It was by admission the process of recovery could take place. It should have been a time of forgiveness and healing. It is in the admission submission can follow.
The process to be a Christian is the same. Admission must take place for submission to happen. Admission is the time for recovery to take place before submission can happen. It is a process which leads to true integrity for the individual who chooses to allow the process to take place.
Admission—time of recovery, healing, and forgiveness. Submission—time for the Holy Spirit to move in.
Saul was a man who was going to find out what submission was going to feel like. Samuel was preparing Saul to become king, and it was important for Samuel to instruct Saul on how he was going to be Spirit filled. Saul was already found to be righteous, but he was not filled with the Spirit. Samuel told him he would be a completely changed man when the Holy Spirit would fill him. Saul followed the instruction of Samuel and the Holy Spirit entered Saul and he instantly felt the change. Even the people who knew Saul’s disposition prior witnessed a dramatic change in him.
The individual at work did not let admission of guilt really take place and missed out on submission where the offense would have gone away. It was a process which should have taken place before true integrity could happen for the individual.
Admission to guilt is the first step in the process of being a Christian. The admission leads to healing and forgiveness, and submission leads to completely wiping out all past offenses and guilt leaving the individual feeling fresh and renewed. Submission is the infilling of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and soul making us feel more alive than we ever could imagine. It is a time when true integrity shines which everybody can see. We cannot skip or delete the steps. Our effort to try to work it out on our own leads to disaster. It is by admission then submission we will find the truth we seek and need to live a righteous life filled with God’s integrity.
”I will extol You, my God, O King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.
Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts, and I will tell of Your greatness. They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness and will shout joyfully of Your righteousness. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and great in lovingkindness. The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works. All Your works shall give thanks to You, O Lord, and Your godly ones shall bless You. They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom and talk of Your power; to make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts and the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.” Psalm 145:1-13
Lord may we live a life of submission and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Amen
Blessing,