Post by jesusheals on Feb 5, 2009 22:57:06 GMT -5
(Please be advised, I wrote the following essay out of love and concern and NOT for the purposes of being critical. I believe that this issue may be a possible cause of suffering.)
Attention Christians:
Syncretism = The attempted union of different or opposing principles, practices, or parties, as in philosophy or religion.
For example, mixing Christian beliefs and practices with those of the occult, New Age, Buddhism, Islam, or other religious system.
I mention this term because it has become a huge problem and the consequence of such practices are devastating. There are many examples of syncretism in the Bible. Do you know what the Lord had to say about such things?
Exodus 23:33
"They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”
Deuteronomy 6:14
"You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you"
Deuteronomy 7:4
"For they [Philistines, etc] will turn your sons away from following Me [God], to serve other gods; so the anger of the LORD will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly."
Deuteronomy 8:19
"Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the LORD your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish."
Deuteronomy 11:27-28
"27 the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you today; 28 and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known."
Deuteronomy 13:6-9
6 “If your brother, the son of your mother, your son or your daughter, the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, secretly entices you, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers, 7 of the gods of the people which are all around you, near to you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth, 8 you shall not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him; 9 but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people."
Please understand that I am NOT suggesting that whoever is practicing such things should be put to death - or that God desires such a person to be put to death. On the contrary, the wrath of God has been appeased by the perfect atoning sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ. However, there are still serious consequences for sin - especially when referring to syncretism. Thus, make a decision to serve Christ alone and stick to it. What was wrong in the time of the Hebrews is still wrong today. You are doing yourself ZERO favors by claiming to be a Christian while at the same time following psychics, astrologers, fortune-tellers, palm readers, eastern mystics and gurus, and the rest...
Job 28:28 says, "... Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding." Learn to be wise by reading, understanding, and living your Christian faith. Having said that, I leave you with one final quote from one of the great men of our faith - Joshua.
Joshua 24:15
And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
In Christ Jesus,
Greg