Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Obeying God when obeying isn’t easy”
Our Bible verse for today: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” Isaiah 5:20 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “We must stand firm on Biblical principles regardless of what society says or does.”
In Isaiah’s day the people of God in the nation of Israel had given-in to the pressures from the cultures around them. The Jewish faith was not popular with non-Jews. It called for standards of moral conduct which were at odds with how the surrounding cultures desired to live. Not only did the surrounding cultures object to and resist the God-given teachings of Judaism, but they even resented the very presence of the Jews, because just the mere presence of such God-obeying people was in itself convicting.
Sadly, rather than standing firm in the beliefs they knew to be true, many of God’s people surrendered to the pressures of the cultures around them. After all, if you want to get along then you have to go along, right? So, many of the Jews began to embrace the standards of the surrounding cultures. They engaged in the practices of the cultures, and even adopted the worship of their Gods. And in order to justify such actions, they equivocated, rationalized, and constructed clever and twisted reasoning’s to explain away their new beliefs and behaviors. Before long what used to be clearly understood as evil behavior was suddenly being called good, and Godly standards were reclassified as evil – even by the people of God.
I’m sure you’re having no problem seeing the contemporary application here. This is a perfect picture of our society today. The cultural pressures upon the people of God in our day are extreme. Time-honored Biblical standards of morality and conduct are now seen by many as antiquated and small-minded. Christians are ridiculed and sometimes persecuted for attempting to bring the Word of God to bear on the social issues of our day. And sadly, like those ancient Israelites, many Christians are giving-in rather than standing firm. Why? Because it’s always easier to go along so you can get along, rather than standing strong in the face of withering opposition from the cultural thought police.
The answer for God’s people today is the same as it has always bee: Know the BIble and stick to it. Do not give in to the cultural pressures. We must have the courage and conviction to obey and to promote God’s standards of morality, regardless of what the rest of society says or does.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 