REFORM YOUR WAYS AND LIVE

REFORM YOUR WAYS AND LIVE

PROCLAMATION

“This is what The Lord Almighty, The God of Israel, says: ‘Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place.’ ”  Jeremiah 7:3 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of Judah.  Jeremiah was told to stand at the gates of the temple and proclaim this message. (Jeremiah 7:1-2)  All those who entered the temple, which was filled with idols, were told to reform their ways and actions.  If they reformed, then The Lord God would let them live. (Jeremiah 7:3-7)  Going into The Lord’s temple and worshiping idols in there was detestable to Him. (Jeremiah 7:10-11 and 7:17-20)  He told them that He brought them out of Egypt and gave them commands to obey but they did not pay attention to Him.  They did even more evil than their ancestors. (Jeremiah 7:21-26)  Because of their idol worship and burning their children as sacrifices, He was going to destroy them. (Jeremiah 7:30-33)

APPLICATION

Today we need to understand that just going to the temple regularly will not save us.  If we continue to practice the same sinful activities, then we are still lost.  If we continue to ignore His Holy Word and disobey His commands, then we will also incur His wrath.  However, if we change our behavior and deal with each other justly, then He will let us live. (Jeremiah 7:5-7 and 2 Chronicles 7:14)

THE PUNISHMENT FOR DELIBERATE DISOBEDIENCE

PROCLAMATION

“ ‘Why should I forgive you?  Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by gods that are not gods.  I supplied all their needs, yet they committed adultery and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.  They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for another man’s wife.  Should I not punish them for this?’ declares The Lord.”  Jeremiah 5:7-9 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of Judah.  The Lord God had become frustrated with the children of Israel.  They had all turned away from Him.  There was not one honest, truth seeking person in the city of Jerusalem. (Jeremiah 5:1-2)  He had tried mild forms of punishment but that did not work. (Jeremiah 5:3)  The poor people did not know the ways of The Lord and neither did their religious leaders. (Jeremiah 5:4-5)  Therefore, The Lord God had decided to let their neighboring nations, the Babylonians and the Chaldeans, destroy them. (Jeremiah 5:9-29)  He describes their destruction as attacks by a lion, a wolf, and a leopard tearing them to pieces. (Jeremiah 5:6)  The people were likened to an ungrateful and unfaithful spouse.  Given their behavior, He asks a series of rhetorical questions, “Why should I forgive you?”  “Should I not punish them for this?”  “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?” (Jeremiah 5:7-9)

APPLICATION

Unfortunately, today we use many slang phrases which contain references to God which are used in vain such as:  “Oh my God” and “Lord have mercy.”  We talk about “mother nature” and “father time,” and we complain about the weather without acknowledging that these are all controlled by God.  We don’t want to follow The Lord’s commands and, even though we call ourselves “Christians,” we have unyoked ourselves from Him. (Jeremiah 5:4-5)  A lot of the bad things that happen to us are things which we brought upon ourselves.  If we had behaved differently then the hedge of protection which is around us would have kept bad things from us. (Job 1:10 and Isaiah 5:5)  The Lord God, by His permissive will, allows some things to happen to us as punishment for our disobedience.  If we change and return to Him, then things in our lives will change. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

RETURN TO THE LORD

PROCLAMATION

“Go, proclaim this message toward the north: ‘Return, faithless Israel,’ declares The Lord, ‘I will frown on you no longer, for I will not be angry forever.  Only acknowledge your guilt …’ ”  Jeremiah 3:12-13 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of Judah.  In this chapter, the sins people of Israel and Judah are exposed, and their idolatry is compared to a prostitute. (Jeremiah 3:1-10)  The Lord God tells them to return to Him, but first He wants them to acknowledge that they have sinned.

APPLICATION

Our biggest problem today is the lack of confession of sin.  Some people won’t confess because they do not consider that what they have done is wrong.  Unless a man knows he has sinned, and has been convicted of it, he will not turn away from it or confess it.  There are also those people who enjoy their sins to the point that they refuse to let go of them.  Without a change of heart by The Lord God both of those groups are lost.  The rest of us believers need to humble ourselves, and confess our sins, and turn from our wicked ways. (2 Chronicles 7:14)  For if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and He will forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)