But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7
The fifth step in guarding your heart is to trust that God’s grace is sufficient. John Flavel said that people who are bankrupt are not interested in looking at their bank accounts, but people who have money want to know if their account is shrinking or growing.
What’s true about our bank accounts is also true of our hearts. The person who is far from God has no interest in looking into his own heart. But when God gives you a new heart, you have an interest in guarding it and keeping it. Examining the heart to discover the traces and trends of sin is something godly people do.
But when godly people look into their hearts, they often find it discouraging. We are amazed that after all God has done for us, and all that we’ve experienced, there should still exist in our hearts a principle that tends towards secret, perpetual, and alarming departure from God.
So, looking at your own heart can easily lead to you feeling defeated. Robert Murray M’Cheyne had the answer for that. He said, “For every look at self, take ten looks at Christ.”
When you see the secret, perpetual, and alarming principle of sin in your own heart, remember that this is why the fountain for cleansing was opened. We need it every day of our lives. We need the cleansing of the blood of Jesus. The sins that lurk in our hearts are not greater than the power of the blood of Christ to go on cleansing our lives. His grace is sufficient for you.
Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. How do you do that? Watch your life, know yourself, confess your sins, pursue good fruit, and trust God’s grace.
How many more looks at Christ do you need to take today to be at a 10 to 1 ratio?
