I have been a white washed tomb

I've been asking the LORD to stretch me. In the last week HE indeed has. HE used a Christian cousin way over in Haiti sitting in the heat, living in a tent, who thankfully had time on his hands and a lap top to minister to me. God is awesome.

I shared with him my convictions as far as attire and why I felt I needed the fence of wearing long skirts. He shared with me about a time in his life when God revealed to him that he was cutting off the branches of the tree and the undesirable fruit but was ignoring the root problem. He was changing things externally to try to address sin issues rather than getting to the heart. He expressed how he thinks that is one of the biggest traps of satan - to get us occupied trying to manage the sin rather than be freed from it. He expressed how much Jesus taught against the ways of the Pharisees who worked real hard to look religious outwardly but their hearts were not cleansed and made pure.

Two nights ago after my cousin had expressed some of these thoughts and I was pondering them and praying about them I opened up a devotional book I hadn't read out of in years and I turned to the following:

Matthew 23:27
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness."

Wow... God showed me I am the whitewashed sepulchre. I didn't like to see that but indeed I'm seeing more and more it's true!
In bible times the tombs (sepulchres) were painted white to alert people that it was a grave so no person would come in contact with the body or the grave and be made unclean. Jesus often spoke against the Pharisees who looked religious, acted religious... but inside they were full of corruption and death like the whitewashed tombs. (my paraphrase taken from "Living on the Mountain" by Roger Palms pg 195)
I have been a white washed tomb. My intentions were good. I was trying to deal with a sin issue but I was dealing with it externally rather than asking God to renew me and change me in my inner being. As my dear cousin expressed we must not just chop off the sinful fruit or the branches but get to the root and dig it up!

The fact is I don't need to wear long skirts - I need to be rid of fleshly thinking. I need to be completely renewed in my inner being. Oh modesty is important yes, and biblical, and I am not speaking against that. But putting on noble clothing doesn't remove the heart issue. It's like a wolf in sheep's clothing or a whitewashed tomb.

I am so thankful for the mercy of Jesus. I have cried out to HIM to cleanse me in my inner being and fill my to overflowing with HIS Holy Spirit. Thank you LORD for showing me that I was covering over/"managing" my sin rather than being set free from it! Thank you that YOU are indeed freeing me. I was relying on my own strength for freedom from my sinful motives but only You, JESUS, and your redemptive power can change me in my inner being and set me free!!

The cross of Christ is sufficient to conquer my sinful flesh:
Romans 6:6-7 & 14
"We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
For one who has died has been set free from sin.
For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace."

Today I am dancing for JESUS for HE is my deliverer.


(stop music player at bottom left to listen to "Everything we need" sung by Acapella