God Gave Them Up
Good Morning,
We all enjoy the thoughts about the love and mercy of God. He is love, and He is certainly merciful, but the nature of God is vastly more than a sugar-coated grandpa out in space.
In his sermon against the leadership of Israel, Stephen reminded them of their history, and at one point, brings up a tragic time in history when God gave up the people.
Acts 7:41 “And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.”
vs. 42 “Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?”
Israel had so resisted the things that God asked of them, that He simply said (in our terms) “Go on, do what you want.” God gave them up to worship stars and idols.
One simple thought I would like to mention is that I want God pulling on me, drawing me, urging me, and helping me towards right. I do not want God to let me alone to my own folly. I do not want God to abandon me to my shame. I do want the Spirit’s conviction.
Another passage more familiar, yet states the same truth is in Romans 1:
vs. 24 “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:”
vs. 26 “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:”
vs. 28 “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;”
The book of Romans tells a vile story of moral depravity which we are living among today, and our situation is not getting better but worse. The reason was because God GAVE THEM UP. They did not like to think about God, give God glory, or thank Him; God said they could go their own filthy way unrestrained.
There is a line that can be crossed where God ceases to help, draw, convict, and nudge us toward right and away from wrong. We do not want to find ourselves in that place.
Of the Holy Spirit working in our lives, we read that He will help us.
John 14:26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
John 16:8 “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:"
The Holy Spirit is given to the believer to teach, comfort, correct, and help. Sadly, walking away from His guidance creates a risk that God will let us go our own way. We need the Lord every hour; we need His guidance and His instruction to remind us of things we have read but might fail to recall.
Do not risk losing all a close relationship with God because of selfishness. I am not speaking of losing salvation, I do not believe that is possible, but we can so grieve the Spirit that we end up on our own, and that is no place to be.
Ephesians 4:30 “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
Pastor