Tag: immoral

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Losing our footing.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen. ‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Peter’s warnings about such things that happen in the last days. He writes about folks who are carried away, using the Greek word, “sunapagó.” The New Testament description of being led away or carried along with others. Culture has always been a powerful force of influence on us! We are relational beings, so we are especially affected by social viruses that spread quickly through popularity, influencers and a strong desire to belong. As with any temptation to wander away, we see the flashy objects that look good, even desirable – sound familiar? When our eyes are fixated on what looks good to our eyes and makes us look wise, it should tip us off that there is normally an enemy whispering for us to eat it and share it others.

Peter matches this idea of being enamored and swept off our feet with another powerful word. He writes that these cultural icons we are so smitten with are actually “athesmos.” The term “athesmos” is used to describe individuals or actions that are contrary to divine law or moral order. It conveys a sense of being without regard for God’s commandments or ethical standards. In the New Testament, it is often used to highlight the moral corruption and rebellious nature of certain people (Biblehub).

These influencers can cause us to lose our own secure footing (New Living Translation), our own “stérigmos.” The word for being firmly established or having a stable foundation. It conveys the idea of spiritual steadfastness and the ability to remain unwavering in one’s faith and convictions. Can the lure of culture mixed with the corrupt morals of powerful carriers cause us to LOSE our own stability in Jesus? Peter says – YES, absolutely. Peter also says that we should know better. Of course we know with our head, but we allow our hearts to be swayed, longing to be in with the crowd.

The antidote to these powerful social viruses is to constantly grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. To “auxanó” grow or increase our spiritual and communal development! Staying curious, humble and continually learning and investing in our primary relationship with God. There is a lust of belonging or going along with the current trends of others. We often fear of standing out or standing up for what we believe. We must stand not shrink! We must lead not be led or swayed! Paul told the Corinthians, who faced a plethora of plurality and squishy morals – stand firm in the faith, be strong!

Prayer

​Dad,
There are so many flashy, lusty lures and shiny people to distract us from keeping our eyes on you. It is constant and consistently dangled in front of us. It’s like the scene of the forbidden fruit of good and evil playing on repeat over and over again. Except this fruit is not good! Sin is so powerful. Our disordered desires so subtle. We need the power of your grace to hold us fast, keeping our footing secure as we grow. Help us be strong. Amen.

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Sister wives and impolite dinner conversations.

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“During the reign of King Josiah, the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what fickle Israel has done? Like a wife who commits adultery, Israel has worshiped other gods on every hill and under every green tree. I thought, ‘After she has done all this, she will return to me.’ But she did not return, and her faithless sister Judah saw this. She saw that I divorced faithless Israel because of her adultery. But that treacherous sister Judah had no fear, and now she, too, has left me and given herself to prostitution.” Jeremiah‬ ‭3:6-8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

God speaks to Jeremiah and it sounds like an episode from Sister Wives. God uses massive marriage, family and sisterhood language to explain just how inappropriate and hurtful are His own people, His chosen people are behaving towards him.

This passage reminds me of a couple of other Bible stories where the writers use very real, very course language to describe Israel’s sin. One is in Ezekiel 23, the other is the book of Hosea. It is interesting and disturbing that God would use and had to use such vivid, x-rated imagery to communicate Israel’s complete rejection of His love and care for them.

This was NOT polite dinner conversations! Oftentimes, parents today will not let their children read these Bible stories until they are old enough to understand the true consequences of choices and real and long lasting effects of sin.

God says, Israel has been having open love affairs with idols – actual wooden poles and stone figurines. Now, they weren’t having physical sex, but they were certainly giving themselves away in every other way. These idols, although dead, inanimate objects someone had a reputation for being really needy. They needed cash, fresh fruits, veggies and meat. They needed constant attention and in extreme cases demanded a human sacrifice for time to time, normally one of their children.

God told Jeremiah he thought Israel would go off, sow some wild oats and then come home, come back to Himself. Well Israel didn’t return and God served them divorce papers – God was done with that side of the family. But worse, Judah, the “other sister,” copied Israel’s behavior and just gave up the monogamous relationship all together.

It was through this long history of heartbreak that God shows us who we really are when we have full free choice! We all, like dogs in heat, just run off to find pleasure or “freedom” anywhere we can. This is Us! Read the rest of this story and you’ll see just how tiring it was for God to continue to pursue a people who were constantly running away from Him – not towards Him. These cycles of selfish pursuit are stories of God’s own chosen group, not some Philistine, Canaanite or Assyrian folks. Those people were KNOWN violent, brutal, highly immoral people. Yet, they weren’t any worse than Israel and Judah! When there’s no clear difference in the way God’s people live from the non-believers of God, there’s a serious problem, right?

Prayer

Dad,
Wow. We are a piece of work! History certainly does repeat itself. All I can think of is this impolite dinner talk being the real picture of what Paul said to the churches in Rome, “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Oftentimes I think of the small sins and offenses and think, “I’m not that bad.” Then I read of the folks who regularly cheated on you and profaned your gifts of mercy, and remember “oh yeah, that’s in my heart as well.” I’m really humbled that I have to be reminded of how bad, how desperately wicked is my wandering soul, unchecked by your Holy Spirit! Forgive me. Forgive us as the Church.

