I am reading in Jeremiah 2:14-37, but I will only quote a small portion of this passage of Scripture. The subject matter is Israel’s unfaithfulness to God. And biblical Israel today is the church, the body of Christ, of those who are of faith in Jesus Christ. But the gatherings of the church may include many people who are of faith in Jesus but who have wandered back into sin, as well as those who profess faith in Jesus Christ with their lips but who do not live to please God with their lives. And they are being addressed here.
Jeremiah 2:20-22,34-35 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)
“20For long ago you broke your yoke
and tore off your chains,
saying, ‘I will not serve!’
Indeed, on every high hill
and under every green tree
you lay down as a prostitute.
21I had planted you like a choice vine
from the very best seed.
How could you turn yourself before Me
into a rotten, wild vine?
22Although you wash with lye
and use an abundance of soap,
the stain of your guilt
is still before Me.”“34..But in spite of all these things
35you say, ‘I am innocent.
Surely His anger will turn from me.’
Behold, I will judge you,
because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’”
No Fear of God
Many people professing faith in Jesus Christ have fallen back into sin or they are those who never truly ever repented of their sin, so they never left their sin behind them to begin with. And many of them are listening to the lies of false teachers and preachers and prophets who are telling them that God does NOT require of them that they deny self, die to sin, and obey God and His commands. And they are listening to the lies which tell them that all their sins are forgiven so they can keep on in their sin without punishment.
And so they are believing that they can be “Christians” who are on their way to heaven while they still walk (in conduct, in practice) in deliberate and habitual sin against God. And sexual sin seems to be the predominant sin captivating the minds and hearts of so many professing Christians these days. Statistics have it that about ¾ of Christian men, and about ½ of Christian pastors, and about ½ of Christian women engage in the viewing of pornographic images (often resulting in self-gratification). Astounding!
Believing the Lies
But it isn’t just that. So many professing Christians are captivated by the sinful pleasures of the flesh, whatever the category of sins may be, and they are believing the lies that God is okay with that. For they are accepting the lies which tell them that God will not judge them for their sins and that they are assured of spending eternity with God based on lip service to God only. And the sins could be merely ignoring God and His will for their lives and living for the pleasures of the flesh, instead. God is, thus, pushed aside.
Although they may give an outward appearance of being followers of Christ because they attend a particular church gathering once or twice a week, they are not serving the Lord Jesus with their lives, but they are serving their own flesh, instead. For they are busy fulfilling their fleshly and selfish desires in place of surrendering their lives to God in His service, in doing His will He has for their lives. For their lives are centered on the things of this world rather than on God and His will and purpose for their lives.
Making Excuses
Rather than acknowledging their sins and repenting of their sins and turning to obey God with their lives, from this moment forward, they make excuses for why they do the things they do. Sometimes they will blame other people or their circumstances, but they will not take ownership for their own sins. No matter how many years they have been living in addiction to sin without genuine biblical repentance, they will find a work-around in order to excuse away their sinful behaviors and practices, even claiming that it was not sin.
But the Scriptures teach us that if we claim to be in fellowship with God and to know God and to love God, but sin is still what we practice, and not obedience to God, that we are liars who do not live by the truth. For God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for Jesus’ return. For it is not the one who claims he is “in Christ” who is “in Christ,” but it is the one who has denied self, died with Christ to sin, and who is now walking in obedience to our Lord’s commands.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
The Church’s Unfaithfulness to God
An Original Work / October 20, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Return to Me
Based off Jeremiah 31; Cf. Revelation 2-3
An Original Work / September 5, 2013
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
I have loved you with an eternal love,
Which I give to you, in my faithfulness.
Keep your voice from weeping,
And your eyes from tearing.
You will be rewarded
With much fruitfulness.
There is hope for you that My family
Will return to Me; live in victory!
Though I discipline in My love for you,
My heart longs for you that you walk in truth.
Turn your thoughts to your Lord.
Choose to walk in His ways.
Turn from your sins daily.
Follow Jesus Christ.
Oh, how long will you wander in your sin?
Give your hearts to Me; be restored within.
I will satisfy ev’ry weary soul
Who repents of sin; is renewed within.
Behold, days are coming;
It will surely happen;
Though I discipline them,
They will thrive again.
I will be their One and their Only God.
They shall walk in white; be in Me, made right.
