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My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. (Hosea 4:6a MKJV)

There’s a difference between judging a person’s motives, and warning them to flee from danger. If you get caught up in something you shouldn’t be in, and someone lovingly attempts to open your eyes to the error of your ways, they aren’t there to condemn you; rather, they’re there to let you know how much God cares about your future. In other words, that person is God’s messenger to you. Telling them not to judge you isn’t going to make your guilt go away; it’s only going to widen the gap you’ve created between you and God through disobedience. Never let pride get in the way of the work the Holy Spirit is seeking to do in your life.

People aren’t destroyed for lack of knowledge because the truth isn’t accessible to them, they’re destroyed for lack of knowledge because they have chosen to depend on their own understanding. Thus, they make idols out of their own thoughts, when they ought to conform their lifestyle to God’s commands. Many would rather be ignorant than informed, they think it’s too inconvenient to accept the truth. After all, accepting the truth means they’re going to have to change their lifestyle; but they don’t want to change, because it’s too easy to bask in lies. What they don’t seem to understand, however, is that they’re on a path which leads to a destructive end. At some point, that pleasure will cease.

Don’t be deceived by superficial messengers who only tell you what you want to hear. Just because someone has a large following, or has written several books, that doesn’t mean they’re being obedient to the Word, or that they know the Father. If they aren’t preaching the truth as it is in Jesus, they are false teachers and should be avoided.

Jesus has the truth to set you free. How much you value your future will be determined by the choices you make today. Choose Jesus!

© Chris S. Esty