“Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain. And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord has not spoken. The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without justice.” – Ezekiel 22:27-29

God delivered this word to ancient Judah, of course. He condemned the corrupt, greedy, self-serving political class. He condemned the lying religious class and numerous false prophets eager to cover for their sins. He also condemned the everyday sinfulness, meanness, cruelty, greed, and abuses of people unconcerned for the poor, the needy, the vulnerable, and the foreigners living among them.

It was certainly a powerful message to Judah, delivered to explain their looming disaster. But can anyone, of any political persuasion, honestly say that this shoe doesn’t fit today? Does anyone think God’s opinion is any different about these matters today than it was 2600 years ago?

We NEED Jesus and we need to be CHANGED by Jesus! Jesus came to rescue us from our sins and also to teach us how to live in His holiness and character. His Spirit has been given to every believer to bring forth love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. In other words, the opposite of everything driving our culture today.

Transformation begins with each of us individually. It must affect what we support, what we oppose, what we endorse, what we call for, what we speak against, and what we vote for. Let Jesus transform you heart, mind, words, and actions. Then seek to transform those around you out of the overflow of that transformation. #FollowJesus

“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!” – 1 Corinthians 6:15

For followers of Jesus, sexual immorality (in all its many forms) is seriously bad business! This truth isn’t particularly popular in our modern culture that loudly and proudly claims every person is completely defined by sex and sexuality. However, that’s simply not true for any person who has been made new by Jesus Christ.

The moment someone puts their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, they become a completely new creation! They aren’t the old being they once were that was defined by sins, appetites, desires, and lusts. Now, they are a child of God. Now, the Spirit of God lives inside them, which makes them a living, breathing temple of the Holy Spirit. Now, they are in ongoing union with Jesus Christ. Their life and freedom has been purchased with His blood that was shed on the cross. A true Christian belongs to Christ.

That is why those who follow Jesus are commanded to FLEE from sexual immorality. To run away from whatever tempts us, no matter how inconvenient or embarrassing. Because we have been made holy in Christ and are commanded to live like it. Because we are in union with Christ and should not stain that union with ongoing sinful behavior. What you were and did before Christ saved you from your sins is utterly irrelevant. The past is no more. But the way you live your present and future life in Christ is important to your ongoing growth into the likeness of Christ.

Unfortunately, Christians often get distracted on this subject by focusing on the ongoing sexual immorality of people who aren’t yet in Christ. Paul was clear – those who are still in sin are going to sin. Lament that but don’t be surprised about it. The Bible’s overarching concerns in this area are for the evangelism of those who aren’t yet in Christ and the holiness of those who now claim the name of Jesus. Don’t switch the order of those two things! Reach the lost. Teach the saved. And never get so focused on the sins of unbelievers that you forget to grow in your own holiness.

You are inextricably bound to Christ. He is in you and with you at all times. Live like it! #FollowJesus

“Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life.” – Ezekiel 18:27

God is certainly perfectly just. He will punish the wicked. However, God’s essential nature is also fundamentally gracious and merciful. That means His great desire is to see each and every unrighteous person repent of his or her sins and seek forgiveness in faith. That is why God’s eternal Son, Jesus, went to the cross in our place.

Jesus stepped out of eternal glory and into our world, taking on a human body and nature to live a perfect life without any sin. Then He gave up that life on a cross, suffering and dying to pay the just penalty for all our sins. Jesus laid down His life to fulfill God’s perfect justice. Having done so, Jesus died, He was buried, and on the third day, He physically rose from the dead.

The result of all that is that anyone who repents of his or her sins in faith, entrusting their life to Jesus as Lord receives God’s abundant mercy and grace. All sins are forgiven. All guilt is erased. All shame is washed away. This is critically important because we’ve all sinned. We’ve all fallen short of God’s glory and standard for our lives. We’ve all chafed at, and rebelled against, God’s authority, design, and will for our lives. In ourselves, we’re all wicked.

But when we turn away from that wickedness, confessing our sins and calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are saved. Not because we deserve it but because God is merciful and gracious by nature. He longs to show grace to even this most vile, shameful, and sinful people. If you haven’t embraced that grace, don’t wait any longer. Cry out to Jesus right now and be saved. If you’re already enjoying God’s grace, pray specifically for people you know who aren’t. It is not too late for them to turn away from sin and turn toward God. #FollowJesus

“For when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another, ‘I follow Apollos,’ are you not being merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each.” – 1 Corinthians 3:4-5

For 20 centuries, God has worked through countless gifted, Spirit-filled preachers, teachers, evangelists, pastors, and authors to reach millions with the gospel and mature believers in Christ. Throughout all that time, the struggle Paul writes about in these verses has continued. As people come to saving faith or grow and mature under the teaching of particular people, they can mistakenly grow more attached to those individuals than to Jesus.

There is a certain logic to it. After all, they see and hear their mentors in the faith in person. Often daily or weekly for years on end. It can be difficult to stay focused on the Lord in a world that’s naturally captivated by celebrity. Guard your loyalty! Guard your heart. Keep your focus on Jesus at all times.

It isn’t wrong to listen to, watch, or read the words of famous pastors, gifted preachers, Spirit-filled evangelists, or brilliant apologists. But make sure your appreciation of them is always building your love and loyalty to Jesus rather than to them. True and righteous teachers will always be redirecting your enthusiasm away from themselves and toward the Lord. They understand, as Paul did, that they are merely servants blessed to be used by the Lord.

Unfortunately, not all prominent “Christian” leaders and speakers do. Consider that a red flag. If a well-known teacher, preacher, or author talks about Jesus but mostly circles back to themselves, their opinions, their ministries, and their needs, run away. Don’t walk away. Run.

Jesus is Lord. Every blessing you have comes from Him. Never forget that and never grow so attached to a leader, speaker, writer, or influencer that you spend less and less time thinking about, worshiping, and obeying Jesus as Lord. #FollowJesus

“They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing. Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. They cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity.” – Ezekiel 7:19

Money can buy many things, but it can’t buy righteousness. It can’t buy peace with God. Those things were purchased on the cross with the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The only way to receive them is as a gift of grace through faith in the Lord. Wealth can’t help anyone spiritually. In fact, it often hinders a person’s spiritual growth and health.

We live in an era with a lot of visible wealth. There are more billionaires than ever before. The rich are getting richer while ordinary things are getting harder and harder for many to obtain. Wealth is coveted, flaunted, celebrated, hated, pursued, wasted, and abused. It’s clear that many people assume wealth will solve their problems, soothe their troubled souls, and guard them against troubled times. Indeed, luxury bunkers are in fashion these days among the ultra-wealthy. These things will do them no good if they are still under God’s wrath.

Money in itself is neither good nor evil. But when it’s pursued and amassed as the ultimate good in life, it becomes a source of outrageous sin. When it’s built at the expense of the dignity and well-being of others, it becomes “the stumbling block of their iniquity”. No amount of wealth can shield its owner from the wrath of God. Only faith in Jesus can do that.

Instead of pursuing endless wealth and discovering that there’s never enough, pursue holiness in Christ. Lay up treasure for yourself in heaven rather than on earth. Steward whatever wealth you have, whether a little or a lot, for the glory of God. Use it to bless others and build God’s Kingdom on earth. Care for the poor, the sick, the widow, and the orphan. By all means enjoy your blessings from God, but enjoy becoming more and more like His Son far more. #FollowJesus