Abandoning What We Know

Anger and fear are two emotions that can overtake our lives and bring us to destruction. There are cases of righteous anger and healthy fear, but usually those are not what consume us. Our imaginations can be preoccupied with fret, worry, and thoughts of revenge that lead us down the wrong path. Those paths always lead to wickedness:

    “Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn away from it and pass on.” (Proverbs 4:14-15)

It is amazing how many times I’ve abandoned what I know to be biblical truth. Usually anger is what motivates me, but there are times when I succumb to fear, primarily of the future. I know that God is in control. I know that all things work out for the glory of God. I know that God will never leave me nor forsake me. Knowing and doing are two different things. When I abandon what I know, it’s as though I’ve forgotten what my face looks like:

    “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.” (James 1:23-24)

We are seeing a disturbing phenomenon in America right now. It is not the first time it has happened; it always happens around election time. However, this time it is manifesting itself greater than ever before. The good part is that many who call themselves Christians are being exposed as counterfeits. The bad part is those being exposed are refusing to repent of it and gladly walking towards their own destruction. They are being led by anger and fear into a false hope. They are gleefully consenting to sin:

    “My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.” (Proverbs 1:10)

Not only are faux Christians being exposed and deceived, but also so are true believers in Jesus Christ. Their love for America is greater than their love for Jesus Christ. I fully understand this; I’ve been guilty of it in the past. I’ve argued many a reason for “voting for the lesser of two evils.” The problem is I’ve never made a biblical case for it.

If I look closely to the Bible, I learn that I’m not allowed to do evil. I never get to choose evil regardless its degree. In fact, I’m told to do the opposite:

    “Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:14)

The problem with choosing the lesser of two evils is that I’m trusting my own personal pragmatism instead of trusting God’s purity. Additionally, I forget that if I do follow my own advice, then I’m abandoning what I know and what the Bible teaches me:

    “I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word.” (Psalm 119:101)

When we look at our circumstances with worldly eyes, we choose to go it alone. No Christian is ever alone, but he or she can choose to be left alone. We can ignore the Holy Spirit’s promptings, ignore biblical teaching, lower our standards for righteousness, and decide to choose the lesser of two evils. When we do that, we abandon what we know:

    “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22)

Paul taught the Thessalonians that they were never to choose evil, of any kind. They were to “abstain from every form of evil.”

Beloved, the only way we can discern the truth is to know the Truth.

If we will do that, then chances are we won’t be guilty of abandoning what we know.

In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4

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    Copyright © 2016 David Jeffers

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