Same Old Intentional Sin

In 1 Kings 12:25-33 we read about a house divided.  Solomon’s son seeks to rule the kingdom, yet his own self serving pride divides the country in two.  Jeroboam takes the northern kingdom of Israel for his own.  He becomes concerned that the people of Israel will turn back to God and again join the kingdom of Rehoboam, son of Solomon.  In  response to this fear of losing his power and kingdom Jeroboam builds a place of worship, idol worship.  He has two golden calves made and declares “behold your gods , O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt.

Does this sound even slightly familiar, well it should.  Back in Exodus 32:4-8 the people of Israel did exactly the same idol worship.  Jeroboam simply pulled out some familiar sin from their past to again ensnare the people of God.  Yet it didn’t seem to take too much to get them to go along with it.  It is almost as if he was saying – listen so long as you pay homage to a god any god will do.  Mix a little religion into your life and that is all that is required to please God.  Isn’t this the same thing we do today.

We come to church, go to Sunday school, talk about the things of God in a spiritual way, all the while thinking we can live the rest of our lives as we see fit in disregard to God - this is doing our part of what God requires of us.  Is your life different outside of church?  Are you consistent in the way you live your life throughout the week? 

Matthew 15:7 "You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: 8 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. 9 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'"

Jeroboam  decided to intentional lead the people into worshiping a god of their own making.  Many of us do the same thing in our lives.  We ignore or don’t even bother to read what God has declared about Himself and what it means to follow Him.  Instead we fashion of god that winks at our sin, really understands that we aren’t that bad and will accept the paltry service we toss his way.  This my friends is idol worship.  We are serving the god of self, not the God of the bible.

An encounter with the living God changes us from the inside out forever, never to be the same again.  It is a living relationship that causes a love for God that supersedes the love for ourselves and this world.  It is a growing relationship not stagnant.   Do you have the intention to sin or unintentional sin?  A character of sin or a character of loving and following God?

Romans 13:10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.11 Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to 12 The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the 13 Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and  14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

sherman