Completely Separate From Sin 

When the LORD your GOD brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations – the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you – and when the LORD your GOD has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally.  Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy.  Do not intermarry with them.  Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for you sons, for they will turn your children away from following ME to serve other gods, and the LORD’s anger will burn against you and quickly destroy you.  This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, Cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their idols in the fire.  For you are a people holy to the LORD your GOD.  The LORD your GOD has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be HIS people, HIS treasured possession.

                                                                                                                               Deuteronomy 7: 1 – 6

One of the reoccurring demands made throughout Deuteronomy is the complete destruction of anything evil.  Moses has taken the time to remind the people of Israel just before they go into the Promised Land about the blessing that GOD brings to those who serve HIM and the curse that is upon those that defy HIM.  The book of Deuteronomy serves both as an encouragement and a warning to the Israelites.  We need to understand that the same blessing and curse exists today.  GOD still expects us to completely destroy evil wherever it is found, whether it is in our hearts, our homes, our cities, our nation, or in the whole world.  There is no common ground between righteousness and evil.  There is a cry today to be “tolerant” of the beliefs or lifestyles of others, but how can light and darkness share the same space?  The obvious answer is that they cannot, so why do we try to make them?  Either the light of CHRIST or the darkness of evil will flood our hearts and minds, homes, cities, nations, and world, it cannot be both. 

I’ve often felt that the Old Testament serves as an excellent illustration of life as it is and how it ought to be.  Just like Adam in Genesis, we have chosen to distrust GOD and partake in the sinful nature.  Romans 6 says that we were slaves to the sinful nature, just like the Israelites were slaves to the Egyptians.  As slaves, they built altars to gods that they did not serve because they had no choice.  As slaves, their baby boys being their strength and legacy, were destroyed and they had no choice.  Similarly, we were slaves to sin and we served our master, Satan, because we had no choice.  How many times do we speak or think poorly about ourselves?  We have no desire to continue with the destructive lifestyle that negativity brings, but we are forced to bow time and time again to that alter.  Likewise, our strength and legacy is destroyed and we do not have the power to change.  Then GOD reveals HIS power over the Egyptians and destroys the legacy of everyone not protected by the blood of the lamb.  GOD literally did the same thing for us when JESUS died on the cross.  We are now free because of CHRIST’s power.  In Leviticus and Numbers, the Israelites were given new customs and new identities, just as we are given new customs and new identities by JESUS.  Deuteronomy serves as an explanation and warning to the Israelites why they absolutely cannot combine the old way with the new way.  JESUS repeated this again in Luke chapter 5.

                HE told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one.  Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old.  And no one pours new wine into old wineskins.  Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined.  No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.  And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for the y say, ‘The old is better.’”

                                                                                                                                Luke 5: 36 – 39

Christians are faced with the same difficult task of destroying all that is evil that the Israelites faced.  There were many things existing in the Promised Land that would have been enticing to keep rather than destroy, just the same, they were commanded to destroy them.  Imagine the moral struggle that the Israelites faced when they were commanded to slaughter the women and children that lived in the land.  Partaking in a brutal genocide, it would have been easy to look around and wonder, “How does this glorify GOD?”  The matter comes back to trusting GOD or leaning on our own understanding. 

First, we must remember that this was not a result of GOD’s actions.  Death is the wage of sin and we are the sinners, therefore this gruesome and troubling act is the result of our own behavior.  We cannot forget that JESUS came not because we were righteous, but because we were sinners.  The metaphor that can be made is that we have things in our lives that may seem innocent but have the explosive potential of destroying our lives.  Given the retrospection we are afforded by Israel’s history, we can see that they were led astray by the innocent women they didn’t kill and destroyed by the innocent children that they chose not to destroy. 

As tough of an image that this is, it is important that we realize that we also have allowed ourselves to cohabitate with seemingly innocent behaviors that have the ability to lead us astray and eventually destroy us.  For example, worrying about our children seems innocent enough and we can easily disguise it as “being protective.”  Regardless of what we call try to call our behavior, it doesn’t change its true identity.  How can worrying about our children be a disaster in the waiting though?  Simple, if we trust then we do not worry, but if we worry then we do not trust.  When we worry, we do not trust GOD to hold our children in HIS caring and protective hands.  When we allow our worries to dictate our decisions then we are leaning on our own understanding and not trusting in the LORD.  The irony is that we desperately want what is best for our children but are too near – sighted to realize that we are doing more harm than good by leaning on our own understanding.

