What are the things you consider your biggest temptations? We are often warned to avoid many things as we grow up. Refusal to listen can have lasting negative impacts. In this article, I invite us to explore the dangers and pitfalls facing Christians today and how we might avoid them.
The Great Danger of Pluralism
We live in an era where religious pluralism and diverse worldviews shape our daily lives. Tolerance being a common theme in the public square, Christians find themselves increasingly forced to accommodate opposing worldviews and lifestyles. Somehow, we just must put up with people who practice things we disapprove of as Christians.
But even as the above unfold, there remains a call on us to maintain a life centered on God’s word; to avoid being defiled by the world (Psalm 119:11). Jewish people in Canaan became so accustomed to the evil ways of the Canaanites that those ways seemed just okay for them. They later adopted their neighbors’ worship practices and even demanded an earthly king, rejecting Theocracy. Often, we drift from the Lord by making friends with the world (James 4:4). We then begin seeing life through the world’s perspective and eventually love the world more than we love the Lord, our God (1 John 2:15). Before we realize it, we are already conforming to the patterns of this world (Romans 12:2). To avoid a similar downfall as of generations before us, it is wise to consider a few things they did wrong.
Forgetting What the Lord Has Done
The Psalmist exhorts his soul to bless the LORD and not forget his benefits (Psalm 103:2). And what is it the Lord has done? Forgiving all our iniquity, healing our diseases, redeeming us from the pit, crowning us with his steadfast love, and satisfying us with good so that our youthfulness is renewed constantly (Psalm 103:2-5). Deuteronomy 8:15-16 highlights the things the Lord did for the Israelites, including leading them through the vast, treacherous desert, giving them water from a rock, and providing them with manna.
Despite all the above doings of the Lord, the Bible says in Judges 2:6-10 that, after Joshua’s generation had passed, a generation arose that never knew the Lord or the things he had done for Israel. The Jewish people, when they had all they wanted, were ever so quick to forget what the Lord had done and ignored his plan (Psalm 106:13). They went back to their evil ways until judgment befell them, for only then could they see their need for God.
We, too often, behave in the same way. When things are working out for us, we, for example, forget the far we have come from and start treating those below us as children of a lesser God. We would do well to remember that it is not by might, nor by power, but by God’s Spirit that we are where we are (Zechariah 4:6).
Forsaking What the Lord Has Said
Forsaking what God says is a deliberate rejection of his will, of a relationship based on covenant, and of his commands. The rebellion will always show itself in the manner in which believers live. Man is always under pressure to pursue his own desires over the will of God. Yet, for the Christian, he must die daily to self and be made alive in the Spirit (1 Corinthians 15:31).
The Jews had been warned not to spare the Canaanites but to get rid of them all. Forsaking God’s instructions, they spared some. The angel of the Lord rebuked them, declaring that they had disregarded the law of God. The Canaanites, he warned, would become a thorn on their side and be used to test God’s people (Judges 2:20-23).
God has given us lots of instructions on how to live as pilgrims on earth. In the high priestly prayer, Jesus says he has given us his word to guide us on our earthly pilgrimage (John 17:13-19). Forsaking his word has always led to catastrophic outcomes. We should be careful to study and observe everything written in God’s word so that we may be successful in everything we do (and not in the worldly sense) (Joshua 1:7-9).
Failure to Learn from God’s Doing
Whenever we see people repeating the same sins over and over again, it is a sign of a hardened heart toward sin. Repeating the same sins indicates a lack of knowledge of who God is and a tendency to take his grace for granted (Romans 6:1-2). Many people show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance, and patience when, on the contrary, God’s kindness is intended to lead us to repentance (Romans 2:4).
In Old Testament times, God used nations to punish other, more sinful ones. In the book of Judges, there is a visible cycle of disobedience, discipline, despair, and deliverance. Such cycles are a sign of people who never learn from God’s doing. They take advantage of grace. While God is so gracious to us today, he also brings judgment.
As Christians, we need to be aware of this pitfall. We must learn from the Scriptures how God dealt with his people, as he does not change his values to accommodate the wicked.
Forfeiting the Promises of God
Many times, people forfeit God’s promises. There are times we experience specific issues that make us doubt God’s promises for our lives. Such unbelief may cause us to miss out on God’s promises or lead us to think that God is a liar. Proverbs 3:5-6 calls us to trust in God at all times and with all our hearts, leaning not on our own understanding but rather acknowledging God in all our ways that we may be prosperous in whatever we do. If we don’t believe, we should not expect to receive anything from God (Hebrews 11:6).
The Jewish people missed out on God’s promises due to their stubbornness. They hardened their hearts and refused to obey God’s word. That led to a life of distress and slavery as a consequence of their evil ways.
Christ has promised life to those who will persevere to the end. Challenges and temptations that can weaken our longing for God and his word abound. We need to watch and pray, lest we fall into the pit of unbelief, which can cause us to miss out on God’s promises both in this life and in the next.
The pluralism of our times notwithstanding, we must stay rooted in Christ and live to glorify him in all things, for all our days.