Detestable Acts

It is sad to see so many people trying to find comfort and direction in their lives from everything other than the Lord Jesus Christ, including so-called Christians. I know of people who won’t let a day go by without consulting their horoscope. They would rather trust in the alignment of the planets and stars as having some influence on their lives than God. There are even people who will resort to engaging in what are commonly called “old-wives tales” in an effort to predict such things as the gender of a baby. I have seen a pregnant woman lying on her back while another pregnant woman dangled a necklace over the other’s belly believing that it would predict the gender of the baby. How about the times we try to offer an opinion on a subject by talking about what “they” say. For example, once a person sneezed and another person says, “You know ‘they say’ that when you sneeze it means that someone is thinking about you.” Who is “they” and what makes them an authority on anything? I could go on and on about the myriad of things we believe and promote that have little more than anecdotal evidence at best to justify their validity. Yet, people will still resort to these things in order to try and find answers to the circumstances in their life. While they may be dismissed as harmless fun, for many people the constant focus on these things says their trust in them goes deeper than just superficial fun. Usually, what it means is that we have no idea why something is happening or what will happen in the future, but are too afraid or ashamed to admit it. Unfortunately, Christians get wrapped up in this form of paganism just as much as any unbeliever and then wonder why their relationship with God suffers or is nonexistent. God told the Israelites, “When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there (Deuteronomy 18:9).” What can Christians take from such a warning? Have we not seen our own brethren imitating the “detestable ways” of the lost in our own nation and world?

God warned the Israelites not to do these things because, “Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you (Deuteronomy 18:12).”  Oh, and what were these detestable practices? According to Deuteronomy 18:10-11, these practices were things like, divination or sorcery, interpreting omens (which is taking an experience and using it to predict future events), engaging in witchcraft, casting spells, is a medium, spiritist or who consults the dead. We have an entire religion under the banner of Christianity who engages in consulting the dead. Thankfully, because of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God is not holding these sinful acts against Christians and is not going to “drive” us out. However, are you truly in the faith if you see nothing wrong in consulting horoscopes, practicing old-wives tales or believing that something as trivial as a sneeze has spiritual significance? I would encourage anybody, Christian or not, to reject this nonsense which can only lead you further away from God. If you are a Christian, while God is with you, you will only feel that He is somehow not a part of your life and how could He be when you are not seeking guidance and instruction from Him, but from the detestable practices of the world? If you are not a Christian it is time to stop allowing yourself to be deceived by the godless and empty practices of the world in an attempt to find answers for your life. Instead you should turn to Jesus Christ; the answer to the real problem you have which is spiritual death. Regardless of your circumstances, “You must be blameless before the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 18:13).” And when you come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ you are blameless. That is why Christians are reminded, “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight (Colossians 1:21-22).” Be blameless in Christ and put away the detestable acts of unbelievers.