Furthermore, worry is rooted in fear; fear is part of the old nature, an altar to which we were forced to bow down when we were slaves to our old sinful nature.  We cannot pour the new life we are given by CHRIST into the old wineskin of our previous sinful nature.  As Christians, we need to realize that we need to undergo a complete… a whole… an entire transformation.  We need to look at the sinful nature that is currently occupying our lives and violently declare there will be no survivor of our previous sinful self.  We once were slaves but are now free!  We cannot accept any part of the sinful nature since it identifies and unites us with our former bondage.  If we had physically been a slave during part of our life and experienced all of the depravity and hopelessness that such an occupation provides we would want no part of us to remain involved with it once we were free.  We would not accept lashes on a daily basis as a memento of days gone by or allow ourselves to be ravaged at random once we have the power to stop such things as well as a bridegroom that will fight viciously for us.  Why then do we think that it is okay to combine our sinful nature with our new nature?  We cannot.  If we try, we will be left with neither the old nor the new. 

Like new wine that is still going through the fermentation process, our new lives as Christians are wild and full of change.  This time of new challenges makes it tempting to say, “The old is better.”  Likewise, as our old friends that desire no part of the Christian life begin to see our changing heart, they too will stubbornly declare, “The old was better.”  We must realize though that the new wine is from the perfect vine of CHRIST and therefore be willing to destroy anything, including unhealthy relationships, that stand between us and the promised life that GOD designed for us.  It is the only way that we can be that which we were born to be!

                See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.  For I command you today to love the LORD your GOD, to walk in obedience to HIM, and to keep HIS commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your GOD will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.  But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed.  You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.  This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.  Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your GOD, listen to HIS voice, and hold fast to HIM.  For the LORD is your life, and HE will give you many years in the land HE swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

                                                                                                                         Deuteronomy 30: 15 – 20

At the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year I decided that I wanted to take the youth group through the bible in two years.  The goal was that we would all come away with a general overall understanding of the events in the bible and a better understanding of the GOD we serve.  I chose two years because I didn’t want to rush through the important stuff.  Well you know what they say about hindsight being 20/20.  We are currently starting Deuteronomy and have only covered Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Galatians so far.  I have 50 percent of my time remaining and just over 92 percent of the bible left to go.  As you can see, two years will not be anywhere near enough time to just hit the important areas in the bible.  The thing that I keep running into that slows me down is that GOD keeps blowing my mind with the simplicity of what HE expects from us.  So far the biggest things I’ve learned are:

Genesis

After thousands of years, humans as an entire race have yet to accomplish anything that compares to the GOD of Chapter one.  Yet, in Chapter two (2:19) the same transcendent GOD that just created the entire universe sits down with Adam and, with an excitement that parallels a father watching his son catch his first fish, parades the entire animal kingdom before the two of them just to see what Adam thinks each one should be called.  Then when Adam has seen the whole of creation, GOD pulls one more out of the hat.  Adam begins to realize that everything in creation has its perfect mate, everything but him.  You can almost see GOD smiling as HE finishes this huge love story when Adam’s heart is finally ready.  Eve gently walks into Adam’s world and things were never the same again.  The coolest part is that GOD has designed every single child since then and there isn’t a single one of us that doesn’t have our perfect mate out there.  Likewise, we don’t have to look for them because just like Adam and Eve, we too have a divine arrangement to become one with another. 

There is so much more in Genesis: the fall of man and the instant revealing of GOD’s redeeming heart being the biggest part of the story.

Exodus

GOD chooses a people to participate in making HIM known to the world.  Not that GOD needs us; it is more like a loving father allowing his children to help him construct something, in the end the dad spends twice as much time on the project because half of his time is taken up by straightening bent nails.  GOD calls out to this people, “I will be your GOD.” And they reply, “We will be YOUR people.”  It’s like a beautiful wedding takes place in the wilderness.  Then GOD reveals how to be HIS people:

I.             I am the only GOD.  Don’t think that you can replace ME.

II.            Don’t claim MY name for your life and then behave as if you were not joined to ME.

III.           Conduct yourself in the manner that I conduct MYSELF.

Galatians

(I did this book out of order just to remind the teens that even though we were about to go over the Mosaic Law, we are no longer under the Law but under grace.)

