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?    

Man's Plan

"Lot and his two daughters left Zoar

and settled in the mountains, 

for he was afraid to stay in Zoar.

He and his two daughters lived in a cave.

One day the older daughter said to the younger,

'Our father is old,

and there is no man around here to give us children--

as is the custom all over the earth.

Let's get our father to drink wine

and then sleep with him

and preserve our family line through our father.'"

Genesis 19:30-32

He took matters into his own hands.  When it seemed God wasn't going to follow through on His promise to give him a child, he and his wife came up with their own means to reach that end.  Soon a son was born to his wife's Egyptian slave, and an entire race of people who would be hostile toward the nation of Israel was born.  (Genesis 16)

Another man simply ran away from God's plan.  Refusing to go tell a hostile group of people it was time to repent and turn to God, this prophet chose a path in the opposite direction in order to avoid the terrifying call God had placed on his life. (Jonah 1)

This new king defiantly did things his way instead of God's.  If the Lord said to run, he would walk.  If it was expected that he stop, this man would go.  So, on the occasion of a great battle, it was no surprise that the first anointed king of the people of God would do the opposite of what He instructed: capturing the enemy king, sparing the best of the flocks, and keeping everything that was good for himself. (1 Samuel 15)

Abram, Jonah and Saul were all sinful men, just look you and me.  Even though God had a good plan for their lives, they each chose to follow their own plan on at least one occasion.  God also has a good plan for my life, but when things don't go as I think they should or progress as quickly as I'd like, I am tempted to do as these men did and take matters into my own hands.  Unfortunately, there are consequences to following my plan instead of God's.

Far Reaching

I have often heard this excuse for living in sin: "It doesn't hurt anyone but me, so let me live my life my way!"

While it's easy to convince myself that my own sin only affects me, the truth is that my stubborn refusal to agree to God's ways have far-reaching consequences.  In the case of Lot's daughters, the offspring that came from their incestuous relationship resulted in two people groups who became the unconquered enemies of Israel.  Moses was later forbidden to attack the Moabites and Ammonites because of their family connection that can be traced back to the ill-conceived plan of Lot's daughters to continue their family line. (Deuteronomy 2:9 and 19)

Not only did these two groups of people present a threat to the welfare of the nation of Israel, they were also a source of idolatry.  Moab led the Israelites into sexual immorality and Baal worship (Numbers 25:1-3) and both nations hired Balaam to bring a curse upon the Israelites, forever banishing them from the assembly of the Lord. (Deuteronomy 23:3-6, notable exception to be Ruth)  The actions of these two girls wrought trouble for the people of God that they could have never foreseen.

In the same way, my choice to follow my sin nature instead of the leading of the Spirit of God results in consequences that touch the lives of many.  Choosing my way instead of God's will always carries a high cost.  Instead of following in the footsteps of Lot's daughters, I can wait on the Lord who has a much better solution to the dilemma in which I now find myself.  His way may not come in my time or within my frame of understanding, but I can count on it to bless those who follow Him.

Choosing my plan over God's affects more than just me.

Manipulation and Deception

"I need a sale today to get my kids some clothes for school."

"The price doesn't matter; it's all about the payments.  Who cares of it costs $5000 less if the payments are not affordable?"

"We knew it had that problem.  That is why it's priced so low."

"Today is the final day of this sale.  Tomorrow the prices go up."

Car salesmen are known for their slick sales pitches and crafty come-backs, all with the goal of making a sale.  Instead of looking out for the best interest of their customers, they often are only concerned with their own bottom line.

In order to make a sale, people often end up using others as a means to an end.  While they may care enough to provide good customer service, the bottom line is that they can't make a living if people don't make a purchase.  It is not so different for me when I choose to follow my own plan instead of waiting on God to reveal His design.  In order for me to put my idea into practice, I will most likely need to use someone to accomplish my means.

Just as Lot found himself as a pawn in his daughters' scheme, the plan of man always requires manipulation and deception. When I don't have the funds to take a much-needed vacation, for example, I can either wait on the Lord to provide or I can convince my husband to take some money out of our emergency savings.

Or when I'm tired of waiting for physical healing under my doctor's care, I can either draw from the well of living water to help me carry on or I can search out someone who will tell me the news I want to hear and administer an alternative cure.

Or when the monotony of day-to-day life is getting me down, I can go the the Lord for a boost of my morale or I can badger my husband for an expensive makeover that I think will give me a new attitude.

Choosing my plan over God's means I'll need to use people as pawns to get what I want.

Values Compromised

"Desperate times call for desperate measures."  This well-known saying implies that in times of trouble, morality goes out the window.  This seems to be the case in today's scripture passage.  As Lot's daughters considered the unthinkable, they adopted the morality of the world in which they had lived.  

Sodom had just been destroyed for the pride, gluttony, laziness, and sexual immorality of her people.  (Ezekiel 16:49-50)  Since Lot had raised his family in the shadow of this kind of detestable atmosphere, his impressionable daughters had taken on these same kinds of attitudes and beliefs.  While they may have never come up with such a scheme on their own, the influence of those they lived around gave them depraved ideas.

When I let my eyes stray from God's perfect, prosperous plan for my life, I tend to drift toward options that appeal to the world but go against God's standards.  Adopting the world's ways as my own means I will compromise the principles He has taught me.

Choosing my plan over God's means I'll concede to the values of the world.

There is no doubt that God has a beneficial plan for my life.  Most of the time, however, that plan does not follow my time table or the take the path I had in mind.  For these reasons, I tend to try to find my own way.  Walking my own path, however, carries with it far-reaching consequences, necessitates the use of people as pawns, and involves the compromise of the values which God has instilled in me.  Therefore, it is always better to wait for God's plan than to take matters into my own hands.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God even when everything seems to be going wrong.

When do I give up hope when I'm tired of waiting?

How do I use people to get what I want?