False Religion Worthless
1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 “Stand at the gate of the LORD’s house and there proclaim this message:
“‘Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the LORD. 3 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. 4 Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!” 5 If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, 6 if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, 7 then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your forefathers for ever and ever. 8 But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.
9 “‘Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, 10 and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”—safe to do all these detestable things? 11 Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the LORD.
12 “‘Go now to the place in Shiloh where I first made a dwelling for my Name, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel. 13 While you were doing all these things, declares the LORD, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer. 14 Therefore, what I did to Shiloh I will now do to the house that bears my Name, the temple you trust in, the place I gave to you and your fathers. 15 I will thrust you from my presence, just as I did all your brothers, the people of Ephraim.’
… 21 “‘This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat the meat yourselves! 22 For when I brought your forefathers out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices, 23 but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you. 24 But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward. 25 From the time your forefathers left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again I sent you my servants the prophets. 26 But they did not listen to me or pay attention. They were stiff-necked and did more evil than their forefathers.’
27 “When you tell them all this, they will not listen to you; when you call to them, they will not answer. 28 Therefore say to them, ‘This is the nation that has not obeyed the LORD its God or responded to correction. Truth has perished; it has vanished from their lips. 29 Cut off your hair and throw it away; take up a lament on the barren heights, for the LORD has rejected and abandoned this generation that is under his wrath.
My Understanding: I know that this was written at a specific time in history to a particular people and that literally it is to be applied to that time period and to those people, and yet the Bible tells us that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). What this means, I believe, is that there are Biblical principles throughout the entire Bible, that are in agreement with New Testament teachings, that can be taught and applied to our lives, even today. So, I believe the Lord, today, would have me make that application of this passage in Jeremiah to his church today, in particular to the church in the USA, which is where I live and know.
I believe God is saying to his church (his people) today that we should reform our ways and our actions. We should change our behaviors and our attitudes to be in conformity with God’s word and his moral principles, which he clearly defined for us throughout the whole of scripture. We are not to trust in deceptive words which say, “God will not judge us because we are his church and/or because we live in America.” The New Testament clearly teaches that God judges, punishes, disciplines and corrects those who are his. He is saying to his church that if we really (truly) change our ways and our actions; if we do not oppress others less fortunate than us; if we do not shed innocent blood; and if we do not follow after other “gods” to our own harm, then he will bless us as a people of God and as a nation.
Yet, we are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless and that tell us that repentance (turning away from our sins) and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ (following him with our lives and making him our master) are not necessary for salvation, that “belief” is all that is required, but “belief” is not clearly defined, that God is pleased with us no matter what we do, that God will no longer punish or judge disobedience now that we are under his grace, and that all we have to do is to pray a “sinner’s prayer,” and we have our ticket into heaven, whether or not we repent and obey. It is astounding to me the number of pastors and church leaders and professing Christians who are espousing this doctrine and belief.
Yet, the New Testament teachings refute this false teaching over and over again. Jesus called us to repent and to believe. Peter’s first message of the gospel at Pentecost called the people to repent and to believe. The necessity of repentance is taught throughout the New Testament. The books of I John and James refute this false doctrine, as well, when they teach us that if we do not turn from our sins and we continue in them willfully in lifestyle, if we do not obey the commands of the Lord, and if our “faith” is words only with no action to show we have genuine faith, then our faith is worthless, i.e. it is dead faith, which is no faith at all. Many, many New Testament passages teach that turning from our sin and obeying our Lord are necessary for salvation.
This is not works-based salvation. This is the working of the Holy Spirit within us in cleansing us from sin, in purifying us, in making us holy, and in conforming us into the image of Christ, and transforming and renewing our minds, as we cooperate with him and allow him to make these changes within our hearts. This also does not constitute sinless perfection nor does it mean you lose your salvation every time you sin or go through a period of rebellion against God, but what it does mean is that we must most certainly enter into relationship with Jesus Christ via repentance and via a heart commitment to walk with him and to live for and to obey him and his teachings, and we must continue in him. If we enter into relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ just to get our “get out of jail free card,” then we are following a false belief, which is no gospel at all. There must be a heart change.
