If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. – 2 Chronicles 7:14
There is a tendency today among some individuals, and in some churches, to dilute the Word of God with the views of culture. This is nothing new. It comes from one of Satan’s original lies. When in the Garden, in Genesis 3:1, he asked Eve, “Did God actually say… ?” Today, he utters the same crafty question to both believers and non-believers: Did God actually say anything about abortion? Did God actually say anything about human sexuality? Did God actually say anything about money management? The church cannot stand when it mixes the truths of God with the false doctrines of the world. Standards cannot be lowered or God dishonored for the sake of a “more equitable society.”
The pastor of a church in Flagstaff, Arizona, says that compromising God’s values with the world’s values brings disastrous consequences to God’s people. In his book, No Place for Truth, Dr. David Wells argues that the church in America has lost its foundation in God-centeredness. An “if-then” solution for being re-aligned with God and His Word is provided in today’s verse, with four significant requisites. People who declare themselves to be followers of Christ Jesus must take on the cloak of humility. They need to pray, not just perfunctory “bless this” and “do that” prayers, but the kind that empties the heart before the throne of a loving and listening to God. Seeking His face takes time immersed in the Word, “studying to show yourself approved” (2 Timothy 2:15, KJV), becoming a vessel the Lord can use. And repentance, a 180-degree turn from unrighteousness, needs to occur. When those things are done, God’s promise is to hear, forgive and heal.
Pray for Christ-followers in America to hold onto truth without compromise. Pray that believers would be ready to speak the truth, in love, when opportunities arise.
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