March 9: NORMALIZING GODLESSNESS

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:13

I have been instructed, regarding the word therefore, to ask myself: What is it there for? Our beloved Peter is writing to all of his brothers and sisters in Christ. This includes you and me. Now that the world in its entirety has been discovered and mapped, it is safe to say that we are all pilgrims of the Dispersion (1:1), for pagan cultural influences surround us. Peter’s concern over the persecution of his brethren was more than matched by concern over the relentless influences – and the normalization – of godlessness. It has touched every one of us.

Think of Abraham, called the friend of God (James 2:23). He willingly walked away from the Chaldean culture, the most sophisticated culture in the world, at the bidding of God. With spiritual ears, he heard the LORD saying, “Come out of there.” The LORD never leads us out of a place in our thinking without taking us into a much better place. Abraham obeyed, though he did not know where he was going (Hebrews 11:8). But in the culture that he left behind, polygamy had been “normalized.” This sinful concept proved to be a snare for him when his wife suggested taking Hagar as a way to get a child (Genesis 16:2). Never think that you are immune to cultural influences that fall outside of God’s framework for healthy, happy individuals and families.

Therefore, each of us is commanded to gird up the loins of [our] mind if we are to successfully exit the ways of the fallen world. The concept of girding the loins is associated with running. A man who runs well will not trip over the hem of his own tunic when it is tucked and secured. Peter’s reminder to be sober is another way of expressing the importance of a clear mind.

Until his own demise occurs (prophesied in Ezekiel 28:18-19), Satan works to “jam the radio signals” from God. He does not want God’s beloved people to understand His word; he began by attempting to confuse the truth about death (Genesis 3:4). Every pagan religion cultivates a form of denial regarding death’s reality. Paganism is a threat to God’s truth in the minds of men.* Solomon temporarily abandoned the LORD, taking many pagan wives. He exposed himself to every pagan religion in the process! But after he came to his senses, he returned to this foundational fact: Only God is the Source of life. Apart from Him… death! Therefore, he wrote:

For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the [breath] will return to God who gave it. Ecclesiastes 9:5,10; 12:7

Make sure you understand: Genesis 2:7, 17; 2 Kings 20:1; Job 14:2,12,21; 17:13; 21:30; 27:3; Psalm 37:20; 104:29; 115:17; 146:4; Isaiah 38:18; Ezekiel 18:4, 20; John 11:14, 35; Acts 2:29, 34; Romans 6:23; James 2:26

*The idea of an “undying soul” is behind various teachings of reincarnation and ancestor worship. When paganism wormed its way into the church, the “soul which cannot die” concept took the form of teaching of instantaneous heaven, hell, or purgatory. The worship of dead people morphed into declaration of sainthood by the church, the statues of which can be prayed to. Satan has engineered an almost endless variety of ways to jam up communications regarding the truth about death, redemption, judgement, and resurrection. Thankfully, the study of God’s word can safeguard our minds from the fear, confusion, and chaos that accompanies the Satan-induced doubt of God’s trustworthiness.