Letters From God – 8/11/22

This series of Letters From God is an attempt to put the thoughts of God as revealed in the Scriptures as they relate to individuals and the nation of the USA.

QUESTION:
We Seem To Have Replaced Your Morals With Our Own. Are You Alright With This?

Not at all! You see when I designed you, I gave you a manual that told you clearly what was right and what was wrong. Like any manual, if you fail to follow it or create your own so that you violate the design of the manufacturer, you will never enjoy the product, it will not do what you expect it to do and it can be very dangerous and deadly.
You must understand that you are engaging in a dance with death because you have rejected my design and my clear standards of behavior and have created your own which may seem to be just as good but are deceiving you and are deadly. This problem is not new. When I asked the author of Psalm 50, Asaph, to write a song whose lyrics addressed this problem, I was giving instruction that was timeless. What was appropriate for the people in the day of Asaph, approximately 3000 years ago, is just as relevant for you today.
Their biggest problem was revealed in verse 21 of Psalm 50. I said to them through Asaph, “These things you have done, and I kept silent; you thought I was altogether like you. But I’ll rebuke you and accuse you to your face.”
Their problem was that when they abandoned me and made their own god’s they made them just like them. The values were not that of me, a holy God who created them, they were base and evil like their hearts, that became dark with sin when they abandoned me. Having concocted these new standards, thinking that they would be liberating and prosperous, they instead met with my judgment and the natural consequences of their sin. Because of my love for them and my desire to restore them I had to rebuke them and accuse them to their face. Had they listened, they could have admitted their mistake, been forgiven, returned to follow my will and values and continued to know my blessings instead of my curse. Unfortunately, they didn’t. But now it’s your turn. If you would read this Psalm you will see that I declared that I alone am the mighty God and the Lord (:1) There are no other true gods and one day I will call all the earth to stand in my presence for judgment. (:1) I reminded them that though I appear distant and unaware of their behavior, that in fact I have seen and witnessed every thought, word and action. I have only been giving you time to turn from your foolishness and wicked ways. I your God will come and not be silent; there will be a fire that devours before me and around me tempests rage. (:3) I will summon the heavens above and the earth that I may judge my people, those who have trusted me and followed my will and those who have not. I will be there judge (:6) My judgment will not be concerned with religious rituals because it is so easy for you to give the outward appearance of obedience through religious rituals while your heart is far from me. (:7-15)
What I will address and make the basis of my judgment will be whether you were wicked or righteous. If you have made your own values system, especially with regard to morality, and practiced what you thought and said was right, you will face my wrath. You are not God and your standards are unacceptable to me, a holy God. The list of wickedness of those who were addressed in the original writing of this Psalm include, reciting my laws and taking my covenant on your lips while you hate my instruction and cast my words behind you. (:16-17)
When you see a thief you join with him and throw in your lot with adulterers. (:18)
You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit. (:19)
You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother’s son. (20)
If you were to look closely at this list you would recognize that you are doing the very same things. Your moral values are not even close to mine and what you look to for liberation and prosperity will lead you to death unless you change. It is for this reason that I asked Asaph to close this Psalm with my final words, they are these: “consider this you who forgot God, or I will tear you to pieces with none to rescue; he who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the ways that I may show him the salvation of God.”(:22-23)
Those who have received forgiveness of their sins through trusting my Son, Jesus, to deliver you and who follow my word and values, will be honored and shown salvation. Those who have forgotten me and live in active disobedience by following their own values and standards will face my judgment and there will be none to rescue.

I remind you of this and write this because I love you,
God

These letters are written by a New Hampshire pastor.