Monday, August 3, 2009

We serve a Jealous God

A lukewarm ministry is a withering blight. It is an iceberg in the Church. It
freezes and deadens. But can lips be cold which speak of heaven—of hell—of
never-dying souls—of God's everlasting love in Christ!
Henry Law, Beacons of the Bible, 1869.

Henry Law wrote the words above in 1869. They still hold true in 2009. God will spew out of His mouth the lukewarm church. That is from His word which is forever settled. It never changes. Why is it so important for believers to be serving with a sense of urgency accompanied by unmatched diligence? Because the God we serve is a jealous God?

God tells us through His giving of the Ten Commandments He is a jealous God. We should have no other god before Him. We are warned in the New Testament we cannot serve two masters. We will love one and hate the other. Everything we do must be for and toward one master. The right master is the Heavenly Father who is a jealous God.

We are not without instruction as to how to live a life of diligent service to our Lord. Countless examples are also given to us showing what happened to those who did not serve God (a jealous God) with their whole heart. Israel as God's chosen people often sought pleasure and went after false gods. Nineveh, a Gentile people, repented after Jonah preached only to later return to former sins. Both groups were not given a free pass. We read in Nahum chapter one what happened to the Gentile people. God told them He is a jealous God. Why jealous over a Gentile people? Because they were called to God. Through repentance they belong to God.

All who come to God by faith in Jesus Christ are made His. He is jealous when it comes to His own. Just how deep is His jealousy? So deep He has fixed a gulf between the prepared place of His people so no one can cross. Only Christ can take Gods people across. So deep He uses His word to rebuke and chastise His own children when we step outside His will. So deep He will one day destroy all who do not trust Jesus Christ as savior.

Our God will not share His Glory with another, He will not accept partial worship, He casts out all who do not accept His Son and He will one day right every wrong done toward Himself and His people. Why? Because He is jealous.

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