In the ancient world, it was known that unaccompanied ladies were vulnerable to being assaulted by men. (Galatians 6:7) which states "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. (1) Sometimes religion is used for financial gain. A life of obedience to God is evident to others because they can see that you dont do what others in the world do. It means that every child of God can hear God speak to them. The Christians victory is through Christ. Often these people dont have any Christian values at all. Please help Betsy complete her mission "Books for Souls." Living our lives with God in it, makes things easier and gives us hope. (Now he was more important than anyone in his fathers household.) He spoke of looking forward to these things. and [looking] for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13-14). This happened twice with Abraham, as his wife was taken into Pharaohs and Abimelechs harems (12:15; 20:2). Tagged: consequences of not walking with god . We often hear about the benefits of waiting on God, but what about the consequences of NOT waiting on Him? We may not realize it, but walking with God is so much better than walking without him and here is why. There is always a righteous choice to be made if we are willing to seek it. But Jonah fled west toward Spain because he feared the Assyrians. Therefore, they promised to give consent if all the males of the city became circumcised. God gave him a second chance. Paul wanted Timothy to hold fast to the truth of God, not allowing himself to be divided. This is what made their act even more evil. Consider these verses: No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13). So lets consent to their demand, so they will live among us. All the men who assembled at the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem. The Habit of Irresponsibility: But, since God is the ultimate author of Scripture, he doesnt hide the flaws of his people. God loves us too much to allow us to continue to neglect him and go our own way. He was accused of blaspheming by saying He had the authority to forgive sinssomething only God can do. I have heard someone saying, "I decided to become a Christian because of the lifestyle of my neighbor." Mind you, the Israelites had just seen one of the greatest displays of Gods power that the world has ever seen when He threw 10 whopper plagues at the Pharaoh to set them free. And it appears that Jacob and his family began to neglect God in this season. God does the same with us. The fire will show if a persons work has any value (1 Corinthians 3:13). This was to be a perpetual sign of their covenant with God for generations. After the assault, the young man (also named Shechem) realized that he loved Dinah and sent his father to arrange a marriage between the families. But then the rains of grace came and David confessed his sin and God forgave him (verse 5). Before Jesus left the earth, He told His disciples that they had the ability to recognize the Holy Spirit, because He would be with them and in them (John 14:17). When the world denies the knowledge of God, as seen in creation or Scripture, people naturally find something to worship, even if its themselves. If your beliefs, and therefore your actions, have become divided, gather them back together as you commit to God and His Word. Hebrews 11:5 says that Enoch was known as a man who pleased God. Lev 18). Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. But with Jonah, the second time was because Jonah had failed to speak Gods word the first time. Walking With God 3 1. Our relationship with God begins when we become born again and continues to eternity. Then we will give you our daughters to marry, and we will take your daughters as wives for ourselves, and we will live among you and become one people. Asa knew, as everyone who grows strong in the Lord knows, that a powerful . The people that suffer most when you're not doing God's business are your close family. Here are two more good verses showing the negative consequences of not being willing to fully follow God in this life. For their women exchanged the natural sexual relations for unnatural ones, and likewise the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed in their passions for one another. Now Dinah, Leahs daughter whom she bore to Jacob, went to meet the young women of the land When Jacob heard that Shechem had violated his daughter Dinah, his sons were with the livestock in the field. It is important to know them, so we can repent of them. Disobedience brings a wide variety of consequences such as spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental consequences. When the spies came back, ten of them came back with a bad report. Citizens lined the streets applauding while the aroma of celebratory incense filled the air. He allows his sons to handle it. We will explore five benefits of walking with God and how they affect our lives. As believers, we should manifest fruits that are obvious to others. Amid the strange and apocalyptic vision described in Ezekiel 1, God called the thirty-year-old exile to be a powerful prophet. He had skeletons in his closet and fell into temptation. Let us marry your daughters, and take our daughters as wives for yourselves. D. L. Moody, In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. And he encouraged his readers not to make the same mistake he had made (verses 9-10). When God is neglected, the abuse of religion will be comprehensivedeveloping many false believers and false teachers. Gods Word is a powerful litmus test for our souls and actions. What are consequences of neglecting God? Gen 35:2)leading to great sins. But now in Shechem, Jacob was threatened by a much more difficult problemease and prosperity. Therefore His anger is to be poured out on all the living things. None of us is above God's discipline if we engage in sin. When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, who ruled that area, saw her, he grabbed her, forced himself on her, and sexually assaulted her. In fact, Josephus, a Jewish historian, said that Dinah went into the city, not only to see the ladies, but also to go to a pagan festival.1 It appears that while neglecting God, Jacobs family began to conform to the world and worship the idols of the world. Jacobs sons agreed