Good morning! Judges chapter 17.
This chapter seems to be a picture of our world today. We see that the mother and son believe in the Lord, they talk about God, but they serve idols and have weird beliefs versus being totally sold out for the Lord. They practice a religion that the world has embraced verses serving the Lord God only.
That's what we have today. We have church leaders and many attending churches who believe in God and will sing praises to God but do not believe it is essential to live out the word of God. The world and our culture has defined what's right and wrong. Sadly, our churches are embracing these false truths and bringing those truth into the church teachings.
Below I listed some beliefs that our culture is embracing as truth, and sadly our churches are also slowly accepting them or have already accepted them as truth.
- Sex before marriage is not a sin.
- Living together before marriage is not a sin.
- The belief that there's more than one way to get to heaven.
- Drunkenness is not a sin.
- Stealing is not a sin because you're actually taking from someone that does not need what they have while you do need it.
- Killing babies is not a sin.
- Prostitution is not a sin.
- Homosexuality is not a sin.
- Being transgender is not a sin.
- Being a pedophiler is not a sin.
- There is no hell.
Our churches focus so much on the fact that God is love that they assume God won't care if we live in sin.
Churches are not preaching that God is HOLY therefore we are to repent of sin and be HOLY.
Churches are not preaching God is JUST therefore we get what we deserve: heaven or hell.
God is not looking for us to compromise our faith but to be different and live the God Bible TRUTH amongst a world that is living out false truth. Which reminds me of Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Verse 6 of Judges 17 stuck out to me today.
“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
Compromise is a word that I think summarizes what happens in chapter 17. It also reminds me of what we read in James 3:10. “From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.”
The choice is to either serve the Lord or not. God doesn’t want wishy-washy followers. He wants us to be fully devoted to Him without us compromising to the ways of the world. We read this in Revelation 3:15-16.
“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.”
The ApologetiX song for today is one more about Samson before we move on. It’s called Play Fair Delilah, a parody of Hey There Delilah.
https://youtu.be/wJkiMY60zyQ
One of the most difficult things for me is being in a conversation with non believers, who argue many of the points you made Blair. The focus is on the love of God and not how we must cleanse our self to be holy for our holy God.
Lately politics have caused some unrest and I have felt like if I have strong Christian beliefs, than I am a supporter of Donald Trump and all of the actions he has committed in his lifetime. That if I’m happy about stricter abortion laws, than I don’t support women, especially women in crisis and poverty.
I feel like Micah and his mom have been sold a truth about what it means to love God and how God wants us to show our love, and sadly it is false. Their hearts may be in the right place, but is that enough to get to Heaven? Today, a lot of Christians may think their hearts are in the right place, but I ask again, is that going to get them to Heaven?