“All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of justice, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers” (Jeremiah 50:7).
TEXT — Jeremiah 50:1-8
Message
There are startling records of individuals, groups and nations that were once considered strong, impregnable and unconquerable but came tumbling down like a pack of cards due to internal weaknesses and decay. The Soviet Union (USSR), once a superpower, collapsed in 1991 due to internal weaknesses and external pressures. Some of the key internal factors include endemic corruption and cronyism within the system, economic stagnation, the refusal to embrace change, and tensions arising from the various ethnic groups that made up the union, among other factors. These internal weaknesses were further worsened by external pressures, leading to the final collapse of the union.
Our text focuses on the promised return of the nation of Israel to their land after captivity and the predicted collapse and judgment of Babylon. However, our attention is drawn to what made the nation of Israel vulnerable and succumb to defeat in the first place. The reason is so apparent: “because they have sinned against the LORD…” The once strong and unconquerable nation of Israel became weak and defeated by their enemies because they sinned against God and corrupted themselves with idolatry and all forms of abominations. Sin took their strength and defence away, leaving them open to all forms of attacks and harassment from the enemy nations.
Sin makes the Christian vulnerable. It strips him of all strength and removes the divine shield, leaving him at the cruel mercies of the “roaring lions” lurking around and seeking opportunities to pounce and devour him. The Christian remains strong and unconquerable as long as he lives in full obedience to God’s word and continues in righteousness. But the moment he begins to flirt with sin, take the grace of God for granted, and neglect prayers and the fellowship of God’s people, he becomes weak and open to defeat.
The secret of staying strong and remaining unconquerable as Christians is avoiding sin. No amount of praying and fasting, no powerful online or offline prayer altar or “prayer contractor”, no show of spiritual zeal and devotion, nothing at all can shield the sinning Christian from the attacks and onslaughts of the enemies, except the mercy and the grace of God alone. The secret of remaining strong and invincible is simple: stay away from sin! If you are already backslidden, you are treading on a dangerous path. Repent and return to the Lord without a moment’s delay. If you delay your complete repentance and restitution, no one can guarantee what happens the next moment.
Thought for the day
Sin opens the back door of your life to the devil.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
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