Yesterday, we had a class on the five patterns of iniquity outlined in Isaiah 14 (verses 13-14).
1) "I will ascend into heaven" This is when we try to earn our salvation through works.
2) "I will exalt my throne above the stars of God" This is competitiveness, self-exaltation, and stopping at nothing to be the best .
3) "I will also sit on the mount of the congregation" This is the deep desire to be the center of attention, and the feeling of entitlement to everyone's full captivation.
4) "I will ascend about the heights of the clouds"This is all about escapism. It is easier to check out of this world than to follow Christ in it; life is lived in a fantasy world.
5) "I will be like the Most High" This is the attempt to place ourselves on equal ground with God. This is a disregard for authority at its worst.
We talked about how iniquity is a motives issue. It's about our wills. We also talked about how God disciplines and corrects us because of His love for us. He really is like a father in that sense.
It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:7-11
The Holy Spirit so wants us to be like Jesus that anything less than correction is not love. God's love will not be magnified in us if the motives of our hearts do not change.
Then this morning I read Amos 3:2
You only have I known (chosen, sympathized with, and loved) of all the families of the earth; therefore I will visit upon you all your wickedness and punish you for all your iniquities. (AMP)
Often we hear parents explain, "We still love you, but we are going to punish you". But God says, "I love you, so I am going to punish you"
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