Step 4 - Made a rigorously honest, searching and
fearless inventory of ourselves.
Our decision in Step 3 is a vital and crucial step on the road to a full and abundant life in Christ. However, it will have little permanent effect unless followed by a strenuous effort to face, and to be rid of, the sin in our lives, which is defeating what God wants to do in our lives. So, in Step 4 we will set out on an honest, searching and fearless inventory of ourselves. Call it what you want: a moral inventory, spiritual inventory, self-examination, or a personal housecleaning, it is designed to reveal (in black and white) where our heart is, and what needs to be changed. –And the Bible clearly instructs us to do so:
Lamentations 3:40 - Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD.
Haggai 1:7 - This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways.”
II Corinthians 13:5 - Examine yourselves to see whether
you are in the faith; test yourselves.
Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you
fail the test.
We can’t do an inventory of ourselves, by ourselves. Our inventory must be done with God’s help. We need to ask God to examine us, to show us our hearts, and to show us the sin in our lives that we have repressed, suppressed, justified, ignored, forgotten, or have been unwilling to turn from.
Jeremiah 17:9-10 - The heart is deceitful above all
things and beyond cure. Who can
understand it? 10 "I the LORD search the heart and
examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what
his deeds deserve."
Proverbs 21:2 – All a man's ways seem right to him, but
the LORD weighs the heart.
Psalms 26:2 - Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my
heart and my mind;
Psalms 139:23-24 - Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and
lead me in the way everlasting.
We will also be taking our inventory in the light of God’s Word:
Hebrews 4:12-13 - For the Word of God is living and
active. Sharper than any double-edged
sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it
judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's
sight. Everything is uncovered and laid
bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. If we honestly hunger and thirst for righteousness, God will be faithful to show us exactly what is blocking us from the full and abundant life in Christ, which He wants us to have. The only thing that will keep us from seeing the truth about ourselves, is an unwillingness to look for (or at) the truth about ourselves. If we ask, He will reveal it to us. Why would we refuse to look at the very things within us that Jesus came to set us free from?
Jesus said:
Luke 4:17-21 – "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
Christ came to set us free from the slavery of sin. When we honestly and thoroughly examine ourselves, we can easily see (yes, in black and white) the things in ourselves which keep us in slavery.
I have found
the following four scriptures to be very useful in exposing the fruitless deeds
of darkness in my life.
Mark 7:20-23 – He went on: "What comes out of a man
is what makes him `unclean.' 21 For from within, out of men's hearts, come
evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22
greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and
folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and make a man `unclean.'"
Galatians 5:19-21 – The acts of the sinful nature are
obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and
witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,
dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the
like. I warn you, as I did before, that
those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Colossians 3:5-10 – Put to death, therefore, whatever
belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires
and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is
coming. 7
You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But
now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice,
slander, and filthy language from your lips.
9 Do not lie to each other, since you have
taken off your old self with its practices
10 and have put on the new self, which is being
renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
Ephesians 4:17 - 5:21 – So I tell you this, and insist on
it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility
of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and
separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to
the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given
themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with
a continual lust for more. 20 You, however, did not come to know Christ
that way. 21 Surely you heard of Him and were taught in
Him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former
way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its
deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your
minds; 24
and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness
and holiness. 25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood
and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26
"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while
you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 He
who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something
useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in
need. 29
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what
is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit
those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,
with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger,
brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be
kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ
God forgave you. 5:1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly
loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved
us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3 But
among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of
impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. 4 Nor
should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of
place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a
man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let
no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath
comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them. 8 For
you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9
(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and
truth) 10
and find out what pleases the Lord.
11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds
of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what the
disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes
visible, 14
for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:
"Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on
you." 15 Be very careful, then, how you live--not as
unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity,
because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand
what the Lord's will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the
Lord, 20
always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ. 21 Submit to one another out of reverence for
Christ.
So, we can set out to begin taking Step 4 with these things:
The first time I honestly tried to take Step 4, I began by writing at the top of the first blank page (and then the pages that followed): “In the light of God’s Word, I find myself guilty of:” Then, I began to read and meditate on the Galatians and Ephesians scriptures on the previous pages, pausing now and then to write down the ugliness of my life. I repeated this several times, and continued to find more and more. More and more sin was uncovered that I had just repressed, suppressed, justified, ignored, forgotten, and sin that I had been unwilling to turn from. The thing that I remember most about the experience was how thoroughly disgusted I was with myself and the way that I had lived.
Ezekiel 36:31 – Then you will remember your evil ways and
wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable
practices.
And taking Step 4 should produce Godly sorrow, and the good news is:
2 Corinthians 7:10 – Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret—
Some Incentives for Taking Step 4:
Jesus promised that the Father would clean us to make us more fruitful:
John 15:1-2 – "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes (the Greek for prunes also means cleans) so that it will be even more fruitful.
Although it may be painful, the Step 4 inventory is necessary for the pruning and cleaning that God will accomplish. We have a choice of how we would like Him to clean us --through self-examination, confession, and repentance, or we can be cleaned through discipline.
Hebrews 12:6-7 – because the Lord disciplines those He
loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son." 7
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his
father?
We can avoid God’s judgement, chastening, discipline, and correction by trials when we judge ourselves, confess our sins to Him, and turn away (repent) from our sin.
I Corinthians 11:31-32 – But if we judged ourselves, we
would not come under judgment. 32 When we are judged by the Lord, we are being
disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.
Christ tells us of another very good reason to do Step 4:
Matthew 5:6 – Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they will be filled.
Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6
Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 | Step 11 | Step 12