Have you ever heard anyone say their decision was based on being…
THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS?
By whose standard?
Ours or God’s?
When we make decisions that are reserved exclusively for God’s authority, it’s dangerously close to idolatry or putting ourselves in His authority.
It’s amazing how people decide for God which sins are BIG and little.
The fact is that God considers abominations more evil than many sins we call less evil.
Proverbs 6:16-19New King James Version
16 These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to [a]Him: 17 (A)A[b] proud look, (B)A lying tongue, (C)Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 (D)A heart that devises wicked plans, (E)Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 (F)A false witness who speaks lies, And one who (G)sows discord among brethren.
To be clear, this short article isn’t excusing any sin, but warning against the sin of hypocrisy.
Matthew 16:5-12 (NKJV)
5 Now (B)when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. 6 Then Jesus said to them, (C)“Take heed and beware of the [a]leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”
7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.”
8 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you [b]have brought no bread? 9 (D)Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? 10 (E)Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? 11 How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the [c]leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the [d]doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Listening to the news I was again amazed at a gentleman who says he’s a Christian who was proclaiming how passionate he is about keeping his OATH to defend the constitution.
I have absolutely no problem with defending the constitution…it’s our duty.
I do however have a problem with TAKING AN OATH rather than ‘affirming’ to do so.
Why?
Because Yeshua, The Messiah, (Jesus Christ) implicitly, unmistakably and irrevocably FORBADE it…
Matthew 5:33-37 (NKJV)
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of [a]old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let [b]your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
James 5:12 (NKJV)
12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into [a]judgment.
It doesn’t get more plain that those two verses.
It’s amazing how some sins such as homosexuality and abortion are politicized, while swearing and taking oaths are not only ignored, but done blatantly in the face of God demanding that He accept it.
Article 2, Section 1, of the U.S. Constitution prescribes the oath of office.
From Senate.gov website:(https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Oath_Office.htm)…”The Constitution contains an oath of office only for the president. For other officials, including members of Congress, that document specifies only that they “shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation to support this constitution.” In 1789, the First Congress reworked this requirement into a simple fourteen-word oath: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States.””
Many people’s minds immediately go to looking for excuses and reasons to justify a tradition that clearly goes directly against what Jesus commanded, just like the Pharisees…
Mark 7:7-13 (NKJV)
7 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—[a]the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”
9 He said to them, “All too well you [b]reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God), 12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, 13 making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
Quite frankly, this tradition is directly from Satan (“37 But let [b]your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.“) however, it continues for generations because, just like the ‘system’ during Jesus’s earthly ministry, the system excuses, justifies and expects it.
Is homosexuality a sin?
Yes.
Is abortion a sin?
Yes.
Is adultery a sin?
Yes.
Is idolatry a sin?
Yes.
Is taking an oath of office, or in court, or into public service as in?
Yes, just as much as those mentioned above.
So, why are Americans content with that? Where is the passion for removing the stain of this sin from our country?
Before you blame the the wrong in America on the two or three big sins you hate…God could be pissed off at the sins you accept, such as oaths and pride.
The reason many people can’t swim is because they were taught
fear of water rather than respect for water.
I remember as a child when at the lake as I went near the water
being told, “Get away from there!”
I was taught at an early age to be afraid of the water.
The disciples became afraid for their lives as the storm
raged while Jesus slept in the lower parts of the boat. When Jesus woke up,
before He rebuked the winds and the waves, He rebuked their fear and lack of faith…
Matthew 8:23-27
(NKJV)
23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And suddenly a great
tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He
was asleep. 25 Then
His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save
us! We are perishing!”
26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He
arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 So the men marveled,
saying, [a]“Who can this be, that even the winds and
the sea obey Him?”
I’m sure there were many people in those days afraid of boats, just as many people today are afraid of planes.
What are you afraid of?
How did you learn to be afraid of that? It’s one thing to have a healthy respect for the power of something and another to be afraid of it…even your enemies.
Too many times it’s our fears that come between us and our
purpose, our vision, our calling, our destiny, our potential…being everything
God called us to be.
Remember what God told us through the Apostle Paul…
2 Timothy 1:7
(NKJV)
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and
of love and of a sound mind.
Too many times, “Fear is how the enemy convinces you to
customize an attack against your own future.”
BE BLESSTIFIED! 