ISAIAH 1:1-31; JEREMIAH 7:1-28.
Our texts above paint a bleak picture of the then nation of Israel as a backslidden people, reeling under the influence of sinful and unrighteous conduct, yet still attempting to pursue a fervent religious life of vain works of piety, but to no avail.
“Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger, they are gone away backward… To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me? saith the LORD…” Isaiah 1:4-11.
How instructive this study is for the church today! If we aren’t sensitive in the Spirit, we might just slip away from acceptable worship and service to God into a life of mere religious observance, devoid of God’s recognition or acceptance. Sadly, this is the normal thing going on in Christendom today, and it would seem that no one is willing to take the initiative to amend their ways. But today, God is calling us to both examine and amend our ways, so that we can pursue a more purposeful course to heaven.
To help the reader easily understand and digest this important study, I am going to split it into three (3) short points.
- The Vanity of Religious Observance Without Purity of Heart and Obedience to God.
Isaiah 1:1-15; Jeremiah 7:1-4, 8-11.
Like the backslidden nation of Israel of old, Christendom today is losing real touch with God and has favoured a superficial and more liberal approach to relating with Him: they want to experience His power and miracles without giving up the very habits that God’s Word has clearly forbidden them to practice.
Like sinful Israel, they want to be very religious and do stuff like pray, prophesy, speak in tongues, while dressing immorally to church and living to indulge their sinful desires. They want to please only themselves, not God. But God will not accept anyone on those terms unless they have come before Him to truly confess, repent of, and forsake their sins.
Isaiah.1:15: “When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.
Isaiah.1:16: “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil,” (NKJV)
We can never hope to make ourselves acceptable to God here on earth, let alone be accepted into His holy, heavenly Kingdom, unless we deal with our sinful lives and obey His Word wholeheartedly.
Anyone who allows deceptive feelings, some surreal spiritual experiences, or some so-called prophetic declarations to give them a false assurance of peace with God, even while their life is still laden with iniquity, would sooner or later find out that God does not lower His standard of acceptance for anyone. He honours His Word, which people so often despise, above His name that they so often want to call and rely on.
Jeremiah 7:4 – “But do not be fooled by those who repeatedly promise your safety because the Temple of the LORD is here.
Jeremiah 7:5 – I will be merciful only if you stop your wicked thoughts and deeds and are fair to others… ” NLT.
As much as God loves us and is willing to forgive us all our sins, yet He could not do that until we meet the condition, which His Word clearly spells out, that all manner of sins must be sincerely repented of and genuinely forsaken by anyone who seeks fellowship with the Persons of the Godhead before that will be possible.
1John.1.5-9: “This is the message he has given us to announce to you: God is light and there is no darkness in him at all.
So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness. We are not living in the truth.
But if we are living in the light of God’s presence, just as Christ is,
then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin.
If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong”.
2. The Impending Judgment on Willful Sinners in the Church.
Jeremiah 7:12-20; Isaiah 1:19-24.
Isaiah 1:28: “The destruction of transgressors and of sinners shall be together, And those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed”. (NKJV)
We incur God’s wrath and displeasure when we consciously and wilfully continue in sin while all the time ignoring or disregarding God’s warning from His Word. Jeremiah 7:21-28.
Those who are quick to hide under the merits of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins must also be willing and ready to run away from those sins. To live otherwise would incur God’s wrath and judgment.
Romans1:18: “But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who push the truth away from themselves”.(NLT)
We cannot hope to enjoy the benefits of grace while at the same time refraining ourselves from embracing and living the Christ-like life that purchased it for us. That’d altogether be as though we love God only for what we hope to get from Him, not minding what He expects from us. And, as reluctant as we are to admit guilt in this matter, nevertheless, that is what is prevalent in Christendom today.
Jeremiah 7:27-28: “Tell them all this, but do not expect them to listen. Shout out your warnings, but do not expect them to respond.
Say to them, `This is the nation whose people will not obey the LORD their God and who refuse to be taught. Truth has vanished from among them; it is no longer heard on their lips”. NLT
Holiness is no more admired, let alone practised, in Christendom today, except by just a small minority. Sin is flaunted under the guise of being civilised and sociable. It seems we have learned to create new societal values, which are alien to the truth of God, and also teach ourselves to evolve into fitting into them, but without considering that God’s ancient Word cannot be changed to fit into that ungodly mould along with us.