Then, the Lord deals with the subject of hypocrisy. He asks if we will steal, murder, commit adultery (lusting in our minds and pornography included here) and follow after “other gods” of fame, fortune, entertainment, careers, sports, people, friendships and acceptance of man, and/or anything which, or anyone who replaces or takes the number one spot of God in our lives in our devotion, emotion, passion, desire, time, attention, affection and obedience, and then come before him in our times of personal worship and the study of his word and prayer, and act as though everything is right between us and God and that he should hear us and should bless us, thinking that because we are now under grace that we are free to continue in our sins and still have the blessing of God. Oh, how utterly wrong!
Then, God lets the people know that he is watching them. Just because we are under grace through Jesus’ shed blood for us on the cross for our sins and via our faith in Jesus Christ, it does not mean God has stopped caring what we do or that he is not pained and grieved by our sins. He cares very much and he is very grieved when we give lip service only but our hearts are hardened against him and against the truths of his word. And, he is still speaking to our hearts, and he is still calling us to repent and to turn from our sins.
Yet, so many are not listening because they think they don’t have to because they have their ticket to heaven, as though God owes them this and that he requires nothing of them. Oh, how utterly shameful! What a mockery of what Jesus Christ did for us in taking upon himself all our sins so that we could be free from the penalty, control of and bondage to sin. He is calling, but many, many are not paying any attention and thus they are not answering his calls. Therefore, what God has done previously to his rebellious people, at sundry times throughout history, he will do to us (his church), too, if we do not repent and we do not turn from our wicked ways. He is a loving Father and he will discipline those he loves.
God gave his people then a command and he gives the same command to his people, his church, today: “Obey me and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you.” John 14:23 says: Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” John 15:10 says: “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.” Acts 5:32 says: “We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” Heb. 5:9 says: “…and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him…” And lastly, Rev. 3:3 says: “Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.” This is not optional. Repentance and obedience are necessary. And, God is calling us to wake up!
God gave us his God-breathed word to teach us. He gave us his One and Only Son, God the Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins so that we could go free from the penalty of sin (eternity without God and eternal punishment in hell); free from bondage to sin; free from the control of sin over our day-to-day lives; and free to walk in obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ via the working of the Holy Spirit within us. He sent His Holy Spirit to live within us to purify our hearts, to counsel, teach, guide, convict and to lead us, and he has given us his church, the body of Christ, with all its various gifts and members which and who are to be used to edify us (inform, educate, instruct, teach and improve us spiritually in our walk with the Lord each day), and yet many of God’s people, his church, are not listening, are stiff-necked and are refusing to repent.
God will bring revival to his church, I believe, even if it means using divine correction to bring us back into a right relationship with him. So, if you identified with any of this, my prayer is that you make your heart right with God today, that you repent of your sins, and you choose to obey him always, making Jesus Christ your Lord, Savior and Master.
First Things First / An Original Work / April 27, 2011
First things first! Last things last!
Will you be the first to love others?
Will you follow Jesus, the Lamb?
Will you witness, dispelling darkness?
Will you be the light to the world?
Show the world how much Jesus loves them.
That’s why He died for their sins.
I love God! He loves me!
I will follow Him where he leads me.
Where He goes, I’ll go with Him
Into valleys, grief stricken trials,
Or on mountain tops, peace within.
There is not a challenge He can’t meet
If we but trust in Him.
First things first! Last things last!
Loving God means He is in first place.
He is King; He’s Lord of my world.
I give Him the glory and honor;
Magnifying the great I AM!
He is worthy of all my worship.
He deserves all of my praise.
Song Lyrics @ Public Domain
Song
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