Involved with the Wrong Things

“Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; for ‘the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.’ If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. But if anyone says to you, ‘This was offered to idols,’ do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; for ‘the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.’ ‘Conscience,’ I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience? But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks? Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

 - 1 Corinthians 10: 14-31

This week’s message is a slight, and unplanned, continuation of last week’s message. In today’s passage, Paul is referring to the sin of idolatry. Idolatry is defined by secular dictionaries as follows: “The religious worship of idols; excessive or blind adoration, reverence, devotion, etc.” Having said that, someone could say, “Idolatry has to do with worshipping something that is outside of God; which could involve praying to that idol, worshipping that idol, or offering sacrifices to that idol.” And yes, that would be the direct form of idolatry or idol worship. However, Paul is referring here to the indirect participation of idolatry, which according to the Bible is just as bad. I will attempt to explain this.

There is not only a problem with the direct form of idolatry. There is also a problem with participating and supporting those things that go against God that involve idols and what those idols stand for. He is explaining the concept that a person can be “guilty by association” or an “accessory” to such things if they are not careful. To add a little more clarity, United States criminal terms (in this case, www.uslegal.com) define both legal terms as follows: Guilty by association “refers to the attribution of guilt without any proof on individuals solely for the reason that those whom they associate with are guilty”, and an accessory, “…is a person who helps in the commission of a crime, such as by commanding the crime, driving the getaway car, providing the weapons, assisting in the planning, providing an alibi, or hiding the main offender after the crime. The accessory may or may not be present during the crime, but must be aware that the crime is going to be committed or has been committed.” 

In addition to that, the Bible warns here about doing certain things that may not be helpful or for edification. In Christ, we are truly made free, which means that not only does a person begin to understand what is truly wrong or right (and why it is damaging), but they are also given a stronger ability, through the regeneration and guidance of the Holy Spirit, to be able to stop doing those things that bring about destruction. But it is just as important to understand that even though you may not be doing certain things directly, you should not be participating in them indirectly as well. For it is written: “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” Romans 1:28-32.

Every single human being is free to do whatever they want to do (free will), but with that freedom comes responsibility and consequences, depending on what each person ends up doing. And the actions not only include directly doing those things that are wrong, but also condoning or supporting those things that the Bible says that are detrimental (sin).  

And to finish, the Bible warns here about how our actions or associations (if you will) do not just affect us, but they also affect those around us. When we condone and support certain things, we are sending a message that may cause confusion and/or help guide others towards those things that will perpetuate their own self-destruction. As an example, if I see a close friend do something that is clearly wrong in God’s Word, and I make like everything is ok around them and to others; even if I don’t do the wrong myself, I am sending a message to that person and others that it is ok to do that. So Biblically, there is no real room for a neutral position. Either you are for God, and support those things that please Him; or you are forming part of the other side, by directly or indirectly favoring those things that are wrong.

So, do you clearly understand what you are involved with and what you are supporting, good or evil? Lord bless, John

God's Mercy Has Limits

“Thus says the Lord: ‘For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they have despised the law of the Lord, and have not kept His commandments. Their lies lead them astray, lies which their fathers followed. But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.’ Thus says the Lord: ‘For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they sell the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals. They pant after the dust of the earth which is on the head of the poor, and pervert the way of the humble. A man and his father go in to the same girl, to defile My holy name. They lie down by every altar on clothes taken in pledge, and drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god. ‘Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was as strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath. Also it was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite. I raised up some of your sons as prophets, and some of your young men as Nazirites. Is it not so, O you children of Israel?’ says the Lord. ‘But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink, and commanded the prophets saying, ‘Do not prophesy!’ ‘Behold, I am weighed down by you, as a cart full of sheaves is weighed down. Therefore flight shall perish from the swift, the strong shall not strengthen his power, nor shall the mighty deliver himself; he shall not stand who handles the bow, the swift of foot shall not escape, nor shall he who rides a horse deliver himself. The most courageous men of might shall flee naked in that day,’ says the Lord.”

 - Amos 2:4-16 (New King James Version)

Most things in the universe have limits. You can go only so far with certain things. Even though they have greatly developed, science and technology have their limits. We as humans have our limits. Money has its limits. And the different limits depend on the circumstances, the intended use, or just universal laws.

For instance, I could have a rocket ship, and be able to explore the planets and stars due to its design and speed. But, a rocket ship cannot be used to heal sick people. Money has its value and can be used for a variety of things, but what good is having $1 million dollars cash on you if you are in the middle of desert, hundreds of miles (or km.) from the nearest restaurant, hotel, or water source; and completely alone? What good is it to be in perfect health, with the fitness level of a professional athlete, if you are floating in the middle of Pacific Ocean without a raft, life vest, and no one can find you? Can a college degree help you in the event that you are in an airline jet that is falling to the ground because it’s out of control and the engines aren’t working? I think you get the point.

Incredibly enough, even God has limits with certain aspects. For it is written: “But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.” Psalm 86:15. The term “longsuffering” implies that God has a threshold of patience. Granted, it may be a significant threshold as we experience in everyday life, but it does have a limit. There is a point where God says, “It’s enough!” No matter how much many people try to believe that “longsuffering” means “unlimited”, the definition of the word still stands. God is longsuffering, and there is an abundance of mercy in Him; but there is a limit. He cannot forget His Holiness for love.

The limit to God’s patience is determined by the attitude and disposition of the person, especially after a person has been exposed to the Truth of God; that with knowledge comes responsibility. For it is written: “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” Romans 1:28-32. And if you condone or support such things, even if you don’t do them yourself, you are just as guilty.

So, God’s mercy on our lives is dictated by the intention of our heart; by our response to Him. None of us are perfect, and He knows that; but where there is rebellion and disregard to the Truth of God, there will be judgement. The natural consequences of disregarding God’s love through Jesus Christ, and ignoring the principles of God will sooner or later take effect. For it is written: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” Galatians 6:7-8. God is love, but that does not mean that there should be abuse. And there are certain things that He cannot deal with.

We read in today’s passage that He had enough with what was going on. The people took Him to the limit. He had let certain things go by because He was merciful. But things went beyond His threshold. And all of their strength, knowledge, money, courage, etc. was not going to free them from the consequences. This is true today. In the end, there is nothing manmade that can cure death. Nothing can stop time. And we should not mistake God’s patience for permission.

So, are you appreciating or abusing God’s mercy? Lord bless, John