Ezekiel 9:4 KJV
And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
People may be known for any number of things.
1 Corinthians 8 says that if a man loves God the same is known of him. But here is a mark God purposely placed on people. He commissioned a search for those who sigh and cry concerning the abominations in Jerusalem.
In our day there seems to be very little sighing over sin. It is becoming increasingly popular to view certain sins as a badge of liberty, not only liberty from God, as in the case of the lost but of liberty in Christ, as in the case of many of the newer and more popular Christian teachers. They have found their niche. They have targeted those who grew up in church, claiming to believe in God but rebelling against the preacher who insists upon holiness. The new preacher makes people feel righteous by preaching good doctrine. But then gives people license by emphasizing grace to the point of extreme. They are, in fact, flaunting liberty personally so their followers may practice their own liberty guilt free.
And it looks like a parallel of Ezekiel's vision; religious people rejoicing when the discerning person should have been weeping.
There are always reasons to rejoice. We always have good cause to thank God for his grace in our lives. But every discerning believer must also recognize that these are days for sighing and crying over the sin in our churches, our country: indeed, our world.
Every Christian today, who wants a name with God, ought to bear this mark too: the mark of sighing.
And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
People may be known for any number of things.
1 Corinthians 8 says that if a man loves God the same is known of him. But here is a mark God purposely placed on people. He commissioned a search for those who sigh and cry concerning the abominations in Jerusalem.
In our day there seems to be very little sighing over sin. It is becoming increasingly popular to view certain sins as a badge of liberty, not only liberty from God, as in the case of the lost but of liberty in Christ, as in the case of many of the newer and more popular Christian teachers. They have found their niche. They have targeted those who grew up in church, claiming to believe in God but rebelling against the preacher who insists upon holiness. The new preacher makes people feel righteous by preaching good doctrine. But then gives people license by emphasizing grace to the point of extreme. They are, in fact, flaunting liberty personally so their followers may practice their own liberty guilt free.
And it looks like a parallel of Ezekiel's vision; religious people rejoicing when the discerning person should have been weeping.
There are always reasons to rejoice. We always have good cause to thank God for his grace in our lives. But every discerning believer must also recognize that these are days for sighing and crying over the sin in our churches, our country: indeed, our world.
Every Christian today, who wants a name with God, ought to bear this mark too: the mark of sighing.
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