Biggest lesson in Galatians for me was that there is nothing we have done to gain salvation.  No prayer, no baptism, no repentance, and no lifestyle is sufficient, and those of us who live as if we have completed the necessary steps to receive salvation are living under a ruse of self-righteousness.  Paul sums up the entire gospel before he even addresses the topics of self-righteousness or licentiousness.

                Grace and peace to you from GOD our FATHER and the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who gave HIMSELF for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our GOD and FATHER, to whom be glory and honor forever and ever. Amen

                                                                                                                                Galatians 1: 3 – 5

We are saved by the grace of GOD, period!  Humans seem so anxious to add something that makes salvation an accomplishment.  We couldn’t do it the first time, but we insist on making additional requirements anyway.  It's alsmost like we feel it gives us the right to begin judging the validity of another’s salvation.  If you believe you’ve done something that makes you more likely to get into heaven than somebody else, you’re fooling yourself.

Numbers

There is a huge lesson in chapters 13 and 14 about trusting in GOD versus leaning on our own understanding.  I’ll try not to be cliché, since I’m sure this passage has been taught thousands of times throughout the centuries. 

                “Not one of the men who saw MY glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but disobeyed ME and tested ME ten times – not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers.  No one who has treated ME with contempt will ever see it.”

                                                                                                                                Numbers 14: 22 & 23

This generation will, to me, be remembered as a bunch of whiners without faith.  Who, despite what they witnessed GOD do, still only trusted in their own understanding.

·         They understood that it would be dangerous, reckless, bold and daring to move against the Canaanite peoples.

·         They did not understand that it was already given to them by GOD.

·         They did not understand that by refusing to challenge the peoples and tribes that existed in the promised land they were instead making a challenge to GOD!

There is more to the world around us that we do not understand than we do understand.  Take something as simple as a stone, we might be able to tell people what color it is and that it is hard, but we cannot just look at it and know its weight, chemical composition, and age.  We need to be humble enough to realize that each situation has more details than what we actually see.  Therefore, a wise person will patiently wait for GOD’s guidance and then quickly follow when it is given.

                Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge HIM, and HE will make your paths straight.

                                                                                                                                Proverbs 3: 5 – 6

¬  Something to think about…

                GOD foreknew that what the spies saw would provide the people of Israel with just enough information to challenge their faith.  GOD also foreknew they would rebel against HIM when the spies returned. 

               

                Maybe what we need to realize is that GOD does not want us to go into situations blindly, but instead we are supplied with just enough information to cause us to choose to either fear our circumstance or our GOD.

I had a solid realization take place while I was studying Numbers; the entire bible can be broken into four categories.

1. People trusting in GOD

2. People leaning on their understanding

3. People praising GOD for HIS faithfulness

4. People being punished for their faithlessness

                The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.  Those who know YOUR name trust in YOU, for YOU, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek YOU.

                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                Psalms 9: 9 & 10

Well, I've been awake since about two, so I decided that I would stop stareing at the wall and just get some coffee going.  Within seconds of getting out of bed my wife and two daughters all decided it was time to get up too.  So, I figured that I would get on and post a little something since I have so much more free time this morning. 

The youth group has been learning about modern day slavery and I've been really excited to see the youth become fired up over what they've been learning and seeing.  Last Wednesday, we read through Isaiah 58, and it is a great scripture for many Christians to reacquaint themselves with on a regular basis.  Isaiah itself is a great book (okay they're all good books, but Isaiah's one of my favorites); I just enjoy how Isaiah stands as a constant reminder of the devotion GOD really expects from his people.


Isaiah 58

"Shout it aloud, do not hold back.  Raise your voice like a trumpet.  Declare to MY people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins.  For day after day they seek ME out; they seem eager to know MY ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its GOD.  They ask ME for just decisions and seem eager for GOD to come near them.  'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and YOU have not seen it?  Why have we humbled ourselves, and YOU have not noticed?'

Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers.  Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists.  You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.  Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself?"  (1-5)


GOD has this beautiful way of punching us in the throat at times.  This is not the most enjoyable way to be reminded of GOD's disgust when HE sees us just going through the motions.  There are a lot of things that we can do on a daily basis that allow us to feel like we've been doing GOD's will, and then turn around and wonder why HE isn't holding up HIS side of the bargin. 

Just for clarification, GOD lets us know that HE is watching all of our actions and is really aware of how important things are to us.  Sometimes we pray for healing or for people to open their lives to CHRIST's saving grace, but we're not willing to even change our own lives.  We're very quick to remember that we are saved by grace and not works, but do we sometimes use that as an excuse whenever somebody tells us to get off our duff and start living a life worthy of our SAVIOR?  You are correct when you say that we are saved by grace, thank GOD we are saved by grace!  However, let's finish the entire statement...

we are saved by grace, but we live by faith. 

Remember in James that GOD tells us that faith, without deeds, is dead!  As GOD continues in Isaiah, that is exactly what HE explains to us.

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?  Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?  Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.  Then you will call , and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and HE will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.  The LORD will guide you always; HE will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.  You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.  Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on MY holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then your will find you joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”

THE MOUTH OF THE LORD HAS SPOKEN.  (6 – 14)


So now that we have been exhorted by the LORD, let’s go and do it better today!

Quick to speak, slow to follow through.

I’m currently taking a philosophy class from a local college and it’s been a fun class since, for the most part, we weigh the validity of each other’s opinions.  Recently, we began discussing the existence of GOD and whether or not we can know and communicate with such a GOD.  I had a leg up on the discussion since, like many of you, I have communicated with and know GOD.  The issue that arose was the same issue that arises every day for a Christian; how do you explain the depths and truth of GOD’s love to people that don’t realize they are being blinded and manipulated by the spirits in which they refuse to believe?

So many Christians have a quick answer, but if the answer is so easy why aren’t we being effective?

Who created evil?

It is impossible to understand where evil came from without having a full understanding of evil. A comprehensive definition of evil is any decision made that does not result in love being returned to GOD. Another way of saying this might be, since GOD loves us very much and desires to be loved in returned, he created man with the ability to express love or withhold love, the root of what many call “Free Will”. Free will is not a foreign concept, and many people say that GOD gave us the ability to choose good or evil. This is such a weak definition of free will that it really doesn’t do GOD or free will any favors. The argument could be made that if free will is the choice between good or evil, then evil must have already existed because it is one of the choices on the list. This is not the definition of free will established by the bible. A better understanding of free will would be that it is more the choice to be loving or unloving toward another (selflessness toward another or selfishness in spite of another). Also, it’s important to mention that evil did not exist until the very first unloving action was chosen. Then, evil was created, not by GOD, but by the first being to be unloving toward GOD, the bible tells us that this being was Satan. Since GOD is all good, then choosing anything other than GOD is choosing something that is not of the good. The bible says in John that GOD is Love; therefore evil is the absence of love.

Consider the conversation between GOD and Satan before evil was created. Satan would have come to GOD and expressed his interest in creating something. GOD would explain to Satan that all things that are good have already been created, that all good was created by GOD and that no more good than what GOD has already created can be created. Satan, not understanding the infinity of GOD’s goodness, would leave and search in vain for something more that can be created that is good. Finally, understanding GOD’s infinity, Satan gets frustrated because he cannot create anything further that is good, because all goodness has existed as infinitely as GOD himself. Unable to see clearly, Satan becomes jealous of GOD. Jealousy is not good, and therefore not of GOD, evil is created. Immediately, Satan is cast away from GOD by his hate, which is the opposite of love. After all, we all know that love and hate cannot coexist.

So why do innocent people end up hurt by evil? Well that is the very nature or evil; it does not “happen” to the guilty, it is “created” by the guilty. GOD is innocent of evil, yet HE was the recipient of Satan’s unloving nature. I believe this to be a fundamental understanding of good and evil and that every decision we make is loving or unloving, good or evil, of GOD or not of GOD. Therefore, if we are not choosing to follow GOD, and GOD is everything that is good, then we are choosing to be evil.