August 18

Adultery and Victimization

Chapter 16 is Ezekiel’s sermon on spiritual adultery. I have dealt with adultery situations in life and I doubt if there is more painful experience than the unfaithfulness of a spouse. God reminds Jerusalem that he was the one who rescued and raised her from infancy. It was his love and his gifts that made her into a beauty. But what was her response? She turned her back on God and gave herself to pagan gods. This picture explains why God is so passionate for the nation’s holiness. Every time we sin we are also turning our backs on the God who rescued and raised us. Let’s not repeat the same sin as Israel.

Chapter 18 nails anyone who thinks they have an excuse for sinning. This is a very appropriate sermon for the USA since we have become a nation of victims. With incredible finesse we know how escape responsibility and pass the proverbial “buck.” Here are a few excuses we use for not being responsible.

As a child: "The dog ate my homework" "My mother used my term paper to line the birdcage."
As a teen: “I am just sowing my wild oats” “Everyone is doing it”

Here are a few adults and their actual excuses:
- Wade Boggs and his adulterous affairs. “I am a victim of sexual addiction.”
- Pete Rose claimed he was addicted to gambling.
- Marion Barry filmed by the FBI with his hand in the cocaine jar. “I am a victim of racism.”
- Dan White a disgruntled city employee shot mayor of San Francisco and raised what became known as the "Twinkie Defense." He committed the murders because of temporarily insane from a junk food sugar high.
- There was a case of a doctor arrested just outside of Washington DC. A State trooper stopped the doctor after he watched her car weaving across the road. During the breath analyzer test she kicked the officer in the groin. But in the end the court judge ruled her not guilty. Her successful defense? She was suffering from premenstrual syndrome.

-We are a generation of victims. PMS, sexual addiction, gambling, alcohol, parents, a poor second grade teacher, the Reagan years, the Bush years, Twinkies...... the point is clear - somebody else is to blame.

If we are ever going to experience spiritual health and vitality we must move from victim to victor. The only way to do that is found in Ezekiel 18.

Ezekiel 18:4 “The soul who sins is the one who will die.”
Ezekiel 18:31-32 “Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!”

The blame game is a guaranteed way to mess up your life. Take responsibility for your sin, your life, your path for the future. Repent and ask God for his Spirit and his strength to begin a new life today.

The picnic was great last night. We are going to meet Thursday night October 29 for dinner and a celebration in December for completing the journey. If you have fallen behind just begin with today’s reading. The goal of this journey is to connect with God. Let his love touch your heart today.