The church has been remiss lately, to properly teach who God really is. We are comfortable with God's grace, speak easily of His love and forgiveness, and encourage others with His words of mercy and kindness. We easily share this message of Jesus with others, yet shy away from the rest of the story. But when we don't tell the whole story, the half we are comfortable with causes other to have a false idea of the gospel-one that fails to show their real need of redemption. The truth is, there are things that God hates, and when we understand that we all are guilty before Him, we can appreciate His purpose of coming to save us.
While it's true that God is love, we cannot soften the message of Jesus by forgetting the very things scripture tells us He hates. Solomon writes of seven things God hates in the book of Proverbs. God hates pride, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift at running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among others. (See Proverbs 6:16-19). And when each of us is honest, we are guilty before God. Churches are failing to proclaim this message, and instead, feed their flock messages that make them feel good about themselves.
This failure has led many to fall into the delusion of spiritual safety when in fact, their need has never been recognized.
If we were good people, God would not have had to send His perfect, holy Son to the world to die for us. It would have been a waste and completely unnecessary, yet God never does anything without a clear purpose. Our generation enjoys sin, and I don't think this is a new concept. Sin gives us a season of pleasure, and we want to excuse our actions because we don't want to stop them. We also don't want to face the fact that our behavior requires reconciliation with God. If you attend a place of worship that is failing to teach the truth about the need for redemption from sin, the message being taught is inaccurate and deceptive. If you attend a place that preaches of sin and the consequence for it, including the good news of the Cross, thank God you are in a place sharing the whole message of Jesus.
Our world wants a sin tolerant God. We make excuses for sinful behavior, claiming God's love for all, as a way to reconcile our choices. The truth is, God does love each person, regardless of our behavior. But the flip side is that God hates sin. Scripture is clear about what sin is, and how God feels about it. God's Word is not open to negotiation, and what was recorded in His Word is no less relevant today. Satan has been masterful in infiltrating the message and hearts of God's people with a disconnection from the true state of each of us before a Holy God. The sobering truth is that our failure to reconcile our sin before God results in an eternity in hell. It's a message that makes us squirm. It isn't a feel good message, but the gospel is.
We can't share the truth about what God hates without remembering what He loves-He loves us! Our sin is only a temporary barrier when we allow God's grace to remove it from us through His sacrifice at Calvary. His blood cleanses us from our sin, removing the punishment for the sins He hates. God's love transforms us, bringing us out of spiritual darkness into light! And when we realize the depravity of our hearts, we have such a deeper appreciation of God's sacrifice! Yes, we need saving, but thank God He made a bridge through the blood of Jesus! Let's be responsible with sharing the whole message of Jesus-not shying away from the truth of our real need for rescue!
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23, ESV).
For we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil (2 Corinthians 5:10, ESV).
Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out (Acts 3:19, ESV),
And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15, ESV).
Dear heavenly Father, give us courage to share the whole message of Your gospel, and the need we have of redemption from sin. May we speak an accurate message filled with Your truth, and may we see it transform the lives of the lost. In Your name we pray, Amen!
Have you ever found yourself caught in a lie? We have to all be honest here- we all lie. It's not okay, and it's doesn't make it excusable, but we are all guilty. It's an uncomfortable moment, to know you are caught, and yet we seldom just raise our hand, and say- I'm sorry, I lied. Instead, we usually tell another one to try to get out of the first. It's an ugly cycle, for sure. When it comes to infidelity, everything is pretty much a lie.
An affair is not based on truth. We tell lies, or lies of omission, to cover up the truth. The simple act of slipping off a wedding ring to deceive, is a lie. Leaving out details of my marriage and family, is dishonest. Telling my wife lies to hide my actions became second nature. It was an ugly and exhausting place to live- a world of disillusionment. This was not what I had been saved for- rather it had been what I was saved from! And here I was, shrugging back into the cloak of sin and evil.
I have always been known by others for my integrity and honesty, and for the truth of who I had become to be uncovered, made me very uncomfortable, and shattered my image and self-esteem. The truth is this- lies are humbling. I had lived too long in a place of pride and dishonesty, and living a double life would eventually bring me to the bottom.
It's hard to lose respect of those who loved me the most, and yet it was because of my own actions. There wasn't a time I was comfortable with my actions or the lies I was telling, and yet I continued to do it out of selfishness. It took a long time for me to see what was driving me to this out-of-character behavior, but the bottom line was simply a selfishness that had no place in the life of a believer.
