During his exchange with Pilot, Jesus said in John 18:37, You say that I’m a king,” Jesus replied. “I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.” That is a strong statement..."I was born for this! For what...to testify to the truth. Throughout the gospel of John we see this theme; in John 1:17, John says, "for although the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." John 14:6 we see Jesus responding, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." In HIS high priestly prayer before HIS death Jesus prays in John 17:17, "Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth." In John 8:32, Jesus teaches us that, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 16:13, Jesus teaches that, "When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. "
Mark why are you making a big deal about the "TRUTH," this is not our reading for today:) I don't know about you, but when I read Deuteronomy 13, especially the part about killing your family members if they try to lead you into idolatry...it sounded a little harsh. I know that when I respond that way to God's word the problem is not with HIS Word, the problem is with me! So that is why I did a little back ground work on the truth. I need some help with understanding God's response here.
Consider what God says in Isaiah, also, listen to HIS sarcasm!
Isaiah 44:16-20 He burns half of it in a fire, and he roasts meat on that half. He eats the roast and is satisfied. He warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm, I see the blaze.” 17 He makes a god or his idol with the rest of it. He bows down to it and worships; He prays to it, “Save me, for you are my god.” 18 Such people do not comprehend and cannot understand, for He has shut their eyes so they cannot see, and their minds so they cannot understand. 19 No one reflects, no one has the perception or insight to say, “I burned half of it in the fire, I also baked bread on its coals, I roasted meat and ate. I will make something detestable with the rest of it, and I will bow down to a block of wood.” 20 He feeds on ashes. ⌊His⌋ deceived mind has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself, or say, “Isn’t there a lie in my right hand?”
So when the Israelites fall into idolatry it is because they are believing a lie! EVERY TIME YOU AND I SIN IT IS BECAUSE WE BELIEVE A LIE AND WE HAVE FALLEN INTO IDOLATRY. Do you remember in Deuteronomy 6 we learn that God is a jealous God. HE created us in HIS image for a relationship with HIM. HE created us, not out of any need within HIMSELF...HE WAS NOT LONELY...HE CREATED US TO ENJOY, TO DELIGHT IN HIS GLORY AND SPLENDOR FOR EVER. When we turn to an idol for satisfaction and delight what is that like? Jeremiah 2:13 gives us the answer, "For My people have committed a double evil: They have abandoned Me, the fountain of living water, and dug cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that cannot hold water."
WE LOOK AT THE FOUNTAIN OF LIVING WATER AND SAY NO THANK YOU AND WE TURN AND DIG CISTERNS IN THE DIRT, IN THE GARBAGE AND TRY TO FIND SATISFACTION IN THE PUTRID AND VILE THING OF THIS WORLD.
How would you respond if you saw someone trying to lead your child into the lie of using drugs...hey man try this...this is awesome! You want to be accepted, you want to be cool and hip, you want everyone to like you...try this it is such a rush...come on, try it! What would you do? In that light God's response does not sound so severe, does it? Remember, drugs will only kill the body, idolatry can kill the body and the spirit sending one to hell.
Deut 13:1-11 The False Prophet
“If a prophet or someone who has dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, 2 and that sign or wonder he has promised you comes about, but he says, ‘Let us follow other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us worship them,’ 3 do not listen to that prophet’s words or to that dreamer. For the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul. 4 You must follow the Lord your God and fear Him. You must keep His commands and listen to His voice; you must worship Him and remain faithful to Him. 5 That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has urged rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the place of slavery, to turn you from the way the Lord your God has commanded you to walk. You must purge the evil from you.
Don’t Tolerate Idolatry
6 “If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, ‘Let us go and worship other gods’—which neither you nor your fathers have known, 7 any of the gods of the peoples around you, near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other— 8 you must not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity, and do not spare ⌊him⌋ or shield him. 9 Instead, you must kill him. Your hand is to be the first against him to put him to death, and then the hands of all the people. 10 Stone him to death for trying to turn you away from the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 11 All Israel will hear and be afraid, and they will no longer do anything evil like this among you.
The warnings against false teaching continue into the NT. We don't see admonitions to kill anyone; however we see strong warning to protect the flock, or the church against false teachers. Praise God we are not instructed to kill in the NT! What did Jesus say to those who would stone the woman caught in adultery..."let the one who is among you who is without sin cast the first stone." Jesus demonstrated a love for repentant sinners, HE still hates sin. What did HE tell her..."go and sin no more." I believe that we should apply the phrase, "you must purge the evil from among you," to ourselves. If your hand offends the cut it off, your eye, gouge it out...no this is not self-mutilation. A blind man can still lust in his heart...I believe that Jesus is teaching us to deal radically with sin...as John Owen put it, "be killing sin or sin will be killing you." Let's make sure we remove the log from our own eye, before we try to help our brother.
Acts 20:28-31 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among whom the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood. 29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 And men from among yourselves will rise up with deviant doctrines to lure the disciples into following them. 31 Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning each one of you with tears.
Galatians 1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than what we have preached to you, a curse be on him!
1 John 4:1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
There is an amazing statement in 1 Tim 4:16, Paul instructs young Timothy to "Be conscientious about yourself and your teaching; persevere in these things, for by doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers." Paul instructs Timothy to watch his life, his walk with the LORD, when he says to "be conscientious about yourself." Then he instructs him to watch his teaching, make sure your teaching is pure, rightly divide the Word of Truth. WHAT IS THE RESULT IF HE WILL DO THIS? "By doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers."
THE WAY WE LIVE MATTERS, WHAT WE BELIEVE MATTERS, WHAT WE TEACH MATTERS...THEY ALL MUST MATCH UP...WHAT IS AT STAKE? HEAVEN AND HELL, ETERNAL LIFE OR ETERNAL SEPARATION FROM GOD...ETERNAL TORMENT AND HORROR!
LET'S GO HARD AFTER JESUS...HE IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE...NO ONE, NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH HIM!
Let's pursue HIM together and seek to bring as many with us as we can. TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
LOVE,
m