In this difficult times were our faith is being attacked everywhere, that interfaith is promoted by many leaders, that we are many times pressed to be silent to avoid controversy even in our own congregations, we have a growing tendency to settle for complacency. We stop sharing scripture on social media, we stop talking about biblical subjects or we get weary of correcting unjust words in order to keep the peace.
Spiritual complacency refers to a state of contempt & self-satisfaction regarding our spiritual life, is unawareness of our deficiencies. This spiritual complacency is often accompanied by a lack of prayer, vigilance, or pursuit of a deeper relationship with God. It’s very dangerous & we all have that tendency. The Bible provides numerous warnings against spiritual complacency (Prov.1:32, 19:15, Rev.3:15-16, etc) urging us believers to always remain vigilant & to be active in our faith.
I was praying, asking the Lord what He wanted me to talk about in this blog for this month of February, there are so many things going on right now, but this is the subject & the Scripture He gave me. The Great Day of the Lord is near, Zephaniah 1.
Zephaniah is a name of Hebrew origin, “zaphan,” meaning “to hide” or “to protect,” and “yah,” referring to God. It means “Yahweh hides/protects”. He was a prophet of royal lineage, descending from the godly King Hezekiah. In this book the prophet Zephaniah is warning God’s people of the impending judgment of the Lord due to idolatry & disobedience. Zephaniah’s call is not just for the wicked; it extends to all of us.
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4 “I will stretch out My hand against Judah, And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
I will cut off every trace of Baal from this place, The names of the idolatrous priests with the pagan priests—
5 Those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops; Those who worship and swear oaths by the Lord,
But who also swear by Milcom;
6 Those who have turned back from following the Lord, And have not sought the Lord, nor inquired of Him.”
7 Be silent in the presence of the Lord God; For the day of the Lord is at hand,
For the Lord has prepared a sacrifice; He has invited His guests.
8 “And it shall be, In the day of the Lord’s sacrifice, That I will punish the princes and the king’s children,
And all such as are clothed with foreign apparel.
9 In the same day I will punish All those who leap over the threshold,
Who fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.
10 “And there shall be on that day,” says the Lord, “The sound of a mournful cry from the Fish Gate,
A wailing from the Second Quarter, And a loud crashing from the hills.
11 Wail, you inhabitants of Maktesh! For all the merchant people are cut down;
All those who handle money are cut off.
12 “And it shall come to pass at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
And punish the men Who are settled in complacency, Who say in their heart, ‘The Lord will not do good, Nor will He do evil.’
13 Therefore their goods shall become booty, And their houses a desolation;
They shall build houses, but not inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards, but not drink their wine.”
14 The great day of the Lord is near; It is near and hastens quickly.
The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out.
15 That day is a day of wrath, A day of trouble and distress,
A day of devastation and desolation, A day of darkness and gloominess,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 A day of trumpet and alarm Against the fortified cities And against the high towers.
17 “I will bring distress upon men, And they shall walk like blind men,
Because they have sinned against the Lord; Their blood shall be poured out like dust,
And their flesh like refuse.”
18 Neither their silver nor their gold Shall be able to deliver them
In the day of the Lord’s wrath; But the whole land shall be devoured
By the fire of His jealousy, For He will make speedy riddance
Of all those who dwell in the land.
More than ever today we need to listen to the Lord, is time that we silent all other voices and give attention & time to the Lord & His Word to do His will.
The Lord is going to pass judgment over the idols vs.4 but them that are in any form touching them (idolaters) will also suffer lost. Remember we are now the temple of the living God (See 2 Cor. 6:13-17). We are all royal priests this is not just for the leaders “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). The Lord will judge the idolatrous priests.
Those who worship host of heavens or worship angels vs.5 will be cut off, & also those who mix the holy things of God with idols. 2 Kings 23:5. Milcom was an idol of the Ammonites (2 Kings 23:13).
The Lord will also punish those who settle in complacency (sediment). We need to examine ourselves regularly (2 Cor. 13:5) & ask God for help. Are we becoming lukewarm? Are we reading God’s Word regularly? Are we using our talents for the Lord? We are not saved by works (Ephesians 2:8-9), but once saved our faith is perfected by works, they go together because faith is active. See James 2
Father, help us not to be complacent in our walk with You. Help us to be vigilant & fervent in the Spirit, & not become lukewarm. Deliver Lord all those who are complacent & help them to recover, to go back to their first love with You, in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen