God Is Not A Prostitute

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I get bothered by the Word/Faith movement. I think it distracts people from a loving and life changing relationship with Jesus to a relationship that is about getting things. It distracts the mind and heart from the Creator to the created. It seems like idolatry to me.

I was reading in my notes on Isaiah from Bible Study Fellowship and I came across a line that I read repeatedly. The premise was that the Israelites had taken to worshipping Yahweh in the same way the Canaanites were worshipping their deities. It all clicked. The Pharisees were still doing it when Jesus came. The Canaanites performed rituals to/ for their gods in order to receive something. There was no eternal salvation or tender relationship. This was a relationship of stuff. The Israelites were treating Jehova Jireh like the blocks of wood that the people of Canaan carved into idols. How heartbreaking, how repugnant to be treated like that. 

I got sick at my stomach and thought how wounded God must have been. They treat, we treat God like a prostitute. If I do this or that then I can get so much out of God. If I rub Him just right, He will give me the wants I want. How easily we wound Him and how willingly He has been wounded.

When the Liar comes calling and tells you that you can get more stuff if you have greater faith, tell him to shut up. Jesus said that we achieve much with little faith. Faith is not something we muster up. Faith is a gift from God. Faith is something we ask for. It's not something we turn in to get our God commodity. Jesus Christ is a person who longs to lavish redemptive love and blood on you. He is not something to be bought and sold. His gifts are not something we earn. He is freely given. 

May you ponder what He has already given for you this Easter.

Comments

Stephanie said…
I was just reading about this this morning...about how our hearts are wrong and we go through the motions to be "good". To do what looks like what God wants us to do, but really it is no better than worshipping those idols. Convicting stuff. Sometimes, the routine of a good bible study girl gets in the way of really hearing and fellowshipping with our Father.

Love reading your insights Steph!
9:28 AM
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