Left To Our Own Devices
By Grant Phillips
One of the most frightening thoughts that comes to mind, is the thought of God turning us over to our own devices. You might say, He washes His hands of us and walks away.
I’ll never forget what one of our coaches said to us in high school. It went something like (leaving out the expletives), “When I’m on your case, I see potential in you. When I’m not on your case, I’ve washed my hands of you.” That has always stayed with me, and I found it to be true later in life when I did some coaching.
God said of Israel, “So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.” (Psalm 81:12 ESV)
He said on another occasion, “They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand.” (Psalm 44:18 ESV)
In Romans chapter one, God states three times by the Apostle Paul that He “gave them up.” Last year I wrote an article titled, “God Gave Them Up” that addresses this subject, but this time I would like to consider the hopeless vacuum that remains when we are forsaken by God, and the security that is ours with Him.
In Romans 1:24, God gave them up to the lusts of their hearts. In verse 26 He gave them up to dishonorable passions, and in verse 28 he gave them up to a debased mind. So we have:
1. Lusts (desires, longings)
2. Dishonorable (shameful, disgraceful, vile) passions (desires, lusts, urges), and a
3. Debased (corrupted, soiled, stained) mind
Is it possible that God has seen these traits in our society today, and has turned His back on us? Has He removed His hand of grace that has provided us protection and blessings over the past years?
Let me say clearly that I can see these traits in our society, and if I can see them I know he can see them much clearer than I ever could. So has God given us up to our own desires, our own vile passions and our own corrupted minds? If He hasn’t done so, He must surely be in the process of turning away. Is there any hope for us?
I’m sure you’ve heard it said that one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel. In a few short years we have become a society that is a barrel full of rotten apples. To top it off, we can’t see the rot or smell the stench coming from that barrel, but God can. As we wallow in our filth, we joyously applaud our “liberty” to do as we please, and insist that God get out of our lives. As we move God further and further away, we live lower than the animals.
The most hated people on the planet, apart from the Jews, are true Bible believing Christians who stand with God and refuse to bend. I personally believe that if we are second only to the Jews, we are quickly becoming equally hated and it’s getting worse daily.
The world does not want Jesus or those who follow Him saying there is only one way to God. The world does not want to be told that some things it does are a sin against a Holy God. The world wants to come before God and be totally accepted by Him, without true repentance in Jesus Christ, while reeking of sin. The world wants Jesus and all He represents removed just as badly as the sons of Ishmael and Esau want the sons of Isaac and Jacob pushed into the Mediterranean Sea.
Perhaps sooner than we think, this decadent society we live in will get its wish. The true Church will be removed and transported to Heaven, and then God will truly turn His back and give the world exactly what it wants; the Antichrist and all the baggage that comes with him.
The Holy Spirit will not work as He has in the Church age dispensation, but will revert back to His ministry of the Old Testament, when only a few experienced His presence.
The world will finally get what society today demands, a world without God (at least to a degree). Satan will finally be granted his time to “let loose,” and God will initiate His own type of justice upon this world.
Our world is in bad shape at present, and it likely will continue to decline until Christ returns for His Church. Once He does, the evil of hell will be unleashed. Even worse, the judgment of God will fall upon it.
Many are lonely today, because they are scared. With all the bad they see around them, a black loneliness has enveloped them because they see no way out. The world has gone mad, and there doesn’t seem to be any hope.
On the other hand, millions are living like there is no tomorrow and no God. They’re carefree and thrilled at their newfound “freedoms.”
When the Antichrist shows his true colors, the blood will drain from these same two groups of people, until their faces are ashen. Why? God will give this world up as He did the people of Noah’s day, except this time, there will be a judgment of fire instead of water.
Today we are living in the seventh Church age of Laodicea. Jesus said to that Church, “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 3:20 ESV)
There is a ray of sunshine. More than that, there is a brilliant Light from Heaven that promises salvation for anyone who will put their trust in Jesus Christ. There is nothing to fear, nothing to worry about. If you open the door of your heart and ask Jesus to take over your life, He will give you eternal life. The world can collapse upon itself, but you will be secure in the arms of Almighty God.
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