Reexamining Our Influences

By Jeff Curtis

In Psalm 106:34-36 we read a psalm that inspired commentary on the judges of the Old Testament. It tells us; “³⁴ They did not destroy the peoples, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them, ³⁵ But they mingled with the Gentiles and learned their works; ³⁶ They served their idols, which became a snare to them. ³⁷ They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons, ³⁸ And shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood. ³⁹ Thus they were defiled by their own works and played the harlot by their own deeds.

The judge Jepththah was born an illegitimate child, was rejected by his family and community, and joined other young men like himself in raids in Tob (Judges 11:1-3). He became a military leader (Judge 11:11), led “a very great slaughter” of the Ammonites (Judges 11:32-33) and the Ephraimites (Judges 12:6). Why was his life such a disaster?

Judges uses the story of Jephthah to show what happens when the spiritual community is more influenced by the world than by the Lord. The psalmist placed blame for the dysfunction and sin on how the Israelites mingled with the nations, learned their practices, and served their idols. The inspired passage shows how the unfaithfulness of God’s people to His standards and to proper worship of Him leads to disastrous results.

The story of Jephthah demands that as Christians we reexamine the sources of our conduct and the objects of our worship. It points to the potentially dangerous outcomes for young people reared in an unfaithful community. God’s standards in the New Testament as well as the Old, call for strict loyalty to one God and to His patterns for the community. When Christians fail to live up to God’s expectations, the results can be a problem.

Meditate on this:

Psalm 106:4-5

⁴ Remember me, O Lord, with the favor You have toward Your people. Oh, visit me with Your salvation, ⁵ that I may see the benefit of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, that I may glory with our inheritance.

Heirs of the Kingdom

By Ethan Tidwell

Romans 8:17 says "And if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together." This is talking about Christians “children of God” and that the Spirit is with us that are children of His. Some outside of the body of Christ may think that “heirs” is an unfair thing, that those are handpicked and directly chosen by God, they may be confused by other passages like (1 Pet. 2:9) which mentions “You are a chosen people” chosen and heirs refer to those who chose to obey “elect”.

Chosen heirs, if we are heirs then we would suffer for Christ, those who aren’t willing to choose to serve someone wouldn’t want to suffer for them either. As heirs that means we have a responsibility, to what? To keep God’s law and not stray from it, that way we can be glorified with Christ. A good heir keeps the ideals and laws of a former king who was respected and good, one who ruled wisely and lovingly. We are not to change anything that God has ordained but to keep it and abide by it. If we “were chosen by force” then James 2:5 wouldn’t apply to us (“Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?”) If we indeed are forced to be heirs than we wouldn’t love Him, because it wouldn’t be out of love that we serve Him and sincere.

Galatians 4:7 “Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” (Romans 6:18). “And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” We have freedom like nobody else does. Free from sin. Those who are slaves of sin are also dead in it, consumed by it, some are defined by their own sins. Those who have righteousness are bound by it and a servant of it, for righteousness is good and godly just like God. No longer selfish, by fulfilling our own desires but by being bound by and for goodness. Those who are righteous have heaven as a final reward.

Meditate on this:

Matthew 22:37-39  

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’