Living Out Your Conviction

When you truly love someone, would you choose to do things that the one you love finds utterly detestable?

Therefore,
“Come out from them
and be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you.”

2 Corinthians 6:17

Avoid Wicked Customs

“There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, ¹¹or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. ¹² For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. ¹³ You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. ¹⁴ For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you.”

Deuteronomy 18:10-14

“A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the Lord your God.”

Deuteronomy 22:5

“You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.”

Leviticus 18:22

“The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But the prayer of the upright is His delight.”

Proverbs 15:8

“One who turns away his ear from hearing the law,
Even his prayer is an abomination.”

Proverbs 28:9

God honors the prayers of those who are truly seeking Him and as you can see above, the prayers of those who have no regard for Him will not be answered. Though someone does not fully know Him yet, He will send or lead the person to someone who will present the truth of the gospel (Romans 10:17) as God did with Cornelius in Acts 10:30-34,

“Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me ³¹ and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. ³² Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ ³³ So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.” ³⁴ Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism ³⁵ but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.”

“Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
Though they join forces, none will go unpunished.”

Proverbs 16:5

Pride keeps us from approaching God’s throne of grace as it keeps us from acknowledging His existence and our need for Him as Savior (Isaiah 43:11). Lucifer’s downfall was pride (Isaiah 14:14) and by refusing to humble ourselves, we mirror Lucifer, a created being, instead of the Creator in whose image each of us were created.

“The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;
How much more when he brings it with wicked intent!”

Proverbs 21:27

God is not impressed with anything done out of false pretenses by those claiming to know Him (Matthew 23:5). The word “wicked” means the person does not know God. Though appearing extremely sacrificial, a multi-million-dollar donation announced with a megaphone attached to one’s name is only good for here (Matthew 6:2). When you insist on being recognized for that deed, you are taking glory for yourself (Luke 16:15). That is the way of the world. The moment you decide to give your life to Jesus, you are no longer of this world.

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”

Matthew 16:24-26

We all know that ignorance excuses no one. Knowing is good because only then can we resolve to do something about it. You are reading this because God sees your desire to truly know Him but you have one foot on the other side. You have a choice to make on removing what is abominable to God out of your life. You cannot drink from both the cup of good and evil (1 Corinthians 10:21). If you say you love God, that love will lead you to obey His Word out of reverence- all rationalizations aside.