Let us look at Step 10, as we look into the 12 Steps with God
Step 10 – Admission – We continue to take personal inventory and when we are wrong, promptly admit it and seek to be reconciled.
In Step 8 we made a list of those we have hurt, wronged, or sinned against, and carefully thought through the damaging effects of those things in our relationships. We followed that inventory up with Step 9 to make amends for the bad things we had done to those we love and others in our life.
Tonight, in Step 10 – we are attempting to make it a pattern of life to closely monitor our sinfulness, own up to it, and fix it quickly – in biblical terms, that is reconciliation.
1 Corinthians 9: 24, 27, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So, run that you may obtain it…But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
In a letter to the church of Corinth, Paul talked about the discipline of a believer to stay on top of their thoughts and actions – we need to address our sinfulness to achieve lasting victory with our issues and effectively engage in the work of the ministry. There are two relevant thoughts in these verses: first, the concept of doing ones best out of obedience to God, and two, the purpose of disciplined godly approach to our daily life is to honor God and seek His blessing. Let us consider these thoughts for a moment.
Step 10 becomes a daily, or even hourly exercise so that we are truly disciplined in our spiritual life. If we intend to receive spiritual rewards from God and victory over issues we struggle with, we must live more godly lives. To this end, even Paul said that he became extremely hard on himself physically to live out this principle. Were Paul to live in this modern era of temptation, he would have trained himself to be honorable while online, when watching television, when he sat down to eat, as he spoke to people, while shopping, etc. We want to deal with temptation to sin immediately, right when it comes to mind or we are presented the opportunity and if we sin, we want to deal with it right now, no delay.
But why would we want to do this? Paul’s motivation was simple, “… lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” He intended to practice what he preached. We want to preach and teach truth, but we have to live out that truth also lest we play the part of a hypocrite. Paul wanted to share the Gospel, but if all his relationships were broken…who would listen. By routinely taking personal inventory we can dramatically reduce our inclination to sin.
Proverbs 28:13, “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”
It could not be much clearer than this simple statement. If, while we take personal inventory, we recognize sin, and we seek to cover it up; then we are destined for failure. However, God’s mercy and His hand of blessing comes to the one who would simply confess and repent of their sin.
In our relationships with others, we have to acknowledge that our opportunity to succeed in either healing that which is damaged, or in maintaining that which is healthy, often rests on our diligence in dealing with our sin. If we value our relationship with God and relationships with others, we need to have the integrity to be honest about our sin.
Hebrews 12:14, “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”
This verse describes the two-fold focus every Christian should have… “looking carefully” at our own lives to ensure that we have a clear testimony of peace and holiness through healthy relationships. When we strive for holiness or being Christ-like, others will see Christ in us like a reflection in a mirror.
As we see with the words “strive” and “pursue”, there is a drawing near to God with full faith and a cleansed conscience. This results in peace and positive relationships with one another, making the godly command to “building up one another” possible.
It is all a part of God’s plan – our holiness and sanctification, where we draw near to God in obedience. God’s other objective is that He knows that unbelievers will be drawn to Him when believer’s lives demonstrate peace and holiness…something the world knows little about.
Consider and Confess:
2. Have others recently come to mind whom you have wronged? How can you make things right with them?
3. Are you embarrassed about how many people you have offended? Why do you think that is?
4. We know that when we are tempted, we are enticed by our own desires[1]. Have you noticed that you are catching yourself earlier and earlier in the sequence of sin, even to the point of fleeing the temptation before you sin? Can you give an example?
5. Are you recognizing conviction of sin before you commit it? If yes, give a recent example.
6. List 2 or 3 relationships in which you have recently found reconciliation.
Looking Forward:
In our next step, through prayer and meditation, we will seek to know God’s Word better and grow in Christ better and continue in prayer for the knowledge of His will and the power to carry that out. This will involve greater personal responsibility for our own spiritual growth, and we will be in an even better position to begin discipling another younger/less mature believer. Remember you are an important part of the one another’s. The two keys to success in this area are successfully and consistently studying God’s Word and praying regularly.
[1] No one is to say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it has run its course, brings forth death. James 1:13-15