Adultery and Apostasy

Most people do not use these terms anymore. Why? I would guess for two reasons really, but perhaps both reasons actually come from the root of the second one. First, because as a society, we are quickly becoming the T9 text prediction culture that knows nothing more (this is somewhat of an overstatement) little characters as (ttyl, gn, ty, rotfl). Second, because such words that I have used in the title do not seem "nice." They are very offensive in nature and they hurt and in our culture, we just don't like such things. However, God has a different viewpoint. These are the exact terms and concepts that were used in Scripture to describe his people who have gone "a whoring" to other things rather than turning to the one, true, God who is forever praised.

I was reading this morning from a fabulous book by Francis Schaeffer, entitled "The Church Before the Watching World. Let me start by asking you...have you ever had moments when you read things, think of things, and you are so overwhelmed that you just don't know what to do with yourself? Many times this comes over me when I am reading through the Scriptures, but today, this happened as I was hearing this great teacher issue a harsh rebuke and a warning.

PARENTS AND CHURCH LEADERS...PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE FOLLOWING WORDS, THEY ARE DEVASTATING!!!

Francis Schaeffer was talking about the crushing consequences of liberal theology when he draws some conclusions from Scripture. I wish that I could just quote the entire book here, but I would strongly suggest reading all of the Scripture references in this book and then again consider the argument.

Spiritual adultery is worse, much worse, than physical adultery. But it also much worse, let me say, than the Jews following their idols. Oh, how God spoke out against the Jews following their idols! What strong figures of speech he used in love in order to bring them to their senses! But modern liberal theology is far worse, for it turns against greater light, against greater blessing. Modern liberal theology is worse than following Molech of old.

Molech, whose idol was in the valley of Hinnon, was a heather god whom the Jews were constantly warned against following. And what a god he was! The central act of his worship was the sacrifice of the first-born of every woman's body. According to one tradition, there was an opening at the back of the brazen idol, and after a fire was made within it, each parent had to come and with his own hands place his first-born child in the white-hot, outstretched hands of Molech. According to this tradition the parent was not allowed to show emotion, and drums were beaten so that the baby's cries could not be heard as it died in the hands of Molech.

There, I would say, stand many in our day. Many of those who come to me, those with whom I work, are the children destroyed by a worse than Molech. Men--men who were supposedly the men of God--have stood by while the children were eaten up by modern theology. And then we are told to show no emotion.

Some of us bear marks of these things from the background from which we come. All of us are marked in some way because our Western post-Christian world has been undercut by liberal theology. Every scar this present generation has, every tear cried, every baby which some of you who read this have willfully aborted, ever drug trip you have taken, cannot be separated from the fact that the church has turned away and become unfaithful. Men of this generation are babies in the hands of Molech. And are we, as mere dilettantes, supposed to stand by, hear their cries and cover them up by beating loudly the drums of a profitless discussion? I tell you, No. We are to weep and to act.

(54-55)

I tell you...we are to weep and to act. Wow. I am speechless.

In all things...Christ preeminent!

Aaron