2 Kings 17
June 30, 2013
Beware of Compromise
2 Kings 17:40-41 They would not listen, however, but persisted in their former practices. Even while these people were worshiping the Lord, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their fathers did.
In these verses we discovered the reason why this nation was judged by God. They had a divided heart. Time after time in our reading we saw their compromise with sin:
Worshiping other gods
Secretly doing wrong
Building of high places
Not listening to God
Rejecting and neglecting his Word
Bowing down to the stars
Killing their children
It wasn't as if they totally neglected God. No, they went to synagogue, but on the way home they compromised. They inter-mingled their faith and the culture. This idolatry still abounds today. 70% of Americans claim to be "Christian" yet we are committed to self above God, to materialism, to unbridled sexuality, to the gods of entertainment and comfort. We have failed to see how deadly compromise and sin is in our lives.
Israel was destroyed because of their sin. They never connected the dots between sin and death. In the USA right now we have the same level of neglect and denial. We live in a culture that minimizes sin. In the old days, Christians were not afraid of talking about the dangers of sin. But now the idea of sin is considered obsolete. The truth is that more people are afraid of losing their jobs than going to hell.
In the end "former practices" always lead to death. Ask for strength to overcome any "former practices" that are standing in the way of hearing God's voice. With His strength we can gain the victory over every sin.
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