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Trusting In Deceptive Words
Trusting In Deceptive Words
Luke records Jesus quoting from Jeremiah’s great temple speech (Luke 7:46; Jer. 7:11). Going back and seeing the context of Jesus’ quote, you get an eyeful of God’s view of hypocrisy and worship!
The people in Jeremiah’s day trusted in a false hope (note Jer. 7:4 – deceptive words), saying: "The Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD. The temple of the LORD are these" (Jer. 7:4). Israel was God's chosen people. God had provided for this temple to be built. God filled the temple with His presence. They wrongly concluded that THEREFORE as long as the temple was standing the people of Judah would be safe? We are not told exactly how they came to this conclusion, but they lived by it.
The temple's existence seemed to be unconnected to how they lived. God's chilling question: "Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations?" (Jer. 7:9-10).
Can people really believe that they can live such an ungodly lifestyle and yet offer acceptable worship to God? Yes, they did in Jeremiah's day and they continue to do so. People believe all sorts of things make them acceptable unto God even if they live ungodly lives. "I was baptized." "I believed in Jesus as my personal savior." "My daddy was an elder." "I am a member of the church." Etc. Etc.
Jesus told some people of his day: "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness" (Matthew 7:21-23).
How you live does make a difference in your relationship with God and the acceptableness of your worship. Jeremiah counseled in his day: "For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another, 6 if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever" (Jer. 7:5-7). Even so today, one who would worship God acceptably must be striving to live a godly life.
"Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life" (Gal. 6:7-8).
Are you trusting in deceptive words?
Hugh DeLong
