The Reality of Taking God Seriously

The Reality of Taking God Seriously 

Strangers have come into the sanctuaries of the LORD’s house. Jeremiah 51:51 NKJV 

In this account, the faces of the Lord’s people were covered with shame—for it was a terrible thing that men should intrude into the temple’s holy place, reserved for the priests alone. Everywhere around us, we see similar cause for sorrow. How many ungodly men are now receiving an education with the view of entering the ministry! What a heinous sin is the solemn lie by which whole populations are identified as “Christians”! How fearful it is that ordinances should be pressed upon the unconverted, and that even among the better churches of our land there should be such lax discipline. If the thousands who will read this devotional would all take this matter before the Lord Jesus today, He will intervene to avert the evil that will otherwise come upon His church. To pollute the church is to poison a well, to pour water on a fire, to sow a fertile field with stones. May we all have the grace to maintain, in our own proper way, the purity of the church as an assembly of true believers—not an entire nation, or some unsaved community of unconverted people. Our zeal, however, must begin at home. Let us examine ourselves as to our right to eat at the Lord’s table. Let us see to it that we are wearing our wedding garments, or else we ourselves will be intruders in the Lord’s sanctuaries. Many are called, but few are chosen; the way and the gate are narrow. Oh, for the grace to come to Jesus properly, with the faith of God’s elect. The One who struck down Uzzah for touching the ark is very jealous of His two ordinances—as a true believer I may approach them freely, but as an alien I must not touch them or else I’ll die. It is the duty of all who are baptized or come to the Lord’s table to search themselves. “Search me, God, and know my heart” (Psalm 139:23).  - C. H. Spurgeon Morning and Evening 

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And the understanding of those who have understanding, I will confound.”

Where is the wise person? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has God not made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than mankind, and the weakness of God is stronger than mankind.

For consider your calling, brothers and sisters, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the insignificant things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no human may boast before God. But it is due to Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written: “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 NASB

My Dear Reader, whomever you may be. Either believing or as yet unbelieving. Please do not take the Word of God lightly!

In my youth I caused myself much grief in not considering the ways of God more seriously than I did. Without question I proved that the wisdom that I possessed was indeed foolishness. 

When we read in the Bible of God's relationship with man, we see God reaching out to an obstinate and disobedient people. Sin is why.

In reading in the opening chapters of Revelation we read letters that Jesus Himself dictated to John to write.  These were important enough that unlike the much rest of the Bible, came like the 10 Commandments.  Directly from God. 

In opening a Bible we enter into the wisdom of God. It's taught by and protected by the Spirit of God. It's the responsibility of the Spirit of God to teach. We read that from Jesus’s description of the Helper who would come. 

Many more today mock God than probably ever before. Courses are taught about God and the Bible just as Spurgeon wrote about.  People who are unbelieving learning supposedly about God to supposedly teach it to others. 

I am immediately drawn to a scene from the opening parts of the original "Left Behind" movie.  An assistant Pastor was left behind. We see him crying out in despair in the very Church where he preached from. Only then confessing his not truly getting it. That he preached it but hadn't been a believer. 

You cannot have a superficial relationship with Jesus. 

We live in a time when apathy is everywhere. People really don't care. What's more is you see a movement where not caring within yourself isn't enough. You must publicly show it.

We who are in Christ are to be considered His workmanship. That means we are a work in progress with the end result being that we are being taught about and by Jesus to become more like Him, not left as we were found. 

The world, through technology and through proclamation, claims wisdom in things that belong to God. Not attributing anything to God.  

There is no global warming, no holes in the ozone. What there is, is preparation for the Rapture of the Church, the 7 year Tribulation and the Final Judgment of God. Rebellion is peaking against the wisdom of God. As Paul wrote this is the build up towards the times of the Gentiles being filled. 

Read Jesus’s own words. People will be marrying and being given in marriage when He returns. He fully describes the way people wound be like when He returns. Lovers of self, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil.  Look around and see!  Those days are right now. 

The so-called Churches that are throughout the world have wolves in sheep's clothing in their pulpits.  People who are not of God supposedly teaching others about God. The very same as Paul also warned about. Misleading people daily. 

Salvation in Christ is free. There's no strings but one. To be serious about repentance and by faith believing. You cannot purport to be a speaker for God without the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide your speech and life.

In my youth I thought, in my wisdom, that I had God's plan for me figured out and in I ran. 

It's taken decades to reverse that foolishness. To get where He was taking me to.

My Dear Reader, a point of fact and faith is you're not going to get it all understood. 

Merely reading about God isn't going to curry you favor towards the wrath that's coming. 

The only thing that saves me or you is acceptance of the free gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ.  That's the beginning of wisdom. That is where learning about God begins as it should. 

Note that without Salvation it doesn't matter what great knowledge you have about God, it won't save you. Demons, who used to be Angels, know all about God. They were there at the beginning of Creation. They, at least, shudder at the truth about God and sin. Most of mankind has never shuddered at sin. Most have chosen to embrace it instead. 

As Paul also wrote and in all seriousness I beg you today, make sure that you are saved. 

You will get no second chances when Christ does return. His return will not be heralded by anything. When the Father says it's time, in the blink of an eye, it will happen. One second later and millions will vanish from the Earth. The world leaders will drum up fantastic lies to explain it all away. But realize the Tribulation written in the book of Revelation will have began. 

In your here and now, my Friend, take God's warning seriously. Take Him seriously.