They Walk in Lies

I am reading in Jeremiah 23

This writing is concerning the shepherds of God’s people and those who preach lies to the people and who themselves are living in adultery and in disobedience to the Lord Jesus. They destroy and scatter the sheep of God’s pasture. And how is this taking place today? They are preaching lies to the people, they are diluting the gospel to make it more appeasing to human flesh, and they are pushing away those who are living righteously, and they are treating the righteous as though they are the enemy while they embrace those who are living wickedly, and they are giving them permission to sin.

“For the land is full of adulterers;

    because of the curse the land mourns,

    and the pastures of the wilderness are dried up.

Their course is evil,

    and their might is not right.

Both prophet and priest are ungodly;

    even in my house I have found their evil,

declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 23:10-11 ESV

They are teaching lies to the people, some of which come out of the mouths of false prophets and those who are living in sexual immorality and who are giving people carte blanche to do likewise. 

“..they commit adultery and walk in lies;

    they strengthen the hands of evildoers,

    so that no one turns from his evil;

all of them have become like Sodom to me,

    and its inhabitants like Gomorrah.” Jeremiah 23:14 ESV

And that is exactly what is happening in what appears to be the majority of the gatherings of what is called “church” here in America today. For they are turning evil for good and good for evil so that if you teach the biblical requirement for repentance and walks of obedience to our Lord in holy living, you are now the enemy. And those who are giving the people the freedom to keep on in their adulteries have now become the heroes.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, “It shall be well with you”; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, “No disaster shall come upon you.”’” Jeremiah 23:16-17 ESV

And please know here that to prophesy is not just future telling. It means to proclaim, to preach. So this includes all those who call themselves preachers or ministers of the gospel who are teaching lies to the people. And from what I understand, they are in the majority here in America, not in the minority. For they are telling the people that all that is required is that they make a confession of faith in Christ Jesus and now all their sins are forgiven (past, present, and future) and heaven is now guaranteed them upon death.

But the Scriptures do not teach that, not in context. Jesus Christ and his NT apostles taught that we must die with Christ to sin, not just once, but daily, and that we must walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands (New Covenant), in practice, and that holy and godly living should now be our practice, and sin should no longer be our practice. For if sin is our practice and righteousness and obedience to God are not what we practice, then we will not inherit eternal life, and heaven is not our eternal destiny.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

“But if they had stood in my council,

    then they would have proclaimed my words to my people,

and they would have turned them from their evil way,

    and from the evil of their deeds.” Jeremiah 23:22 ESV

And that is the essence of the gospel of our salvation, that we must turn away from our sinful lifestyles and we must be transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God, and now we must walk in holiness and in righteousness and in obedience to our Lord and no longer walk in sin.

“Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 23:23-24 ESV

And this is where so many professing Christians are today, by their own admission to somebody, for statistics have it that up to 75% of Christian men are regularly engaged in viewing sexually explicit videos and images and movies, which includes up to 35% (or higher) of pastors. And many women and children are following suit. So sexual immorality in the church is huge! But this is the “elephant in the room” that most people don’t want to talk about, and if you do, you are regarded as the enemy.

But the Scriptures do not take the same stance that so many who call themselves Christians today are taking with regard to habitual and deliberate sin, and especially in this area of sexual immorality and adultery. These have become so commonplace that they are being accepted as normal, and in some cases even encouraged. But it appears very few take seriously what 1 Corinthians 5 teaches on this subject, that if they continue in deliberate and habitual sin that heaven will not be their resting place.

So, we need to be people of God who take God and his word seriously, and who do not coddle people in their sins, but who are telling them that they must turn from their sinful practices and now obey God or else they will end up in hell and not heaven, regardless of what faith their lips profess. For this is what the Scriptures teach (see noted Scriptures above). And if we tell the people lies to make them feel good, and we do not tell them the truth, and if they embrace the lies and not the truth, then they will end up in hell. But we should want them to be truly saved and to be in heaven one day.

Songs in the Night  

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.

You, my Savior, I now adore.

Hope in heaven awaiting me,

Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,

And I’m bound for heaven.

Jesus set me free from

All my sin, I say.

I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:

Overcame death, my vict’ry won!

Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!

I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!

My sin is but hist’ry!

I am free to please Him

With my life today.

I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me

A new life bought at Calvary.

Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.

Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;

Through my Lord, I’m able

To sit at His table;

Fellowship with Him.

I will thank Him always!

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