Not Destined to Fail

“Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints.” (Ho 11:12 AV)

We know that Judah eventually went the way of Israel.  In fact, they did worse.  They had the temple.  Israel did not.  One could understand Israel, for national sovereignty’s sake, building their own temple.  God would not have blessed this.  One can understand them building their own altars.  God did not bless this either.  Because they chose to culturally separate from Judah, this easily led to adopting paganism.  This all happened because of a warped sense of self-determination.  Solomon went after strange wives (pagan) and God judged the house of David for it.  The House of David lost governance over ten of the twelve tribes.  The ten northern tribes, because of their rebellion, immediately fell away from God.  Judah, however, remained faithful for a few hundred years following the split. This is what Hosea is referring to above.  Judah yet ruled with God even though Israel did not.  Just because our brother falls doesn’t mean we have to.  We can continue on with God regardless of whatever one else does.  It is not easy by any stretch of the imagination.  But it is possible.

Over the years, I have seen several saints fall.  It is not pretty.  Some of them were men of God who served in very public ways.  This is a tragedy and should be a grave concern for all.  We should pray for those who have fallen.  We are called to restore them in the spirit of meekness lest a worse thing come upon us.  I have seen whole churches go down paths that were not biblical.  One of whom I am very familiar with and had very close ties with went down the path of compromise and worldliness all for the sake of higher numbers.  Now, they are slowly becoming a shell of what they once were.  Churches all around us are either compromising, closing, or both.  It is hard to stay faithful.  It is difficult to maintain one’s passion for right when the numbers of those who do so are diminishing.  The scary thing is, if we consider Judah, we can fall as well.  This is why Paul tells us to “restore such an one in the spirit of meekness”.  The warning is the same or worse could happen to us.  But it doesn’t have to.  That is the point this morning.

Yes, we need to consider the failures of others in the deepest sobriety possible.  We are no different.  We are men of like passions.  We are tempted in all areas as everyone else.  We also cannot take for granted that short-term success automatically means long-term success.  We are not destined to fail just because someone else did.  This is where secular psychology has it wrong.  Just because my parent or parents were predisposed does not mean I have to be.  Salvation changes all that.  So, too, does walking in the Spirit.  The promise is clear.  If we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.  Even if others have.  The race is individual.  Paul ran the race that he might obtain.  He did not run a relay race.  His life was not dependent on the actions of others.  He ran his own.  And we do, too.  So, take heart!  You are not destined to fail just because others have.  God will restore them.  He has promised.  But you; you don’t have to go down that road at all.  It is your choice.