Therefore, we started upon a personal inventory. This was Step Four. A business which takes no regular inventory usually goes broke. Taking a commercial inventory is a fact-finding and a fact-facing process. It is an effort to discover the truth about the stock-in-trade. One object is to disclose damaged or unsalable goods, to get rid of them promptly and without regret. If the owner of the business is to be successful, he cannot fool himself about values. (AA, pg 64)
If we look at ourselves, if we consider our sins, if we try to find every fault and failing, or make any kind of decent analysis, we will not find new life and health, but more depression and frustration.
Instead of looking at ourselves, hoping to identify and clean out all the sin in our lives, we need to see more of Jesus in our lives, and trust that He finished the work which makes us righteousness and makes us one with God through His Son Jesus.
Instead of trying to fix ourselves, we need to fix our eyes on the Author and Finisher of Faith, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 12: 1-2)
The Bible also tells us how to learn about ourselves:
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)
The proper translation would render "love made perfect among us", for our love in and of ourselves is never enough. Any love we have flows from God's love for us (1 John 4: 19)
The second part of the verse points out how we learn about ourselves: As He is.
As Jesus is, so are we in this world.
Is Jesus an alcoholic? No, then neither are we.
Is Jesus struggling with a bad childhood? Neither are we.
Is Jesus worrying about the next day, fearing that He may lose the unclouded, unfettered favor of His heavenly Father? No way! So we should we see ourselves.
In relation to our new identity in Christ, Paul writes:
"8Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6: 8-11)
Jesus is no longer dead, but He is dead to sin, because He died for sin in our flesh (Romans 8: 3) and through His death, we enter into His life, free from condemnation, fear, or any other reproach.
Because every Christian is now in Christ, no longer in Adam (Romans 5: 15-19), we should not be looking at ourselves, but at Christ:
"1If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3: 1-4)
Peter exhorts us to grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord (2 Peter 3: 18). John offered the very prayer which the Holy Spirit shares with all of us: to prosper and be in health, even as our soul prospers (3 John 2). Our souls prosper as we walk in the truth (3 John 3-4), and the truth is that as Christ is, so are we in this world.
Do not try to perfect yourselves, because you have been perfected forever in Chris (Hebrews 10: 14). Do not identify with the sin in your flesh, because you are dead to sin and alive in Christ. Stop taking an inventory of your sins, for the blood of Jesus is cleansing you of all unrighteousness (1 John 1: 7)
Take more of Jesus, the Bread of Life (John 6: 35), not your inventory, for as far as God is concerned, you have no inventory to take:
"12For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." (Hebrews 8: 123)
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