The first time I came across Hosea 10:12 was when I read Charles Finney’s book, “Lectures on Revival,” when I was a young preacher.
Sow for yourselves righteousness;
reap steadfast love;
break up your fallow ground,
for it is time to seek the Lord,
that he may come and rain righteousness upon you. (Hosea 10.12)
I learned about fallow ground from Finney’s book, where I discovered it refers to unplowed, dormant land that may be overgrown with weeds.
I didn’t want to admit it then and still don’t now, but sometimes my life resembles unplowed, fallow ground needing to be broken up. Thankfully, Finney provided a method for doing exactly that.
Finney urges us to undertake self-examination, prompting us to reflect on our lives, assess our actions, and uncover our true character.
He advises tackling our individual sins one by one with close scrutiny. This means we shouldn’t just glance briefly at our past and proceed, but rather, we should turn to God and deeply contemplate our behavior.
Sins of Omission
Finney suggests we approach a time of self-reflection like a merchant would inventory their goods, starting by considering the omissions in our relationship with God.
(1) Ingratitude – He advises us to write down every instance we recall where we received God’s favors but failed to express our gratitude.
(2) Lack of love for God – Review moments when we did not offer God the love He deserves.
(3) Neglect of the Bible – Record the days or even weeks when reading God’s Word brought you no joy.
Note instances where you didn’t read the Bible at all, or if you did, it felt like a chore, something to get over with quickly.
(4) Neglect of Prayer – Document the occasions when you skipped personal prayer, family prayer, or other prayer opportunities.
(5) Lack of Love for the Unsaved – Reflect on your friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors.
Consider when you last prayed for their salvation and what actions you are taking to positively influence their lives, guiding them towards the Lord.
(6) Neglect of Self-Denial – Many of us are ready to engage in almost any religious activity as long as it doesn’t demand self-denial. How effectively are we overcoming our self-centered approach to life?
Sins of Commission
When I started in the ministry, we commonly used terms like sins of omission and sins of commission. Although these terms have fallen out of favor with the modern generation, they remain relevant.
Both our actions and inactions can negatively impact our spiritual account.
Here are five of Finney’s self-examination questions for the sins we actively engage in.
(1) Materialism – Assess your view on material possessions. Do you believe they are truly yours, and are you overly eager for more?
(2) Pride and Vanity – Recall times when you acted pridefully.
Vanity – Do you value your external image more than the condition of your soul before God?
(3) Resentment – Recognize instances where you’ve held onto bitterness and spoken about others without love and grace.
(4) Lying – Reflect on whether you’ve used words to deceive, not necessarily outright lies, for selfish purposes.
(5) Hypocrisy – Consider the number of times you’ve confessed your sins without intending to stop them or with no serious plan to avoid repeating them.
My First Experience
As a college student, I spent an afternoon going through Finney’s entire list. I believe I filled three large, legal-sized pages with sins that I could recall and confess.
After reading and praying confessions for these sins, I embraced the truth stated in 1 John 1:9.
If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
I took the pages outside and burned them, understanding that when God promises to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, He truly means all. At that moment, I was free from every sin I had confessed and He had forgiven me, with nothing looming over me.
If you haven’t engaged in an exercise like this for a long time, I strongly recommend it. It will help you reconnect with God and open the door wide for His more active presence in your life.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
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