A Superficial or Transformative Faith
A Superficial or Transformative Faith
2 Kings 22-25
“Before him there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and with all his might, according to the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him.”
From the pinnacle of faith to the depth of judgment. Twenty-three years is not very long. The older I get, the more quickly time flies. The things that happened 23 years ago happened only a few years earlier. Twenty-three years is but a blink in the march of history. Yet, it was only 23 years between the spiritual revival that came under the leadership of Josiah and when Babylon came and destroyed Jerusalem and took the people away to Babylon. We are left with the question, “How could Judah turn so quickly?” The answer lies in their failure to change inwardly.
The leadership of Josiah was one of the spiritual high points of the nation of Judah. Josiah led the nation in a spiritual reform. While Hezekiah was one of the most righteous kings, Josiah surpassed him in his pursuit of God and obedience to God’s law. From a spiritual standpoint, Josiah was the high-water mark of the nation in terms of obedience. He did what even David and Solomon failed to do. For the first time since the period of the Judges, he led the people in celebrating the Passover. What was to be the pinnacle of the Jewish faith and expression of their loyalty to God had been ignored. Josiah further eradicated all remnants of idolatry and the worship of pagan gods.
Tragically, however, the spiritual reforms were only external for the people. The reforms Joseiah implemented only changed the outward acts of worship, but not the inward condition of the heart. Zephaniah, the prophet who ministered during this time, warned the nation of the coming judgment because their change of worship did not change their heart. Zephaniah denounced the people for, while giving the outward appearance of obedience to God, they secretly worshipped the false gods. In Zephaniah 1:5-6 the prophet announces judgment upon, “those who bow down on the housetops to the host of heaven, and those who bow down and swear to the Lord and yet swear by Milcom, and those who have turned back from following the Lord, and those who have not sought the Lord or inquired of Him” (Zephaniah 1:5-6). God does not accept lip service, nor does not accept partial loyalty. He desires our complete surrender.
Today's tragedy is that many within the church manifest the same attitude as the people of Judah. They attend church on Sundays, sing the hymns, and say “amen” to the sermon, but still keep one foot in the world. They still follow the world and embrace the values and morality of our culture. Their faith is superficial rather than transformative. Jesus warns that obedience must be complete and that our service to God will not overcome an unchanged heart. He warns of superficial faith in Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” We can publicly affirm our loyalty to God and even do acts of service and ministry for God, but if our heart and character remain unchanged, it will only condemn us more. God desires more than external obedience and worship; He desires a heart fully surrendered. God desires that our faith transform us rather than just be superficial. Today, ask God to radically transform your life so that you serve Him and Him alone.
2 Kings 22-25
“Before him there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and with all his might, according to the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him.”
From the pinnacle of faith to the depth of judgment. Twenty-three years is not very long. The older I get, the more quickly time flies. The things that happened 23 years ago happened only a few years earlier. Twenty-three years is but a blink in the march of history. Yet, it was only 23 years between the spiritual revival that came under the leadership of Josiah and when Babylon came and destroyed Jerusalem and took the people away to Babylon. We are left with the question, “How could Judah turn so quickly?” The answer lies in their failure to change inwardly.
The leadership of Josiah was one of the spiritual high points of the nation of Judah. Josiah led the nation in a spiritual reform. While Hezekiah was one of the most righteous kings, Josiah surpassed him in his pursuit of God and obedience to God’s law. From a spiritual standpoint, Josiah was the high-water mark of the nation in terms of obedience. He did what even David and Solomon failed to do. For the first time since the period of the Judges, he led the people in celebrating the Passover. What was to be the pinnacle of the Jewish faith and expression of their loyalty to God had been ignored. Josiah further eradicated all remnants of idolatry and the worship of pagan gods.
Tragically, however, the spiritual reforms were only external for the people. The reforms Joseiah implemented only changed the outward acts of worship, but not the inward condition of the heart. Zephaniah, the prophet who ministered during this time, warned the nation of the coming judgment because their change of worship did not change their heart. Zephaniah denounced the people for, while giving the outward appearance of obedience to God, they secretly worshipped the false gods. In Zephaniah 1:5-6 the prophet announces judgment upon, “those who bow down on the housetops to the host of heaven, and those who bow down and swear to the Lord and yet swear by Milcom, and those who have turned back from following the Lord, and those who have not sought the Lord or inquired of Him” (Zephaniah 1:5-6). God does not accept lip service, nor does not accept partial loyalty. He desires our complete surrender.
Today's tragedy is that many within the church manifest the same attitude as the people of Judah. They attend church on Sundays, sing the hymns, and say “amen” to the sermon, but still keep one foot in the world. They still follow the world and embrace the values and morality of our culture. Their faith is superficial rather than transformative. Jesus warns that obedience must be complete and that our service to God will not overcome an unchanged heart. He warns of superficial faith in Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” We can publicly affirm our loyalty to God and even do acts of service and ministry for God, but if our heart and character remain unchanged, it will only condemn us more. God desires more than external obedience and worship; He desires a heart fully surrendered. God desires that our faith transform us rather than just be superficial. Today, ask God to radically transform your life so that you serve Him and Him alone.
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