You may struggle with lies as well, and find it hard to keep track of what you have said. Lies hurt those that love us, but they also hurt our Heavenly Father. Lies need to be confessed in order to be forgiven. If you are the one deceiving, own up to it and allow God to help make things right. If you have been hurt by the lies of your spouse, I pray you will get the apology you so deserve. But if you don't, you can still find freedom in forgiving them without ever receiving an apology. You can't ever make a marriage reconcile this way, but if reconciliation isn't possible, freedom always is. I am so grateful for the grace of God, for without it, I would be lost forever. His grace makes all things possible, and the grace shown to me by my wife was a gift I couldn't understand, apart from her knowing the heart of our Savior. I am thankful to share my journey with you, and pray that through my sin and betrayal, I can point you to the only One that can erase it all, and give hope and life through His Son!
Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight. Proverbs 12:22 ESV
Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Colossians 3:9-10 ESV
For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. Luke 8:17 ESV
Dear Heavenly Father, help me to live in truth, and to let my words be acceptable in Your sight. Forgive me for lies, deceit, and selfishness. Help to restore my relationships, and to be a man after Your heart. I thank You for grace, and second chances. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen!
One of my favorite times of the day, was when my husband walked in from work, and everyone was home. Our day time separation was over, and my heart just felt lighter when he was with me. When he left, there was a huge hole in my life- no one to come in the door at the end of the day, and share my evening with. Yes, I had my kids, but it's a different connection with a spouse. I missed him, and I missed the way things had been years before.
When we had our initial reconciliation, I felt excited. Someone would come home to me again, and someone would share life by my side. I would get a phone call around 5:00, and have a dinner companion by 6:00. Things felt good, but we weren't where I really wanted to be. We reconciled because it was the "right thing to do," and sometimes, that just isn't enough. What was missing was a firm foundation in Christ, and allowing Him to make us new.
And so we made a go of it, on our terms. He felt better by doing what was right, and I felt hopeful that in time, God would reach his heart. I prayed God would use me to draw him closer to Jesus, and made an initial effort in making this work. But as the days passed, it was obvious that without Him at the center of our marriage, it would not be the better marriage we had hoped for. And after only a short 6 weeks time, I already noticed a shift in his devotion to me.
I knew it was happening again. The signs were all there. His phone became unavailable to my sight, and he withdrew. I would see him texting someone in a way where he would hide his phone from view, or he would lean back to text. His phone calls to me became short, so he had the rest of the commute home to talk to the one he really desired. He stopped texting me throughout his work day, and when I sent him messages, I would get one word answers. He avoided being home, and worked as much as possible to stay away from me. He became sarcastic and uncaring. And I realized that while I had my husband home in body, his spirit was elsewhere.
Have you felt this? Living together, but worlds apart? Goodness, it stinks! And in those times, it is much more comfortable to not have them home, than to have them home against their wishes. I felt like a burden. I felt twice rejected, and unwanted. I felt resigned to a life without him, and was beginning to think that was our destiny. I chastised myself for allowing him to come back home as a man I wasn't satisfied with- a man living apart from God. I had never walked this journey, and felt having him home was better than having him somewhere else. But if God isn't at the center of it, it isn't time. What a painful lesson that was to learn.
My story made me think of God. While He always knows my motives for returning to Him, He never turns me away. If I run, He pursues. I often return with a heart lacking enthusiasm, and yet He welcomes me, regardless of my heart. But He won't stop with me there- He will continue with me, until He not only captures my attention, but captures my heart. Oh God, forgive me for my wayward heart; a heart that has hurt You with my selfishness. Give me a heart devoted to Your ways, and Your Son! Help me to see myself through my husband's rejection, and return to You with abandon. Help me to serve You, not out of duty, but out of heart spilling over with love. And when I do, I will see my husband with Your eyes- lost, and in need of Your pursuit.
Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! Psalm 139:7-8 ESV
You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Deuteronomy 6:5 ESV
This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. Acts 4:11 ESV
And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. Matthew 7:25 ESV
Dear Heavenly Father, help me to keep You at the center of my marriage, and all relationships. When anything else is substituted, I fail and struggle. Help me to see my own condition before You, when I see my wayward spouse. May my heart be turned to You, not by obligation, but by absolute devotion. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen!
