Who Are You Following?

"Childish leaders oppress my people,

and women rule over them.

O my people, your leaders mislead you;

they send you down the wrong road."

Isaiah 2:13 NLT

As a people, we are headed down the wrong path.  But who is leading us?  I must be careful whom I follow.

Complacency.  I'm pretty good.  I go to school, I don't do drugs, I don't hurt anyone, my life is pretty clean.  Sure I have this habit of looking at porn, but who doesn't?  I mean, it's natural to have these sexual desires.  At least I'm not acting on them.  And so goes the idolatry where I make up a god whose standard fits my lifestyle, justifying my sin no matter what it is in order to give myself a pass.  The problem is, if I were to reach out to a number of leaders in the American church today, I'd probably get a pass from them, too.  There are some sins that have become "acceptable" or at least are not seen as a problem, and others which are frowned upon.  Still, the underlying theme in the modern church is that we do not judge, and it's wrong to "restore that person gently" (Galatians 6:1).

This is the wrong path.  Sin is a serious enough problem that God saw fit to send His own Son to earth in order to die the death sinful mankind deserves to die (1 Peter 2:24).  In order to restore me into right relationship with Him, Jesus gave Himself over to the wickedness of man so that God's righteous justice could be satisfied on my behalf (Romans 3:24-26).  If He went to such lengths to free me from the bond that sin has on me, is it fitting that I give myself over to it again, as if His sacrifice meant nothing to me (Romans 6:12-18)?  Is this not making a mockery of the suffering He underwent on my behalf (Hebrews 10:29)?

I must not let anyone teach me to become complacent when it comes to sin for it contaminates my heart and leads me down the path that leads to destruction.

Compromise.  It sure would be easier just to let go of this one conviction.  If everyone else thinks this way so it can't be all that bad.  What's so wrong with loving another?  Even if it doesn't look like the traditional marriage union? I mean, want love to win.

It's hard to stand firm on Biblical beliefs when the world is painting sin as a loving act.  To challenge this belief, then, gives the impression that I am challenging love itself.  But "love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth" (1 Corinthians 13:6) and the truth of God's word clearly defines behavior which is fruit of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21).  To compromise with the world on this point, to conform to public opinion in order to keep on majority's good side, is to deny the truth of God's coming judgement.  For each human is "destined to die once, and after that to face judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). To make friends with any other belief regarding sin is to deny people the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ, to their eternal demise.

I must not let anyone lead me to believe that compromise with the world is a good thing, for there are many souls at stake.

Deception.  I don't need to repent, or even confess.  I'm already forgiven by faith in Jesus.  His blood covers my sins, past, present and future.  Therefore, I can walk in freedom knowing that I'm absolved of all guilt.  So goes the deceptive thinking of some believers today.  This gospel appeals to my sin nature because I can live the way I want but still buy into the "fire insurance," giving me the hope of heaven.  But is it truly the Good News Of Jesus Christ?

Simple belief in Jesus does not save me from the condemnation my sins deserve.  This faith must be accompanied by the act of turning away from the sin that separates me from God (Proverbs 28:13).  Sure, the blood of Jesus covers that sin so I can be presented as holy and righteous before Him, but His indwelling Spirit does not abide with continued and willful sin.  It grieves Him when I embrace that which sent Jesus to the cross.  This idea that "my sin is covered so I don't need to worry about sin" is a deceptive belief system that leads me to the wrong path, and I must constantly be on the lookout for it because it is everywhere in this society.  Instead, I must remember I'm a new creation, and not only have I been washed clean, but also set aside for His holy purposes and made right with Him so I could walk by His side (2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11).  To enter back into sinful living is to deny this Holy communion with Him (Romans 13:11-14).

I must not let anyone lead me to believe that sin is not a big deal.

There's not doubt about it, there are many deceptive beliefs floating around within circles of faith.  If I am to stay true to the Gospel of Jesus Christ as found in God's Word, I must not grow complacent, compromise, or fall into deception when it comes to sin.  Since these mind sets are so prevalent today, it is vital that I consider carefully who I follow.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can stay true to God's Word, letting it be the filter through which I sift all possible beliefs.

When do I buy into something just because it sounds right to me?

How to I give myself and others a pass when it comes to certain sins because they don't seem that bad?