We may argue that the Bible is too ancient for today’s civilised world; however, no one can change the fact that this same truth in the Holy Bible, which we have learned to ignore without the slightest compunction any more, will still be the yardstick for God’s judgment when all has been said and done, and we appear before His throne to be judged.
Jeremiah 2:13: “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns–broken cisterns that can hold no water”. (NKJV)
3. THE BLESSINGS OF SELF-EXAMINATION AND TRUE PENITENCE
2 Corinthians 13:5-8; Isaiah 1:16-19; Jeremiah 7:5-7.
2 Corinthians 13:5:
“Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it.” (MSG)
God is always willing to welcome anyone who amends their ways and returns to Him with true penitence. The blessing of having true and intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ is the greatest blessing a Christian can ever desire, but it comes with the price tag of self-denial and total reliance on Him.
At this moment, we may want to find out if we have paid that price or not by looking at some of the parameters that are the ultimate red flags for exposing our lack of self-denial and total reliance on the leadership of Jesus Christ.
So I want to point out four signs that scream the warning that Jesus Christ is absent from a person’s life, and also two steps they should take to have Him come into their life.
A. THE RED FLAGS OF A DECLINING FAITH
i. The Absence Of God Consciousness.
It should really be a sad surprise to any longtime Christian living today that the new generation of believers would attempt to serve a God they are not even conscious of. From my many interactions with people during field evangelism, I have come to realize that most of them do not really have a God-consciousness as true Christians should have.
The closest some of them have come to that experience is that they have been baptized and are actively participating in church fellowships. There are no testimonies whatsoever of a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. They simply do not know what it means or how it feels to have Jesus Christ in their heart.
Romans 8:9: “But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all.)” (NLT)
One of the first red flags that is easily obvious when a person is not living for God, but for self or others, is the absence of that witness in the heart that Jesus Christ lives and reigns there.
Jesus Christ may love us, but He would by no means impose Himself on us. If we open our hearts to Him, He will come in and stay with us, but if we shut Him out, He will walk away to where He is needed.
Revelation 3:20: “Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends.” (NLT)
ii. When You Do Not Have A Personal Witness Of The Holy Spirit That You’re God’s Child.
Romans 8:16: “For His Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God’s children.” (NLT)
Basically, there are two categories of people affected by this absence of the Holy Spirit’s witness: those who have never been born again, and those who have lost the experience along the line. The former may mistake the warmth they experience while participating in some religious activities as the ultimate sign that they belong to God. But as for the latter, they would easily know what is not the evidence of the Holy Spirit’s witness in their heart because they both had and lost that experience before.
Don’t get it wrong: anyone can feel the warmth of God’s presence in any place that He is present — at fellowships, prayer meetings, or during an anointed preacher’s ministration. But as soon as the gathering is over, everyone goes away with what they actually have: some with empty hearts and others with Spirit-filled hearts.
Those who are not born again, or who are backslidden, cannot experience God on a continuous personal basis because the life they live does not support His presence in their heart. It simply is not possible.
iii. When God Stops Speaking, Or Has Never Spoken.
It is not possible that, as a child of God, He does not speak to you at all. God always speaks with His children in ways they would never mistake for anything else. If you have stopped hearing from God, or have never heard from Him, that’s a red flag not to ignore. See John 10:1-5.
John 10:2-4:
“For a shepherd enters through the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they recognize his voice.” (NLT)
After King Saul fell out of favor with God due to his disobedience and rebellion against God’s authority and guidance through the hand of Prophet Samuel, God stopped speaking with him. The same thing still applies today where there is a willful departure from the grace that brought salvation to us, to a life of sin.
1 Samuel 28:5-6: “When Saul saw the vast Philistine army, he became frantic with fear. He asked the LORD what he should do, but the LORD refused to answer him, either by dreams or by sacred lots or by the prophets.” (NLT)
iv. When Your Conscience Does Not Feel The Guilt Of Sin Anymore.
Ephesians 4:19: “They don’t care anymore about right and wrong, and they have given themselves over to immoral ways. Their lives are filled with all kinds of impurity and greed.” (NLT)
One of the Christian’s greatest assets is their conscience, and how to nurture and maintain its sensitivity is their daily preoccupation. If, therefore, you suddenly discover that you do not really care anymore if your actions are right or wrong, then it is a red flag that you have lost, or are losing, touch with God.
