“Also on your skirts is found the lifeblood of the guiltless poor; you did not find them breaking in. Yet in spite of all these things you say, ‘I am innocent; surely his anger has turned from me.’ Behold, I will bring you to judgment for saying, ‘I have not sinned.’” (Jeremiah 2:34–35, ESV)
I have served as a juror on several trials in my lifetime. In some of these trials the evidence of guilt was overwhelming. There were eye witnesses to the crimes and pinpointed guilty party. However, despite the evidence, in many of the trials the guilty one would always hold fast to his innocence. People are often like that.
The nation of Israel had departed from the Lord and His statutes. They had transgressed against the commands of the Lord in many ways. They had worshipped idols, sought to make treaties with other nations for protection, and committed many sins. One of which was the exploitation of the innocent poor. Yet they claimed their own innocence in the matter. However, God is omniscient, knowing everything. The nation had turned to lawlessness and no sinful deed went unnoticed. All was seen and remembered. In Revelation we read that everyone’s deeds are recorded (Revelation 20:12).
Today we too live in a rebellious time when lawlessness is on the increase. Sadly, it is quite sinister in that factions in our society are working to make what God states is right to be wrong and what He states is wrong to be right. Thus, many today will claim their innocence. Some do so out of ignorance and others willfully. Those who willfully claim their innocence know what God’s eternal truth states regarding moral conduct but willfully declare that the Lord and His word have not authority in today’s world. The sad part is that they are actively working to lead the innocents, who know no better down the same path.
This denial of the truth of God’s moral standards results in the self-proclamation of one’s innocence. This is a dangerous trap. It is a temptation that all people face because they want to justify their own desires whether right or wrong. This problem of self-indulgence will prevent many from recognizing their own sin and coming to the Savior for eternal life. We need to pray for these.
Yet this problem of falsely claiming one’s innocence can even affect those who profess faith in Christ. For some believers this problem of claiming innocence is due to a lack of understanding. This is typical for new believers who lack an in-depth of understanding of God’s word. The simple fact is this. We who believe are all works in progress, and God is constantly at work to transform us from the inside out so that we will reflect His righteousness more fully. In this we praise the Lord for His mercy that covers true believers and His grace that works in us to mold our lives for the better.
When the Lord our God works by His Spirit to continuously transform us to His image, He is glorified. However, this work requires participation on the behalf of every true believer. This participation includes a yielding to the leadership of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Spirit is constantly at work, but the believer can resist such work. One of the ways believers often resist is to reject the truth presented in the Bible. The Scriptures tell us this. Paul wrote,
“Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:20–22, ESV)
This implies that believers must be students of the word of God, seeking His truth with a whole heart, continuously learning. Yet head knowledge is not enough, through the ministry of the Spirit the believer must be obedient to the truths revealed. This takes an openness and willing self-examination by every believer. In doing so we believers will not be caught in the trap of proclaiming our own innocence. Then we will participate in the work of allowing the holy Spirit to transform us into the image of Jesus Christ.
Renewing the Heart 