“The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw.
How long, O Lord, will I call for help,
And You will not hear?
I cry out to You, “Violence!”
Yet You do not save.
Why do You make me see iniquity,
And cause me to look on wickedness?
Yes, destruction and violence are before me;
Strife exists and contention arises.
Therefore the law is ignored
And justice is never upheld.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
Therefore justice comes out perverted.” (Habakkuk 1:1-4 NASB1995)
These words of Habakkuk could be said of our world and much of
the Christian community of today, as well, for he was speaking of his own
people, the people of God, most of whom had forsaken the Lord to go after what
is evil and what is not of God. And so Habakkuk was grieved over the moral and
spiritual deterioration of God’s people. He was distressed that wickedness,
strife, violence, and oppression were rampant among his people, and that God
seemingly was remaining silent, and was not acting.
And that is a lot like where we are today, at least here in
the USA where I live, but most certainly not confined only to my nation. But this
is not a matter of “the churched” versus “the unchurched,” or those who profess
the name of Jesus versus those who don’t. This is about the spiritual and moral
decline which has taken place within the church (the body of Christ) and within
the gatherings of what are called “churches” but which are just businesses
being marketed to the people of the world like any others.
It appears as though the majority of those professing faith
in Jesus Christ here in America are not much different at all from those who
make no such professions of faith. So many are still living worldly lives,
doing whatever it is that they want to do, charting their own courses, planning
out their own life choices, without regard for what God has planned for their
lives and for what he has for them to do. Their hearts are not surrendered to
the Lord to walk in his ways, for their lives are still being much controlled
by the flesh.
So, a gathering of “Christians” might not look much
different from a gathering of non-Christians. And a “fellowship” of “Christians”
may not differ much at all from a fellowship of non-Christians. There may be
less cussing and swearing, and there may be less vulgarity and raunchy subject
matter (or not), but the conversations may be all or primarily based in the
things of this world and of doing what is pleasurable to us with no mention
made of Jesus or our walks of faith in obedience to him. He may be totally left
out!
So, how did “the church” of today get to this place? I
believe it has a lot to do with the altering and diluting of the gospel
message. The gospel message has been going through a slow moral decline for all
of my life until it has now reached the point to where so many are teaching a
man created gospel that has nothing to do with Jesus Christ and his gospel
message. For so many are teaching a Godless gospel which is intended to appease
human flesh and to not offend the ungodly who they are trying to attract to
their gatherings.
For the majority appear to all be teaching that we can make
professions of faith in Jesus Christ with our lips and now we are saved and
bound for heaven, done deal. No repentance (death to sin) and no obedience to
God required. And still they are promising them salvation from all sin and heaven
as their eternal destiny, but regardless of how they live. Some are even
teaching that God can’t even see when you sin anymore, but all he sees is
Jesus. And if you feel guilty for your sin, you are to claim who you are “in
Christ,” off a list, regardless of whether or not you are biblically “in
Christ.”
And so we have a whole generation of people claiming who
they are “in Christ” while they do not meet the biblical qualifications of what
it means to be “in Christ.” And we have a whole generation of professers of
faith in Jesus Christ for whom that confession makes no difference in their
lives. For they are not being taught that faith, which comes from God, which is
not of our own doing, results in us dying to sin and now walking in obedience
to our Lord and to his commands, in practice, or it is not biblical faith which
saves.
So, this is a call to all who profess faith in Jesus and all
who do not, as well, to put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Die with him
to sin, and now live to him and to his righteousness in holy living and in
walks of obedience to his commands, by the Spirit, by the grace of God, in the
power of God. No more let sin have mastery over your lives, but now make Jesus
Christ your Lord and Master, and follow him in his ways in truth and in
obedience to his New Covenant commands. And keep on in those walks of faith to
the end, and you will have salvation from sin and eternal life with God.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John
6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1
Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32;
Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 12:1-2;
1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
Living Water
An Original Work / November 21, 2013
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Based off Various Scriptures
My people have
forsaken Me,
Their Savior, who
died on a tree;
Made idols, and they
worshipped them;
So empty, they will
ne’er fulfill.
Lord, You are the
hope of Your chosen ones.
Those who turn away
from You will be shamed;
The Spring of Living
Water left behind.
Living Water
satisfies.
The thirsty, let
them come and drink;
Believe in Jesus as
their King;
The gift of Jesus
given them,
So they will never
thirst again.
Indeed, the Living
Water flows within.
It springs up like a
fountain cleansing sin.
Eternal life in
heaven promised them.
Living Water
glorifies.
Oh people, won’t you
come to Him?
Obey Him and repent
of sin.
Let Jesus come and
live within.
Surrender all your
life to Him.
My people, won’t you
turn your hearts to Me?
Forsake your idols
and then you’ll be free.
Won’t you come now
to Me on bended knee?
Living Water
sanctifies.
God’s Commands Being Ignored
An Original Work / June 8, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
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