“9 My heart is broken because of the false prophets, and my bones tremble. I stagger like a drunkard, like someone overcome by wine, because of the holy words the Lord has spoken against them. 10 For the land is full of adultery, and it lies under a curse. The land itself is in mourning— its wilderness pastures are dried up. For they all do evil and abuse what power they have. 11 ‘Even the priests and prophets are ungodly, wicked men. I have seen their despicable acts right here in my own Temple,’ says the Lord.” ~ Jeremiah 23:9-11
During the time of Jeremiah, not even the prophets and priests, the holy men of God, were living their lives according to God’s Law. They not only lived in sin, but they led others to live in sin as well. They led the nation of Israel away from God. They justified their sins and the sins of the people with reassuring Scriptures that they took out of context. They painted God as a God of only peace, patience, love, and mercy, instead of a God of righteousness, holiness, and justice. They taught a version of God that justified sin, instead of the God who demands His people flee from sin, so that they would not corrupt themselves and their land. Because of this, their punishment was severe.
Today, we are following in the same paths of these false prophets and priests. We no longer call sin, sin, but instead, we justify sin by saying, “God understands,” “My Jesus loves everyone,” “You cannot judge, only God can judge.” We no longer stand for what is right, but instead, we fall into the demands of culture, falling prey to their beliefs and their feelings. We no longer hold to the morality that God set, but instead, we have created our own morality. Yes, God loves everyone, yes, God is a God of mercy, but God is also a God of righteousness.
God’s underlying love that He has for all of creation can only do so much for you. Just as a father cannot stop his son from being jailed for his crime because the son didn’t call the father who could pay his bail, our Heavenly Father cannot pay our bail, our fine, our debt, because we have yet to come to Him and ask. So, the love of our Heavenly Father can only do so much if we refuse to abide in His love.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Abide in His Love.