Today's "Sparkling Gems From The Greek" Volume 2 by Rick Renner is a very important and sobering message to born again believers who desire to walk in the Glory of the Lord!
Always On Guard!
… Abstain from pollutions of
idols, and from fornication….— Acts 15:20
We must never forget that the
devil is always on the prowl, waiting for us to drop our guard and fall asleep
on the job so he can stealthily find an entrance into our lives. In our moments
of lethargy and complacency, we are especially vulnerable. The enemy is
constantly poised to exploit any perceivable weakness, and when he makes his
move, it is often with devastating consequences. Therefore, we must perpetually
remain on guard — diligent, wide-awake, and doing our part to protect ourselves
from the evil lurking in the shadows.
Specifically, this means we must
be vigilant about not exposing ourselves to environments that have
spiritually negative consequences. An integral part of being vigilant is to
stay away from places, events, and people that are detrimental
to our spiritual lives.
The Bible makes it clear that it
is our duty to avoid anything that is opposed to a life of holiness. By doing
so, we fulfill our part in protecting ourselves from the evil in the
world. This is our responsibility, and God expects us to fulfill it
seriously.
Much like today, the early Church
was literally surrounded on all sides by things that could easily lure new
believers back into a life of sin. Pagan temples were one of the most prominent
temptations in New Testament times, since these cult sanctuaries were central
to life in the Roman Empire. Essentially functioning as “cultural centers,”
temple grounds hosted numerous community events, including festivals,
ceremonies, and even open marketplaces. However, these temples were also dark
cesspools of demonic activity, idolatry, and fornication, which
made it imperative for early believers to stay as far away from them as
possible.
In Acts 15, we read that the
early Church leadership convened in Jerusalem to discuss what to expect of new
converts who abandoned paganism and came to Christ. After much deliberation,
the council arrived at a decision, which Peter summarized in Acts 15:19,20:
“Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the
Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from
pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from
blood.”
Peter announced new converts
should “…abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication….” The word
“abstain” in this verse is the Greek word apecho, which means to
deliberately withdraw from; to stay away from; to put distance
between oneself and something else; or to intentionally refrain. The
word “pollutions” is a translation of the Greek word alisgema, which
depicts something that is defiled. Part of the activities of idolatry
included “fornication.” This is from the Greek word porneia, the Greek
word that was used to describe any sexual activity outside the context of
God-ordained marriage.
The rites of idolatry were often
connected to immoral sexual acts, which God condemned. These rituals were lewd, indecent, obscene, vulgar, degenerate,
and profane. Therefore, it was essential for new believers to distance themselves
from the environments where these things occurred because it had the power to
infect, sicken, and nullify them spiritually. This is exactly where the devil
wanted them to be, knowing that if he could get believers into that old
environment again, he could possibly drag them back into bondage, dilute their
spiritual power, and negatively affect their witness.
You see, most believers had been
saved out of that immoral pagan lifestyle, and to return to a
blatantly pagan environment for a social event was flirting with temptation.
Roaming about a pagan temple with all its spiritually poisonous activities
could ultimately bring ruin into their lives. To be in that environment
certainly was not being diligent to protect themselves against the
evil that is in the world. Early believers needed to stay away from these dark
environments at all costs — even if all their friends and neighbors
went there. It just wasn’t the place for Christians to be if they
intended to remain spiritually free.
The spiritual leadership in
Jerusalem made the decision, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that
we all need to be careful about the places, events,
and people we allow in our lives. Those who belong to Christ do not
need to deliberately expose themselves to films that cause temptation, hang out
in bars where there is a strong temptation to drink, or spend time with “loose”
friends who have adopted a worldly view that Christ opposes.
Is today’s Sparkling
Gem a wake-up call for you to be more vigilant about where you go, what
you do, and whom you spend time with? If nothing else, let the Holy Spirit speak
to you about walking in greater spiritual freedom and holiness.
My friend, there are places,
events, and people that are spiritually detrimental to your future. Rather than
put yourself in jeopardy by allowing these things in your life, it is safer to put
distance between them and yourself.
Since the devil is on the prowl,
it is essential always to remain on guard — diligent, wide-awake, and
doing our part to protect ourselves from the evil that is in the world. This
means putting distance between ourselves and any individual,
activity, or atmosphere that could contribute to our spiritual demise.
So I ask you today — are you
sensibly putting space between yourself and detrimental places, events,
and people that aren’t healthy for you? That was God’s requirement
2,000 years ago — and it is still what the Holy Spirit requires of you
today!
AMEN! Each one of us who came out of the world, especially those not raised in a Christian home, must learn from the Word of God and by the Spirit of God just how to conduct ourselves and our lives to glorify JESUS! Remember, there IS no NO condemnation to those who are IN CHRIST (born again), but we can affect out lives here on earth either positively by thinking, speaking and acting in a Godly way, or we can look, act and sound exactly like the world around us. THAT my not keep you out of heaven if you truly received JESUS as Lord and Saviour, BUT, it will definitely affect THIS life AND our rewards in Heaven! Let's be about our Father's business and let's do it righteously, bringing glory to His name! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "As You Find Me":
Shalom in Him!