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Don’t be like the ancients

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did, or worship idols as some of them did. As the Scriptures say, “The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.” And we must not engage in sexual immorality as some of them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in one day. Nor should we put Christ to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites. And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death. These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭10:6-11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

​Here we have Paul giving us a great example of how a well trained, former Pharisee interprets an ancient passage of scripture from Exodus. I read Exodus and see lessons of Old Testament theology and practical advice for living while looking through the lens of Jesus’ saving grace.

Not so much with Paul. Paul tells the church in Corinth – it’s a WARNING. Paul gives the text the same amount of veracity that Moses gave when he wrote it! I see the Old Testament as a little outdated. Paul sees it as current. My sense of context is therefore dulled by a distorted view of grace when I do this with scripture. Paul’s high TRUTH, high LOVE compels him to admonish (warn & encourage) the modern, metropolitan church filled with a city bursting with immoral opportunity to sin!

Paul starts with our commonality with the ancient wanderers (same baptism, same food and water, same God) and writes, “Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.” Paul – haven’t you read “what’s so amazing about grace?” Don’t you know that God isn’t mad at us and we live in a very long season of mercy? Oh, Paul knows alright. He wrote much, if not most of the theology on the topic of God’s grace. But it’s never an excuse to sin more! And, Paul never throws shade on God’s holiness, wrath or judgment?

Paul tells the Church, don’t be like the ancients in these areas: partying, feasting and drinking, indulging in pagan revelry. Don’t engage in sexual immorality, don’t TEST Christ [mercy], and don’t grumble. Paul suggests that these human behaviors only INCREASE as the end approaches! God’s grace covers my sin, but will never accommodate my sin!

PRAYER:

Dad,
I am thankful for your word. I am thankful for Pastor Paul who’s words still preach about holiness and godliness. I am thankful for your Holy Spirit to lead away from temptation not towards it, who leads me in confession of sin, not denial of it. I am thankful for your mercy. I am also thankful for your wrath – your pure sense of justice for all wrongs, not just the ones I agree with. I am most thankful for your grace that came at the ultimate price of death of the Son who was completely innocent and perfect.

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Proverbial warning labels

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“Stay away from her! Don’t go near the door of her house! If you do, you will lose your honor and will lose to merciless people all you have achieved.” Proverbs‬ ‭5:8-9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

​Doors are an interesting way of illustrating wisdom’s point. My feeling on this, once we’ve opened a door, be it out of curiosity, peer pressure or even escape, I don’t believe we have the power to ever close it.

When I was a young-er (cough, cough) pastor I imagined standing in the middle of a round room full of doors. Each door had a label. Each one seemed have a invitation that just begged me to open it. Maybe it was a sexual door or a drug experience door an alcohol or gambling door. Maybe even an abusive relationship door.

These are doors that I’m sure my parents opened because I experienced a childhood where I watched them struggle with various addictions and emotional attachments that I knew were not healthy. But I also had my own set of doors. And, as I wrote, once opened I’ve not figured out how to ever close them.

What about deliverance from sin you ask, or freedom and redemption? Yes, absolutely. However, I don’t think the door ever fully closes – remember I’m the one who opened it. There are doors my family of origin may have opened “for” me, exposing me to things that should never be seen or experienced as a child.

Let’s take gambling for example. My family had a history of gambling. They would call it “social” gambling, even “gaming” and had “calculated” losses. I had my little experience with the “one-arm-bandit” (slot machine). It was fun and exciting, colorful and intriguing sounds, plunk, boing, ching ching ching. My nickel was gone and I didn’t win. It was fun, but I had no desire to do it again. As I got older I would feel the pull of those feelings of risk and reward, the sights and sounds of machines and people having fun sitting around a table with fast moving cards or dice. Knowing that door had even slightly been opened, I made a decision as a teenager. I would not be a gambler, not a social one or a gaming one or even a simple little lottery ticket player. Why? Because I saw the damage it caused in my family and I didn’t want that kind of life in my own future. IF I were to gamble now, I’m pretty sure I’d be hooked and sucked in.

BTW, same goes for drinking alcohol if you’d like to know the truth.

This door of immorality that the wisdom writers warned of – it is very real. It’s also ridiculously spun as fun and free in our sex-saturated-society.

WARNING: Don’t open this door wisdom says, don’t go near they cry OR – YOU WILL LOSE! Proverbs writes the consequences of those who opened it and can’t ever shut it. “Strangers will consume your wealth, and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor. You will say, “How I hated discipline! If only I had not ignored all the warnings! Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers? Why didn’t I pay attention to my instructors? I have come to the brink of utter ruin, and now I must face public disgrace.”

These proverbial warning labels are no joke and the very real life consequences are devastating. See those doors around you? The ones that say, “just try me,” “just take a peek,” “what’s one time gonna hurt.” DO NOT OPEN THEM.

You’ve been warned.

PRAYER:

Dad,
You know the doors I’ve opened and you know the doors that, thankfully, I’ve stayed away from. I absolutely love your mercy, patience and forgiveness I’ve experienced from those doors I have opened or the ones my family opened and shoved me in for a peek. I really want to put a bunch of caution tape around the ones that have devastated my family as a kid. I want to warn others about experiencing or experimenting with these awful and alluring sins. Help us O’Lord. Help us men and women, fathers and mothers. We need your wisdom and grace.