Not worth the risk?

 

READ Jeremiah 5–8

Jesus commanded storms and walked on water. Could it be that the world’s weather is controlled by God? Peter tried to do that walk and sunk when he took his eyes off Jesus. Could it be that when we think we can overcome the elements, we will fail if we try to do it without trusting Jesus?

Some scoff, yet the OT repeatedly tells of God’s control over events and how He sends calamity to show His people that He is sovereign, we are not, and what will happen when we turn from Him to run their own affairs.

Some Christians dismiss the OT claiming that Jesus brought mercy instead of judgment. However, the NT says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) Sin is still an affront to the holiness of God. Trying to run my own life mocks His wisdom, love, and even His sovereign power. Should I persist in doing my own thing, He has the right, as my Lord and God, to show me otherwise.

In the OT, Jeremiah writes strong words concerning God’s people in danger of His judgment:

Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, look and take note! Search her squares to see if you can find a man, one who does justice and seeks truth, that I may pardon her. Though they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’ yet they swear falsely. O Lord, do not your eyes look for truth? You have struck them down, but they felt no anguish; you have consumed them, but they refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to repent. (Jeremiah 5:1–3)

However, Jeremiah made excuses for them: “These are only the poor; they have no sense; for they do not know the way of the Lord . . . . I will go to the great and will speak to them . . . .” But they did not listen to him or to God who warned them of captivity in a foreign land: “Shall I not punish them for these things? And shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this?” (Jeremiah 5:29)

These were people with uncircumcised ears that cannot listen. They scorned the word of the Lord. All were greedy for unjust gain, dealing falsely and giving false assurance saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace. They were unashamed when they committed abominations. When given godly advice, they said they would not walk in it or pay attention. Their religious offerings and sacrifices were not acceptable and they would perish. (Jeremiah 6:10–21)

God told them through Jeremiah, “Hear the word of the Lord . . . . Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words . . . . For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another, if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever . . . . Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations?”

He told them to remember past judgments for sin and see how God deals with evil by casting them out of His sight. He also told Jeremiah “Do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I will not hear you.” Yet He continued to command His people, “Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.”

Mercy was available but they . . . “Did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.” God sent His servants and they would not listen or do what He said, just as God told Jeremiah “So you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You shall call to them, but they will not answer you. And you shall say to them, ‘This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, and did not accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips.’ ” (Jeremiah 7:23–28) These passages say everyone was greedy and dealing falsely, yet not ashamed and their spiritual health was not restored.

Sad stuff. Jesus came to defeat sin, to take the wrath of God upon Himself. So what happens to those who reject His offer and are not safe in His loving grace? Does God look the other way? Or is He the God who never changes?

 

What am I doing with God’s gift of faith?

Yesterday I wrestled with the idea of giving someone a gift. While I’ve spent many hours creating this gift and know gift-giving is supposed to be without strings attached, I wonder if it will be appreciated or cared for. Cutting those strings is challenging. What will happen to my investment?

Then I thought about the gift of eternal life. A person I know became a Christian as a youngster. He lived for the Lord for a few years, then drifted. He now seems uninterested in the Gospel or spiritual matters without any concern about his sin. God invested in him and he genuinely received it but the gift lies gathering dust and is uncared for, much like the prodigal that wasted what his Father gave him. God’s gift is like that too — no strings attached. We can and do mess up but He does not get disgusted at our failures and take His gift back. Grace is unconditional.

Then God reminded me of my own tendency to fall into sinful attitudes or actions like grumbling or being critical or not being satisfied with His care for me. God gives new life by grace through faith — both are gifts. He also works to bring fruit from that marvelous and generous grace, but I can be stubbornly unfruitful by my selfishness. The Bible calls this grieving the Holy Spirit.

Through ignorance or stubbornness, Christians sometimes get the notion that free salvation means we are free to do whatever we please. This is foolishness and most of us quickly discover that even though God forgives, we cannot sin without consequences. The Bible explains why this is true:

“What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Romans 6:15–16)

The Apostle Paul also says this:

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. (1 Corinthians 6:12) and “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. (1 Corinthians 10:23)

Sin does nothing for anyone. It does not build me up; it only dominates my life and makes me a slave of it.

Tozer’s words in today’s devotional are sharp and I repeat them with considerable thought. He writes, “A selfish desire for happiness is as sinful as any other selfish desire. Its root is in the flesh which can never have any standing before God.… People are coming more and more to excuse every sort of wrongdoing on the grounds that they are ‘just trying to secure a little happiness.’”

He adds that this modern hedonism has affected Christians too. Sometimes the Gospel is made to sound as a means toward happiness, peace of mind and security, particularly in those who use the Bible to “relax” them, as if it were a drug.

Some parts of Scripture do bring peace of mind. For instance, it assures me that I am at peace with God and no longer condemned. That being true, the Bible also pokes at me if I have sinned and am not concerned about it nor have confessed and repented. God’s Word is truly a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12) and able to both ‘hug’ me and give me a good swift kick at the same time.

As Tozer says, those who read Scripture with an open heart will quickly discover that God hates sin and seems to hate it even more when His own people are guilty of it. He saved us to be holy, to love and obey Him, to reflect His nature to a lost world. We are not here to do what we please but to glorify Him. He is more concerned with the state of my heart than with my comfort or my feelings. Even though He gives joy to those who obey, His focus is not on my happiness but my holiness.

^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, faith in You may not be real unless it changes the way I think about sin. Sinful habits reveal that I am not trusting You and have become a voluntary slave to something other than You. Thank You for the desire to do what glorifies You and builds up the faith of others. I’m glad that You keep reminding me that I have died to sin and am no longer under law. You have given me new life that I might live for You.