1.3.25 ~ Sin is Insanity

Good morning!

1/3 of the 3 part conference concluded last night, with another incredible evening of worship and, hopefully, eye-opening teaching :-)

No matter what topic is addressed, we all face the same challenges. Will I follow my own wisdom or will I submit to God's wisdom? Will I live in my own power or submit to the Most High? Drinking in massive quantities the elixir of the gods of this world; a deadly aphrodisiac of self-sovereignty. Our modern 21st century hasn't changed since the 6th century BC when Jeremiah said, the whole world is drunk on the power of Babylon.

Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord's hand that made all the earth drunk. The nations drank her wine and it's made them all mad/halal. (Jer. 51:7)

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to what the world is drinking today. We worship those who wield the sword, proclaim everlasting prosperity and devour the earth. We are the madmen, consuming ourselves in the rush to have more.  We are a world of bigger barns (Lk. 12:18), storing up our treasures here while God prepares an accounting for our souls. Oblivious of missing out on God's high calling for everyone of us, we reel from one barstool to another, leaving in our wake the vast sea of impoverished faces. Drinking to stay drunk in order not to face the guilt of our pointless excess, we transform the powerful into idols and role models while we vicariously live their unrighteous exploits.

Is the world mad? Is the 'church' (generally speaking)? How else can it be described? In a headlong death spiral of disobedience, only insanity can account for the complete disregard of the awe of existence and the call of the Creator.  Men are lauded for their rejection of the fundamental question, “What does God demand of me (Mic. 6:8)?” But this is not an inherited condition, although it is certainly passed from one generation to another. This is voluntary madness.  It is not only completely unnecessary, it is also completely unexplainable.

Contrary to popular belief, we don't have to sin. Sin is insanity. It is the deliberate decision to destroy myself by ignoring the grace, peace and harmony that God offers. Why would anyone do that? The question presupposes there is a valid reason for such self-contradictory actions. There is no valid reason. There is only madness/halal.

This word for madness/halal probably looks familiar...it's the word for praise that we give during our worship services. On the flip-side, it also includes boasting, shouting, acting foolishly and raging insanity. Huh?

On the same scale we find madness and godly praise. What is the difference? Only the object of our worship. To be in one’s right mind is to be in praise of the one true God. To be insane is to be in praise of myself. Reasonable men, men of sound and righteous minds, are confronted with the inexplicable behavior and thoughts of madmen when they encounter those who are most surely running the path to self-destruction. There is no ground for argument or negotiation with such men. Until they come to their right minds, they are no different than the Gerasene demoniac, dangerous to themselves and to anyone in proximity (Mark 5:1-13).

Removing the spiritual component of such terminal behavior by dressing it in psychological garb is a mark of general cultural insanity. Redefining self-inflicted, eternal destruction as “normal” behavior does more to assist the enemy than any decline in morality. Men no longer fear the inevitable consequences of voluntary madness because today voluntary madness – the rejection of God’s instructions – is accepted and expected even within many buildings of worship/halal.

On this beautiful preparation day, may purposeful sanity set in on each of us!

Shabbat shalom!

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