Stale Faith

 

“Febreze, the air freshener product, runs commercials that ask the question, “are you nose blind.” It refers to living in your house or apartment, and becoming insensitive to the smells around you. Whether it is dirty socks, dogs, filth, or any other bad smells, our noses become blind to the smells around us, after some time. We have a dog so we know how easily you can become nose blind to the smells, because our noses adapt from that initial “UGH” smell, to just ignoring it. It’s probably more noticeable when you go to a friends house or family members house, and walk in and you try to not make a face.

We all find ourselves doing the same in our faith, or non belief of God; because we become “nose” blind to our sins, and rebellion to God. We, like Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah, the Israelites in the wilderness, and in the promise land, and David with Bathsheba, become comfortable with our surroundings,  that though we’re  being blessed; turn away from God. We start worshipping the gods of self, similar to how Israelites followed the gods of the people around them. They fell into abominable, sexual, unclean worship, and  ran to other gods, building aseroth poles, and bowed to them. In Deuteronomy Eleven, Moses reminds the people and  it says, 

“Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them;”  ‭(ESV‬‬) 

God knew that men were wicked and that we would be easily deceived like Adam and Eve, and we would turn and serve other gods. Man has done it from the beginning and even today because there is nothing new under the sun. We want what we want, and we will kick, scream, fight, and do everything to get it. The sad part of that eventually God will give us over to that thing that we so badly desire, as Paul writes in Romans one, beginning in verse twenty four,

“Therefore God GAVE THEM UP in the lusts of THEIR HEARTS to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they EXCHANGED THE TRUTH about God for A LIE and WORSHIPED and SERVED the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.” (ESV) (Emphasis added)

The longer we stay in something, the easier it becomes to just accept it as okay or normal, when in reality it is hardening our hearts and ultimately away from God. God becomes nonexistent; because He’s too mean, His rules are boring, wrong, out of date, no longer relevant, and narrow minded. I have been there; where I like the prodigal son was sleeping, and eating with the “swine,” and being nose blind to the blessing God had given me. 

But for the grace of God go I. My question is, are you “nose” blind and staying, straying, or you don’t know God? Come to Jesus, come back to Jesus; like I did when He called me home again, and be filled with the Spirit and renewed.  Jesus sacrifice is one of the many fulfillments and promises as Isaiah One says, 

““Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” (ESV)

He cleanses us from all of our iniquity regardless of where we’ve been, what we’ve done, and all you have to do is come to Jesus and repent.” Jose Barajas