Apostle Paul once said this in Acts 24:16: “Because of this, I always try to maintain a clear conscience before God and everyone else.” (NLT)
Maintaining a clear conscience is not just about striving to feel good inside, because some people also feel good doing the wrong thing — that might include you. It is about getting a witness from God that your ways are right before Him, just as 1 John 3:21 says: “Dear friends, if our conscience is clear, we can come to God with bold confidence.” (NLT)
The parameters above are not the only measure for ascertaining whether a person’s standing with God is flawed or upright. The Holy Spirit will always guide the true child of God into more truth on the matter, but it is sufficient that the ones discussed above serve as a guide for the time being.
God is never too busy to answer His children’s call, or too occupied that He would not seek fellowship with them. He is always available! So if any of His children — that might include you — have not been in touch with Him for a while, they should immediately take a careful inventory of their dealings with Him in recent times, and see where they may have fallen out with Him.
B. THE REMEDY FOR A LOST RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
i. Know Where You Have Fallen From.
Revelation 3:1-3.
Revelation 3:2: “Now wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is at the point of death. Your deeds are far from right in the sight of God.” (NLT)
The only way to rise up again is to first admit that you have fallen. So many people find it hard to accept that they have fallen from grace, either because they are ashamed to admit it or they simply do not believe that they have fallen. Some unfortunate persons even go to the extent of ascribing infallibility to themselves, not minding that they are just mere imperfect mortals who cannot tell their right from their left except God helps them.
Proverbs 30:12: “There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filthiness.” (NKJV)
If anyone is ever going to be washed from their sins and made right with God, they must first acknowledge those sins and deal with them according to God’s command, without making any excuses for indulging in them.
Psalm 51:4: “Against You, and You alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in Your sight. You will be proved right in what You say, and Your judgment against me is just.” (NLT)
Whatever we think of ourselves, or anyone else, is subject to God’s own view, because whether we stand or fall is in His prerogative to judge.
Revelation 3:17, 19: “You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked… I am the one who corrects and disciplines everyone I love. Be diligent and turn from your indifference.” (NLT)
From the scripture above, consider what the Laodicean church thought of herself, and how Jesus Christ refuted those claims and gave His honest verdict. That is exactly what will happen to the proud sinner who will no longer be admonished to confess and forsake the obvious life of sin they are living in. Nevertheless, if they humble themselves before God, they will be forgiven their sins and be restored to fellowship with the Godhead.
ii. Repent Of All Known Sins And Re-dedicate Your Life To God.
Psalm 51:3:
“For I recognize my shameful deeds — they haunt me day and night… Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” (NLT)
God loves truth and humility, and where they are exhibited by anyone, no matter the gravity of the sin they have committed against Him, they will be forgiven.
Isaiah 1:18:
“Come now, let us argue this out,” says the LORD. “No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool.” (NLT)
No matter how far you have strayed from the light of God, and how deeply marred with sin your life has become, you must know that Jesus Christ will be the very first responder who will come to your rescue if only you are sincerely desirous of turning a new leaf in your life. He is your partner in your quest for a new beginning, or restoration from backsliding, and reconciliation with God. His finished work of redemption on the cross at Calvary proves it.
1 Corinthians 15:3:
“I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me — that Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said.” (NLT)
In rounding up this study, it is imperative to note that it is not uncommon sometimes to find a distraught person who, though forgiven by God, yet cannot forgive themselves because of the deep sorrow and regret they feel over their past life of sin. If you are presently in such a dilemma, then you must know that you are not alone. Apostle Paul also regretted his involvement in killing and persecuting Christians, and he spared no words in describing the terrible man that he thought he was. But he accepted the fact that God forgave him, and he forgave himself also.
1 Timothy 1:12-16:
“How thankful I am to Christ Jesus our Lord for considering me trustworthy and appointing me to serve Him, even though I used to scoff at the name of Christ. I hunted down His people, harming them in every way I could. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. Oh, how kind and gracious the Lord was! He filled me completely with faith and the love of Christ Jesus. This is a true saying, and everyone should believe it: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners — and I was the worst of them all. But that is why God had mercy on me, so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of His great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in Him and receive eternal life.”
There are other examples of people who initially felt completely unworthy of the grace and mercy of God shown to them, but who nevertheless eventually overcame their feelings and embraced the new life which God, through Jesus Christ, had given to them and moved on. Apostle Peter was also one of such persons. He literally asked Jesus Christ to go away from him as he thought that he was not worthy of His love. However, he would eventually overcome his sense of unworthiness and follow Jesus Christ.
You too can have a similar experience: just look into the Scriptures and you will find a host of forgiven sinners who, having obtained God’s forgiveness, never looked back again, but consecrated the rest of their lives to serving God acceptably.