Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”—safe to do all these detestable things?
Jeremiah 7:9-10 NIV
Israel was called to be distinct from the people who lived around them. They were to be holy, set apart for God’s use. But most of the time, they failed. Instead, they were usually indistinguishable from their neighbors, with one notable exception. They would come to the temple to observe the Jewish religious rituals handed down to them. And they mistakenly thought that would satisfy God.
But observing the ceremonial rituals of the Law did not satisfy God. He wanted people who would love him with all they were (Deut. 6:5). Who would live, not like the world, but with a heart committed to him. Being a Sabbath Jew was not enough. In fact, it is what led to their exile from the land.
How many “Christians” today are guilty of this same thing? Who, apart from Sunday morning, are generally indistinguishable from their neighbors and coworkers. They are not necessarily living what we might think of as bad lives. But they value the same things as the world and seek happiness and contentment in things that will not last. All the while believing that their eternity is secure because they said the right words at one time in their past, observe some “Christian” rituals, and live a decent life.
But God is not interested in Sunday Christians any more than he was with Sabbath Jews. He wants nothing less than all we are, living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1). Living holy lives (1 Pet. 1:15-16). And faithfully running the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus (Heb. 12:1-3). It is not an easy life. But it is the road to eternal life.
Amen