Think America has sunk as morally low as she can go with the legalization of sodomite marriage? Think again. It is one thing for secular society to embrace spiritual darkness and spread it through the laws of the land. It is something entirely different for churches to embrace spiritual darkness and spread it through the pulpits. How great is that darkness for it is a darkness that claims spiritual authority not just manmade authority. It is the darkness of Hell where unseen demonic beings whisper into the ears of fallen man the lies he craves to believe because these lies tell him he is god. Once that lie is believed man is ready to be consumed by Satan and his demonic horde. The Bible doesn't say for no purpose...

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).

Think of it this way. Lies are like a demonic meat tenderizer for your soul. The more lies you believe the more palatable to Satan and his minions you become. And his most accomplished "chefs" are false teachers, preachers, and prophets for they live in deep darkness. And I'm going to introduce you to one of these demonic "chefs" and some of those whom he is feeding his lies. It helps explain why we are witnessing the most divisive election in America's history.

How Great The Darkness

Are you holy? What does it mean to be holy? How does one become holy?

The Apostle Peter, speaking to Christians, commands…

“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:13-16 ESV).

There's a story in the Old Testament that I want focus on that teaches us what holiness is and in stark terms how seriously God takes holiness and the consequences of being unholy.

The story takes place in the book of Joshua, specifically in chapters 3 through 7. It tells the story of Joshua leading the Israelites into Canaan to take possession of it in fulfillment of God's promise to them to have it as their home.

Their first combat mission was to take the city of Jericho. And they overwhelmingly succeeded in doing so having followed God's unorthodox battle plan with apparently no loss of Israelite life.
 
Things were looking good for the Israelites. So, they engaged the enemy again, going up against the little town of Ai. After Jericho, Ai should have been easily taken. But they didn't consult God first. And the results of the battle were a disaster. The Israelites fled from before the men of Ai and ended up killing some of the Israelite solders.

Joshua couldn't understand why they had been defeated, badly. He fell on his face before God (something he should have done before going to battle against Ai). Eventually God told him...

“Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you” (Joshua 7:11-12 ESV).

Having entered the land of Canaan the Israelites consecrated themselves unto the Lord. They were committing themselves to be holy as He is holy. But the foundation of holiness is obedience and someone in the camp of Israel had disobeyed God's commandments. Israel was no longer holy. As a consequence she could no longer stand before her enemies.

The situation Joshua found himself in was precarious and very dangerous. They were in enemy territory. And those enemies would soon learn of Israelite's defeat at Ai. That would embolden them to consolidate their forces and wipe out the Israelites. Therefore, it was imperative that the holiness that Israel had been clothed with when they consecrated themselves upon entering Canaan be regained.

They did and went on to take Ai.

What's this got to do with us as Christians? We are at war with the powers of darkness, Satan and his demonic warriors. It is only when we are clothed with holiness that we are able to defeat these powers.

The story in Joshua teaches us what it means to be holy, what happens when that holiness is compromised, and how to regain that holiness. Though this story happened thousands of years ago by reading and studying it we as Christians can gain insight into how to fulfill the command...

"You shall be holy, for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16 ESV).

Now, if you have ever tried to be holy by gritting your teeth, having believed your willpower is sufficient to enable you to become holy you have undoubtedly been frustrated and thrown up your hands in despair. Well, let me try to encourage you. I'll throw a teaser out there for you to ponder (the answer to which is revealed when you listen to the sermon) revealing how you can be holy.

God isn't just giving us a command to be holy; He's giving us something else too. What? Listen to the sermon and find out.
 
"Remember, God isn’t asking you if you’re able to be holy; He’s asking you if you’re willing to be made holy."

You Shall Be Holy

In the 7th chapter of the Book of Joshua we are introduced to a man named Achan. At the time we meet him the city of Jericho had just been conquered by the Israelite army under the command of Joshua after God had caused the walls of Jericho to miraculously fall down. But with the victory came a command from the Lord that the Israelites were to take nothing from the city for themselves. Everything in Jericho was said to be “devoted to destruction” by God. In essence, Jericho was to be a whole burnt offering unto the Lord. It was to be burned with fire and those things that the fire couldn’t destroy – gold, silver, bronze, iron – were to be placed in Lord’s treasury. And if anyone dared to disobey the Lord’s command to not take anything from Jericho for themselves the consequences were death.

That’s where Achan comes in. Though the Lord’s command concerning taking things from Jericho was clear he took three things from Jericho – a cloak from Shinar, 200 shekels of silver, and a 50 shekel bar of gold.

At first his disobedience to God was hidden from Joshua and the Israelites. But when the Israelite army was badly defeated when they went up against the small town of Ai after their stunning victory over Jericho Joshua knew something was wrong.

God revealed to Joshua that they couldn’t stand before their enemies because someone in their midst had disobeyed Him by taking things from Jericho. Then God revealed who that someone was – Achan. He was subsequently executed.

Does that seem harsh? Perhaps. But appearances can be deceiving. Once one understands the significance of the things he took – the cloak, the silver, and the gold – we understand why Achan had to die. But with that understanding comes knowledge that we too are guilty of Achan’s sin and deserve to share his fate.

“But”, you say, “I’m not guilty of Achan’s sin. I’m not a thief. And I’ve certainly never taken anyone’s cloak or silver or gold.”

Really? I humbly suggest you have – and so have I. Don’t believe it? Then I invite you to listen to the sermon, “Achan’s Sin”. You may be surprised at what you learn.

Terry L Brown