Confronting our stubborn hearts
“I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.
But my people would not listen to me;
Israel would not submit to me.
So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices.”
These are strange times. Arguably, these are times that are without precedent in United States history. Utter chaos abounds. The current administration thumbs its nose at courts, taxes Americans without representation, grants unique power to an unelected technocrat, kills off programs that save lives, ignores and insults the judiciary, and violates the due process rights of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people.
For anybody paying attention, we cannot be confident that the freedoms we’ve enjoyed throughout our lives are guaranteed for tomorrow.
We are on the brink of potential economic calamity, thanks not just to the president’s unsound policies but also to his unstable approach to those policies. He miscalculated the responses of markets, citizens, members of his party, courts, and foreign leaders, causing him to recalibrate multiple times.
For those who follow Jesus, we know God is sovereign, and nothing in heaven or earth is outside his control.
So, it sure seems like He has given us over to our stubborn hearts so we might understand the folly of proclaiming our ways wiser than God’s.
After all, that seems to be Adam and Eve’s lesson. Our image-bearing ancestors sought the knowledge of good and evil, meaning they no longer trusted God to give them the necessary wisdom to exercise dominion over his creation.
Perhaps we are suffering the consequences of our folly (Romans 1:24-28).
This nation’s, this world’s, really, sins are multiple.
Idolatry: Loving anything more than God—whether materialism, self-worship, or reliance on human systems—violates the greatest commandment to love God above all else (Exodus 20:3-5; Matthew 22:37-38).
Division, hatred, and lack of Love for neighbors: Failing to love others undermines Jesus’ second-greatest commandment and leads to societal breakdown (John 13:34-35; Galatians 5:19-21).
Fairlureto adequately care for the poor, widows, and orphans: God commands His people to provide for the poor, defend the cause of widows, and care for orphans as an expression of true religion and justice (Deuteronomy 15:11; Isaiah 1:17; James 1:27).
Disregard for the sanctity of life: Human life is sacred because all people are made in God’s image; abortion and lack of proper care for the elderly violate this principle (Psalm 139:13-16; Proverbs 6:16-17).
Oppression and injustice: God commands justice and mercy for the marginalized, including minorities, migrants, and the poor (Isaiah 1:17; Micah 6:8).
Trusting human systems over God’s sovereignty: Relying on political or worldly systems instead of trusting in God’s power reveals a lack of faith in His ultimate authority. Christians on both the left and right have put too much trust in political institutions. (Proverbs 3:5-6; Psalm 146:3).
Greed: Greed leads to exploitation and idolatry, distorting society’s priorities and harming others. Greed deprives others of God’s abundance and care. (Colossians 3:5; Proverbs 28:25; James 5:1-6).
Sexual Immorality: Sexual sin damages relationships and communities, violating God’s design for purity and faithfulness. While many Christians think first of LGBTQ’s prominence in culture, they ignore the prevalence of pornography and, I suspect, their own sexual sins. (Romans 1:24-27; Hebrews 13:4).
Mistreatment or exploitation of migrants and foreigners: Fair treatment of sojourners reflects God’s justice and mercy, which He commands His people to embody. This applies to wage exploitations as well as family separation policies and deportations on invented charges and without due process. (Leviticus 19:33-34; Deuteronomy 10:18).
Failure to protect children from violence: Scripture emphasizes protecting children as a sacred responsibility, condemning any harm done to them. Our failure to come together as a society and stop the mass murder of children in schools is inexcusable. (Matthew 18:6; Psalm 127:3).
Corruption in leadership: Leaders are called to serve with integrity and righteousness; corruption undermines trust and perpetuates injustice (Proverbs 29:4; Exodus 18:21).
Environmental exploitation: Stewardship of creation honors God’s design and reflects humanity’s responsibility to care for the earth responsibly (see also, Greed). (Genesis 2:15; Psalm 24:1).
Participation in or support for unjust wars: Supporting wars driven by greed or power, wars that disregard the humanity of its victims, contradicts God’s desire for peace and justice (James 4:1-3; Isaiah 2:4).
Pursuing the imposition of doctrinal issues as political causes while in a minority status: Using political: Forcing doctrine through political means rather than living out Christ-like love undermines the Gospel’s transformative power (Matthew 5:13-16; John 6:66).
Election of Trump despite moral and ethical concerns: Supporting leaders with manifest moral failings risks compromising Christian witness and aligning with worldly pragmatism over biblical principles (Matthew 20:25-28; Proverbs 16:12).
Reducing advocacy for life to political coercion: Focusing solely on legislation without addressing broader needs neglects biblical justice’s call for compassion and care for our fellow image bearers (Micah 6:8; James 2:15-18).
Please note: This is not a call for political action. Jesus was radically apolitical. This is a call for prayer and witness, evangelism and discipleship.
Jesus was the last man to radically change the world. None of us alone are up to that task, but if we first change our hearts to realign our priorities with God’s, we will start to change the world.
Change begins with repentance.