Spiritually Stuck—The Way Out
Many Christians today are spiritually stuck. At the time of their conversion, they did experience the Lord, but most of the time they are not close to him—even in church, even when they read the Bible, even when they pray.
They know God is real. They know the Bible is true. However, they also know that the stirring of heart they once experienced is becoming a distant memory for them. And while they don’t want this pattern to remain, the weeks and months continue to pass with little discernible growth.
The spiritually stuck phenomenon—marked as it is by a dissipation of joy, a dissolution of fellowship, and a disconnect from God’s Word—often lasts for a protracted period of time. In fact, many mired in this swamp of no growth never get out! Their spiritual life is like swimming in thickly congealed Jell-O or running in a melting, sticky tar pit.
Can you identify with this description? Are you spiritually stuck? And has this been the case for a long while now?
Those in this condition may think there's no fast fix, no easy way out. But that's not true.
The fastest and surest way to get free from being spiritually stuck is to get into the presence of God. Scripture explains how this can be done.
The first way to enter into God’s presence, according to Hebrews 10:19, is through the blood.
The blood that gave us entrance into God’s family is the same blood that gives us access to the manifested presence of God.
The symbol this verse uses to describe the presence of God is “the Holiest,” which refers to the Holy of Holies, into which only the High Priest could enter, and he could enter only once a year. It was there that the Shekinah glory would manifest.
Yet, in this verse, God tells us that intimacy with him is available, not once a year but every day! And unlike the high priest who came with trepidation (because if the offering wasn't accepted, it could be his last day on earth), we can come with boldness if—we will approach God through all the virtue and value the blood of his son has bestowed upon us.
What keeps Christians spiritually stuck is that they do not approach God this way. Instead, they marinate in misery, gripped by guilt.
Sin resides! Sin presides! For too long, they have been dragged at its chariot wheels without mercy.
So they think they must first do a spiritual 180 and show significant improvement. To date, however, given their spiritually stuck condition, they find this very difficult, if not impossible, to do.
But if they keep trying to do better, to try harder, to put forth more effort, then it may be true that they are putting their confidence in their ability to improve, and not in the blood.
This way of thinking can be very subtle. Attempting to expose this subtle and self-sabotaging error, Roy Hession wrote:
Some time ago, my wife and I were praying together and I asked God with some warmth for spiritual enlargement for myself, that I might be more this and more that—a real prayer of aspiration if ever there was one.
It came to me afterwards that in so doing I was trying unwittingly to enter the Holiest by some other way than the blood.
I asked myself whether if something along the lines of my prayer had immediately happened to me, I would have felt I had more boldness to enter: I saw that had indeed been my attitude ...
Then the Lord said to me, “But you already have in the blood of Jesus the fullest boldness to enter, without any of the qualities you’ve been asking me for.”
The prevailing instinct of our self-life is to work up a certain mood, to generate a certain zeal, to aspire to a certain spiritual experience, rather than to recognize our present need for the blood.
J.A. MacMillan declared, “The blood of the Lamb of God … furnishes the only access to divine favor and fellowship.”
To better understand Hebrews 10:19, it should be pointed out that the blood achieved at least two things necessary for accessing God’s presence. First, the blood removed our sins once and for all; and by so doing, it expunged that which the eyes of God were too pure to look upon, sin (Habakkuk 1:13).
Stop there and let this thought engage you.
Think! All that you have been feeling guilty about ... is gone! Let that thought sink in. Contemplate what this truth means ... for you … right now.
Don't move on to other points until this point has persuaded you—indeed, blessed you.
Amazing! Even to this day the blood cleanses us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:7), which is exactly why we must part company from sin if we are purposing to come into God’s presence.
And just here, I should point out that there is a difference between the shed blood and the sprinkled blood (Hebrews 10:22; I Peter 1:2).
The shed blood refers to Calvary and to the once-and-for-all forgiveness purchased there. The sprinkled blood, by definition, is alive or it couldn't be sprinkled. This refers to a current cleansing from daily defilement.
Will you see that scene in your mind's eye? You want to be cleansed; therefore, you humbly present yourself so this precious blood can be sprinkled on you.
Do you see it? Do you feel it? Are you deeply touched?
There's more. Because the blood also persuades the worshiper about how much he or she is worth.
You haven't been feeling all that worthy, right? And, frankly, you can't imagine how you are worthy. Your personal history refutes this kind of talk.
Assertions about how worthy you are sound nice, but they blink the facts, defy reason, and resemble the sparkling of Disney's cute little wand-waving angels. Twinkle! Twinkle!
But there is far more reality undergirding this truth than that.
Value is determined by whatever someone is willing to pay. And, get this, God esteemed your value so highly he gave his very best, his own dear Son, Jesus!
When calculating your worth, you must realize that there’s no price higher, no gift greater, than what God invested in you.
Will you believe this?
Will you slam the door shut, and exercise your will, by refusing entrance to all contrary thoughts?
The Accuser wants to accuse you. You know what he wants to say, and you also know his reasons for saying it.
For a long time now you've been thinking he has an airtight case. The blood of Jesus says he doesn't.
So who are you going to believe?
You have to settle this issue, or you'll return to the spiritually stuck condition if you don't.
Astounding! How far the gospel pendulum swings! Once you were denouncing yourself, and now you're rejoicing in your immense value!
It seems too good to be true. And yet, theologically, there's no way that our most holy God can ever be—too good to be true.
This awareness of your great value to the Lord, assessed because of the blood, will then prompt you to praise the Lord, which is the third step for entering into his presence.
Psalm 22:3 tells us that God dwells in the praises of his people. Praise is God’s address! Praise is where God will manifest himself! Praise is where you will feel his presence!
Moreover, praise provides a boost to faith.
For a long, long time, faith seemed to be out of reach for you. But praise energizes faith: igniting faith, launching faith, and then causing faith to soar.
This is a major point, because according to Ephesians 3:17, faith enables God to manifest himself more fully, more intensely, in our hearts.
The Lord will always seek and meet extended faith. The atmosphere faith provides helps God reveal himself and make known his ways.
Consequently, based on the unerring Word, you can now say, “Lord, you have declared in your Word that if I draw close to you, you will draw close to me (James 4:8); and that if I open the door of my heart, you will come in and fellowship with me (Revelation 3:20).
So, Lord—right here, right now—I take authority over all contrary feelings, or even the absence of feelings, and declare I am in your presence—this due to the fact that I am drawing close to you, and I am opening the door of my heart to you.”
Having thus released your faith in this way, you will subsequently exercise your imagination to see the Lord graciously welcoming you.
How wonderful this welcome!
If you value it, you will protect it, as one does all treasures.
Since the presence of God is paramount for victory, you simply cannot allow this presence to be forfeited by protected and protracted sin, or by diminished times of intimacy with God, or by excessive times of preoccupation with the world.
Hobbies, moods, a careless remark spoken or heard—anything that would cast a shadow on your spirit must be immediately identified and modified.
Love for God will do this.
Experiencing the presence of God will enable this.
And if you keep doing this, one thing is for sure—your spiritually stuck days are over!