on the condition that the men of Shechem circumcise themselves. Verses 24-25 show that they walked by their own advice and in their stubborness went backwards instead of forwards. That is the life that goes beyond the one we live on earth to the one we will live in Heaven with God. This is part of our series on the Full Surrender. There are many benefits of being in a relationship with God. When you see opportunities to care for creationnature or your own bodydo so as a way of glorifying the Creator. In the same way, when things are good, we tend to neglect God and fall into sin as well. When Jonah ran from God, God brought a storm in his life to turn him back (Jonah 1). The sins of the parents show up in the childrens lives and therefore are repeated (cf. Visualize your daily Bible study time like a miser running his hands through a chest of gold. Could any father set a more worthy example to his children or grandchildren than that of being friends with God? I am a classic type-A personality who feels that if Im not doing something, I must be in sin. This can be a really deadly interference in our walk with God. There are many paths that we need to avoid. We might think that, if Jesus was truly divine, He would have had no need to pray for knowledge, guidance, or help. When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. In what ways is God drawing you back to himself through discipline? Jonah repented and called on the Lord and was delivered. Moses reminded the Israelites that God was taking them into a land of hills and valleys, of water and streams, a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year (Deuteronomy 11:11-12). We are in Him before the foundation of the world. In this narrative, Jacob didnt only fail Dinah, he also failed his sons, who committed unjust murders. Look up. Some people wonder about the value of the Old Testament in a Christian's life. God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son, Jesus Christ (1 John 5:11). So Jacob remained silent until they came in. My son, do not scorn the Lords discipline or give up when he corrects you. A leper approached Jesus and said, If You are willing, You can make me clean. Jesus touched the man, saying, I am willing; be cleansedand he was healed (Mark 1:40-42). In fact, this demonstrates that all are sinnersJews and Gentiles. We serve the same God who said: And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. God is more concerned with your maturity than your blessings. Those are the consequences of not having enough faith and belief in God the Father and not being willing to fully follow Him in this life. Why was he so uninvolved? God instructed Abraham to walk before Him and be perfect. He is committed to caring for us, watching over us, and giving us strength when we are within His will. In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility. After the murder, they also plundered the city and surrounding fieldstaking the wealth, children, and women. But he did manifest some qualities that every father should emulate. He fell in love with the young woman and spoke romantically to her. In addition, not only does this story demonstrate the Divine authorship of Scripture, but also shows us what happens when God is neglected. Hello golden streets, glorified bodies, endless days, and the fresh air of New Jerusalem! Christians who burn with passion for God's work but refuse to acknowledge the importance of their walk with Him are missing it. Do Those Who Commit Suicide Go To Hell? In the previous narrative, Jacob had worked for his uncle Laban for twenty years, and while working for him, he was cheated and abused. Fish become entangled in discarded fishing nets and lines, with bellies full of plastic debris they have swallowed. When a worldly environment gets our children for eight or more hours a day (especially if we include television, music, etc. . They do not have empirical knowledge of Jesus' way of working. We, the children of God, are instructed to mark those who don't walk in unity and withdraw ourselves from them. They captured as plunder all their wealth, all their little ones, and their wives, including everything in the houses. Below Deck and its spinoff series may be reality TV shows, but there can be real-life consequences for the crew's actions both on and off the ship. Living in right standing with God? When we have a relationship with God, He puts His Spirit in us, who then gives us divine wisdom (Colossians 1:9). In the US, one out of six females are victims of an attempted or completed rape.4 Similarly, one out of four females on college campuses experience sexual assault.5 In addition, the acceptance of homosexuality has grown. You can make the bride price and the gift I must bring very expensive, and Ill give whatever you ask of me. When there is no discipline in the home, the children will disrespect and rebel against the parents. Tagged: consequences of not walking with god Christian Living November 2, 2020 Walking with God: Why It's So Important Asking someone to explain the importance of walking. But we can learn a thing or two from the verses that mention him. Is it not from this, from your passions that battle inside you? Application Question: In understanding the consequences of neglecting God, how should we respond? Ezekiel looked up and saw remarkable visions of Godthe throne of God surrounded by angelic beings. Jesus understood this better and gave a standing instruction that anyone who wants to be His disciple must walk with Him (Mathew 16:24). } Jacobs sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully when they spoke because Shechem had violated their sister Dinah. However, God can change flawed people and use them for his purposes, which he eventually does with Israel. When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, who ruled that area, saw her, he grabbed her, forced himself on her, and sexually assaulted her. Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Goodbye trials and troubles. The Bible . The beautiful imagery of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 lets us know that the new earth will be a place that reflects the glory of God throughout. Again, not perfect or sinless, but in a right standing with God. 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