Abominations Bring Destruction

This morning I read Deuteronomy 7:25-26 during my devotional time:  "You shall burn the carved images of their gods with fire; you shall not covet the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, lest you be snared by it; for it is an abomination to the LORD your God. ²⁶ Nor shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be doomed to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it is an accursed thing."  Verse 26 grabbed my attention.  Living in Australia, it is very easy to bring abominations into our houses unwittingly.  With uncut movies and internet, abominations can be digitally ushered right into our homes.  When we do this, scripture warns we will be doomed to destruction.  These are hard words intended to impact hearts hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

As a Christian man, I would never think to invite a woman to disrobe in my living room and perform sex acts.  I would not invite gangsters into my house to swear and curse, nor would I gather the family around to watch people fornicate from the lounge.  Yet this is exactly what happens if we watch television programming or internet videos without discernment.  The potential is great for us to bring abominable practices right into our homes and after a while not even notice we have done so.  When it comes to sin, we are to "utterly detest it and utterly abhor it."  Once we have been exposed to such abomination our conscience becomes seared and we no longer notice.  For this very reason I believe a lot of Christians are weak, sick, and unable to recognise we have compromised.  When we compromise, we are spiritual compromised.  Sometimes we are overtaken in trespasses, and other times we invite it freely.  What did our mothers teach us about playing with fire?  Not only can we be burned, but the destructive power can spread and be fanned out of control.

Be on guard, brothers and sisters.  If we give place to the devil, he will not rest until he increases his hold on our hearts and minds.  He always seeks to bring us back into bondage.  True freedom comes when we recognise our sin and repent, choosing to live a life of holiness and righteousness for God's glory.  1 Thessalonians 4:1-7 reads, "Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; ² for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. ³ For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; ⁴ that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, ⁵ not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; ⁶ that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. ⁷ For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness."

The will of God is that we not only abstain from immorality, but we keep our hearts and minds pure and holy from this sin-steeped culture.  Sin is a snare, and those who see it and avoid it are wise.  Snares are carefully concealed for the purpose of trapping and killing hapless victims.  In light of scripture, let us be discerning with what we bring into our homes and what we set before our eyes.  We lose nothing when we walk uprightly.  This is the way to an abundant life with Christ, walking in the way that pleases God as He sanctifies us by His grace.