The Consequences of Spiritual Harlotry

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Ezekiel 16:35-43

 

Romans 6:23

 For the wages of sin is death, but the ^[a]gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(NKJV)

 

One definition of insanity is continuing to make the same mistake over and over expecting a different result. The tumultuous history of the nation of Israel due to their continuous disobedience to God is such a form of insanity for God has sent numerous warnings that they repeatedly ignored. This continuous disobedience to God and its consequences are in scripture as a warning to the Church, reminding the Church to remain faithful to God or suffer dire consequences.

 

The word of the Lord in this text begins with the Lord calling the people of Jerusalem harlots for their continued disobedience (Ezekiel 16:35). The Lord then reminds them of the vileness of their disobedience for they uncovered themselves in worship to abominable idols and even offered their children as sacrifices to them (Ezekiel 16:36). Therefore, the Lord will gather all the nations Jerusalem played the harlot with against them (Ezekiel 16:37). God will judge Jerusalem like a woman who breaks wedlock or one shedding blood; bringing blood upon them in fury and jealousy (Ezekiel 16:38). The Lord will give Jerusalem into the hands of the ones they played the harlot with and they will destroy their shrines and high places, strip them of their clothes and jewelry, leaving them naked and bare (Ezekiel 16:39).

 

Jerusalem’s lovers will also bring an assembly against Jerusalem, stoning them and thrusting them through with swords (Ezekiel 16:40). They will burn the houses of the people of Jerusalem and execute judgments upon them, making Jerusalem cease from playing the harlot (Ezekiel 16:41). Then, the Lord will rest His fury against the people of Jerusalem with the Lord being quiet and angry no more (Ezekiel 16:42). The Lord concludes this text by reminding the people of Jerusalem that all this has occurred due to them not remembering the days of their youth but instead agitating the Lord to wrath. The Lord has prevented Jerusalem from committing lewdness in addition to their abominations (Ezekiel 16:43).

 

The unrepentant attitude of Jerusalem towards its spiritual harlotry has dire consequences. It is not as though the people of Jerusalem did not receive a warning from God for even before entering the “Promised Land” they were warned of the consequences of disobedience to God (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). These curses were an inversion of the blessings promised in Deuteronomy 28:1-14 with Israel losing its divine protection from God and falling prey to the plagues of Egypt (Deuteronomy 28:27-42). The worst curse, however, would be carrying off the people to a foreign nation where they would lose their freedom and sovereignty as a nation (Deuteronomy 28:47-68). While this should have been warning enough to turn Jerusalem to repentance, it did not so God sent prophets like Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Isaiah to warn them (Ezekiel 16:35-43; Isaiah 1:21-25; Jeremiah 3:1-5), but they still did not come to repentance until seventy years of exile (Jeremiah 25:11-12).

 

There are dire consequences as well for the Church if it plays the harlot by compromising with sin in the world. These include,

 

1)      Cheap grace – While we are saved and justified by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-9) we must not use God’s grace as an excuse to continue in sin (Romans 6:1). God’s grace justifies and rescues us from the death penalty of sin (Romans 6:23) but believers are then to continue losing conformity to the world and experience transformation as their minds are renewed by the Word of God (Romans 12:1-2). This is the process of sanctification, experienced by a believer through the Holy Spirit and the Word of God (1 Thessalonians 5:23). This leads to our glorification when we will be saved from the presence of sin (Philippians 3:20-21). The Church must not abuse God’s grace, using it as justification for sin.

2)      Moralism – The Pharisees were the moralists of Jesus time and instead of lifting them up for their high moral standards, Jesus called them snakes (Matthew 3:7, 12:34, 23:33). Only Jesus could take the high moral road but instead took the path of the cross, extending God’s grace to all humanity so they can be justified (2 Corinthians 5:21). Moralism is sin for it is prideful with people taking pride in their high moral standard, forgetting that all, including themselves, have sinned (Romans 3:23). Moralism is a compromise with the sin of pride, justifying it because it involves adopting a high moral standard.

3)      Lukewarmness – The Church in Laodicea was a prideful Church caught up in the pride of its wealth and prosperity (Revelation 3:14-22), totally forgetting that all things belong to God and that it is God who gives us the power to acquire wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18; Psalm 50:10).  Instead of an open door like the Church in Philadelphia (Revelation 3:8) the Laodiceans are behind a closed door with Jesus knocking to come in (Revelation 3:20). Do not become prideful over what God has given but be thankful for it.

 

If you are reading this and have not experienced the first phase of salvation, justification from sin, I encourage you to pray with me now,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

May God challenge, convict, and bless everyone reading this as we continue to grow in sanctification until the day of glorification and living for eternity in the presence of God.