There is an endless variety of ways a person can be physically injured. Injuries range from the serious (“Argh! A shark just bit my foot off!”) to the not so serious (“Argh! I just got a paper cut!” (Note: Some, such as Lemon farmers, might rank paper cuts higher on the scale.)). Regardless of the seriousness of the injury, however, we all take note when our bodies are hurt. We all do what we can to help heal and repair ourselves when something is broken. Surely “no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it.” (Eph. 5:29)
It is remarkable, though, that when it comes to spiritual injuries (all of which are “life threatening” – Rom. 6:23), people couldn’t care less. Imagine for a moment, if you will, how truly horrifying it would be if we suddenly saw everyone around us rendered according to their spiritual condition. Can you say train wreck? If we saw everyone based upon their spiritual health, we’d be surrounded by cannonball wounds, missing limbs, and “planks through the eye (i.e. Matt. 7:3).” In such a scenario, would we dare look in the mirror?
We claim, as Christians, to “walk by faith, not by sight,” (2 Cor. 5:7) but do we really? Faith, after all, comes by hearing the word of God! (Rom. 10:17) Upon hearing it, do we then make application? Do we honestly look into the mirror of God’s word and “tend to our wounds” or do we shrug off our spiritual lacerations as mere scratches that don’t merit our time, effort, and concern?
Jas. 1:21-25 – Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
Let us not deceive ourselves into thinking that we have achieved perfection and are above falling short of our Lord’s expectations (1 John 1:8; 1 Cor. 10:12). This is not to say that we should excuse sin by saying “well, I can’t be perfect.” We must, however, be humble enough (Jas. 4:10) to recognize that, while we may not see (and hopefully don’t) gaping wounds reflected back at us as we look into His word, there will always be room for improvement (Phil. 3:12-14).
Friends, if you are spiritually wounded this day, why not allow the blood of Christ to heal you? If you are not a Christian, would you repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins? (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38) If you’ve put on Christ, would you confess your sin and turn back to Him? (1 John 1:9; Acts 8:22) On the battleground for our souls, injuries are bound to occur. But if we will equip His armor (Eph. 6:10-18) and trust in His saving grace (Rev. 2:10), we will share in His victory over death and sin (1 John 5:4)!