When the World Gets in the Church
Daily Old Testament Reading: Ezekiel 8-10
Daily Focus Passage: Ezekiel 8
The Prophet, Ezekiel, warned the people of allowing culture to influence their worship and obedience to the Lord. When culture influences the church, the church allows the world to dominate the truth of the word, and as a result, the church begins to accept sinful things. When the church attempts to live by the standards of the world and not by the standards of God's word, then the church begins to look like the world and reflects the darkness of the world. Instead of illuminating the light of Christ, the church must guard itself against the influence of accepting that which God has called sinful.
How does the church guard itself from the influence of the world? The church must commit themselves to the truth in the Word of God. Committing the self to the truth of God's word means that we believe, understand, and hold that the truth given by the Lord through his word is not relative or suggestive but absolute. When we hold to the inerrancy and infallibility of God's word, we affirm that the Word of God alone is the standard by which we understand, and we must guard against the influence of the world that attempts to change the truth.
Secondly, we must guard against allowing our feelings to overcome the truth that God has given. When we are not cautious, we will allow our flesh toward someone or something to prevent us from living out the truth. When we do not guard our hearts, we will accept sinful things. We often attempt to make excuses for their behavior and accept and justify what they do instead of speaking truth and love. Thus, we must guard ourselves to be proclaimed of truth while also being individuals who proclaim the truth in love.
Third, we must guard ourselves to remain faithful and obedient. We must guard ourselves to pursue the Lord's ways and not the flesh's desires. We must strive to truly look different than the world because we are to be the light illuminating the darkness.
According to Prophet Ezekiel, it is important for the Church to resemble the Word and not the world. We should not embrace the ways of the world for the sake of being accepted by it. Instead, our focus must be on seeking the Lord and living for Him alone. The Church should be a place where truth is proclaimed and genuine worship takes place. Our goal should be to remain faithful to the Lord rather than conforming to worldly ways and methods. Considering Ezekiel Chapter 8, do you think you are living a life that strives to resemble the Word or the world?
