Day 39 or February 8. Keep God's laws for everyone's sake.
Our thoughts today are rooted in Leviticus chapter 18, verses 3 and 4.
You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they
do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. You must
obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God.
First the big picture surrounding these verses. There is much detail about sexual cleanliness
in Leviticus. Promiscuity was a real problem, and Moses did all he could to counteract it
by telling the people that God didn't approve and demanded change. It's interesting that
nowhere does God disapprove of sex. After all, it was his idea in the first place. However,
when people simply do their own thing, it brings all sorts of problems and makes a God-given
gift seem dirty and unwholesome. His people are to be distinctive and not the same as
their heathen neighbors. The Canaanites were into tattoos and unusual hairstyles, so don't
even look like them. Of course, this doesn't mean if you have the right hairdo and no tattoos,
you're okay. I believe it means that we are to be God's people here on earth, and there
are some aspects of modern life that are simply inappropriate.
And now our action step for today. One of the most popular criticisms of the church
today is that it's out of touch, and people see it as irrelevant because it's so old-fashioned
and behind the times. My question is, who's moved? Would biblical teaching be more effective
if it was regularly updated to suit modern trends in society? Sadly, some people would
say yes, but I wouldn't. I've heard it said that the church should reflect the society
in which it ministers. No, it shouldn't. It should reflect its Lord and Saviour and call
for repentance and the need to progress to godly standards. Of course, let's be as contemporary
and relevant as possible, but let's not distort the message itself. Are you one of God's
special people, or do you appear just the same as everyone else? Time for a checkup.