“Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.’” – Deuteronomy 29:18b-19a

Consider these words very, very carefully. We who follow Jesus are strongly tempted to do exactly what God says bears poisonous and bitter fruit. We loudly proclaim how blessed we are in Jesus (and we certainly are) while stubbornly continuing to practice our favorite sins. The temper we don’t control. The lust we don’t resist. The tongue we don’t restrain. We “yada, yada, yada” the teachings and commands of Jesus, hearing them and letting them roll off our backs like water off a duck. We let God’s Word pass in one ear and out the other without producing the slightest change in how we think, speak, or act. Why? Because we tell ourselves we’re safe, we’re blessed, and we’re saved. Beware this poisonous and bitter fruit!

Christians have an ENORMOUS ability to excuse, explain away, or rationalize outright disobedience to the clear teaching of Scripture. On matters related to sexual immorality, violence, envy, anger, greed, and gossip, just to name a few. We explain away lack of concern for the poor and vulnerable around us, particularly widows, orphans, and immigrants, all of whom are directly addressed by Scripture. We excuse causing division with other Christians because our ideas, our preferences, and our priorities are so important that we simply must speak our mind and get our way. We rationalize how the Sermon on the Mount couldn’t possibly be serious or literal or applicable to us because of God’s grace.

Beware!!! Jesus is very clear that faith in Him which doesn’t change anything about a person and doesn’t result in a desire to obey Him can’t save anyone. God’s grace is free but it certainly isn’t cheap. It calls every believer to a high bar of holiness driven by gratitude for what Jesus did for us on the cross. If you aren’t praying and striving to live like that and God’s word isn’t regularly poking you, challenging you, and changing you, you need to beware! #FollowJesus

“For all who do such things, all who act dishonestly, are an abomination to the Lord your God.” – Deuteronomy 25:16

God really, really, really cares about the integrity of His people! The Bible repeatedly condemns those who use dishonest scales or measures to take advantage of others in buying, selling, and trade. Such people are an abomination to God! That’s intense! Don’t be an abomination! Why does God care so much? Because He cannot lie, cheat, or steal. Since we are made in His image, we must not lie, cheat, or steal either. When we do, we reveal the image of the Father of Lies in us, Satan, rather than our Father in Heaven. That’s very bad!

For followers of Jesus, there must be no cutting of corners. There must be no fudging of results. There are not to be any “small lies” that work to your benefit and someone else’s harm. Absolute integrity in the workplace and marketplace is the expectation and standard for the children of God. It doesn’t matter whether another person will ever notice or figure it out, because God always knows.

Are your ethics – in the workplace and the marketplace – rock solid and beyond reproach? Is your honesty in matters of time, money, buying, and selling like that of Jesus, regardless of whether anyone is looking or not? Are there any particular “gray areas” where you need to search your heart and motives, confess sin to God, and ask for His people to walk with His integrity? #FollowJesus

“And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God.” – Deuteronomy 21:22-23a

This is what Jesus voluntarily gave Himself up to – the curse of God. The innocent and eternal Son of God, Who committed no sin of His own, yielded His life to die hanging on an accursed Roman cross. Jesus took that curse to set us free from the curse of sin and death. Jesus took all your sins and all of God’s righteous wrath and condemnation for those sins upon Himself. Now, if Jesus is your Lord, there is none of that left for you.

If Christ is your King, your sins are completely gone. God’s wrath toward you is completely gone. All condemnation toward you is completely gone. Completely. Gone. There is not a bit, not a hint, not a residue left over. You are free in Christ from all those things. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

In Christ, you have become the righteousness of God! That’s who you are. If you think of yourself differently, please understand that you’re mistaken. If you imagine there is still some wrath, some condemnation, or some stain of sin on you, you’re mistaken. Talk to God about that. Ask Him to help you see you as He sees you. Ask Him to help you forgive yourself as He has already forgiven you. If Jesus is your Lord, then you’re no longer under any curse, no matter what you might think or feel, because Jesus took your curse on that tree! #FollowJesus

“There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer.” – Deuteronomy 18:10

You may not have noticed, but many of these things have come into fashion in our world today. Fortune telling, psychic readings, mediums, Tarot readers, divination, and witchcraft have all seen a resurgence in post-Christian America. This is especially true among the younger generations who are desperately hungry spiritually but don’t know where to turn, because too few credible witnesses are pointing them toward Jesus.

Some who practice these things may even claim to be Christian, but they are not. These services aren’t just harmless scams. Verse 12 continues, “for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord.” Although these verses are part of the Old Covenant, God’s nature doesn’t change. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. What was an abomination to Him 3400 years ago in Israel is an abomination to Him today in your community. That’s because these “services” tap into things which are truly demonic.

Certainly some of them may simply be scams taking advantage of people who are easily fooled. Nonetheless, any that are “genuine” (and there are plenty which are) open doors to dark spiritual connections and attachments. Take these things seriously. Pray against these businesses and services, that they would fail. If someone you know talks about using these services or visiting these people, speak up loudly and firmly! Pray fervently for anyone tempted to use them or already using them. Point those who are spiritually seeking to Jesus. Only Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. #FollowJesus

“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.” – Deuteronomy 14:2

This incredible (and honestly mind-blowing) statement about the ancient Israelites is now true for every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (see 1 Peter 2:9-10)! In other words, if Jesus is your Lord, then YOU are holy to the Lord. The Lord has chosen YOU to be part of His treasured people, just as He is gathering sons and daughters from among all the ethnic peoples across the face of the earth.

This is very important because many Christians continue to think of themselves incorrectly. Take a moment to think about these truths. You are a treasured possession of God. You aren’t just another something random God picked up at a yard sale. You are treasured. Deeply loved. Meticulously known. Held close to the Lord. God loved you long before you cared about Him. In Christ, you are a recipient of His grace and mercy, His patience and faithfulness, His love and attention.

You are also holy to the Lord. To be holy is to be set apart and devoted to God. The blood of Jesus, shed on the cross for your sins, made you clean and holy the moment you put your faith and trust in Him. This is the amazing grace and mercy of God. Now, however, you are invited, called, commanded, and empowered to live a truly holy life. To devote yourself, your time, talent, and treasure to God. To set yourself apart for the things of God rather than the things of the world.

The question to meditate on today is whether you’re living like these true things are actually true? Are you living (and thinking of yourself) as a treasured possession of God? Not someone ordinary, someone extraordinary? Not someone broken and defective but someone made beautiful in Christ? Not someone barely hanging on at the edge of God’s attention and care but someone treasured by God? Not someone free to do whatever you feel like, but someone devoted and holy to the Lord? #FollowJesus