Rejecting God

Ever since Eve listened to the advice of the serpent, humanity has been stuck between a rock and hard place. On the one hand, we hear God’s voice in our hearts calling us to a better life. On the other hand, we hear the devil’s voice urging us on to please our ego. More often than not, we choose our ego. More often than not, we reject God.

Our society has been entrenched in a month dedicated to pride. Unfortunately, the pride being honored is not pride in our Christian love for God and each other. Society has chosen to honor pride in defiance of God’s will for us.

Just as the serpent twisted God’s words in the Garden, he is twisting them now. Slogans such as ‘love is love’ and ‘love doesn’t hate’ are true, but so-called pride month isn’t about love. It is about defiance paraded, literally, in the face of others.

The Lord said, “To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, ‘We piped to you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; the Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her children.” Then he began to upbraid the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent.

Matthew 11.16-20

We are really not that different than the ‘children’ Christ was talking about in the Gospel. We like to think we are, but we aren’t. We look at God and His Church with all sorts of accusations and judgments. Our goal isn’t to change the Church or God. Our goal is always to keep doing what we are doing. If that means glorifying defiance, then so be it.

As Orthodox Christians, we are no safer in our salvation than the Jews before us. They rejected God. They lost the Church, and we were welcomed in. Now it is our turn to remain faithful, so we do not lose the Church.

Saint Paul is warning us today. If Israel was left behind, so too will God leave us behind. That doesn’t mean He doesn’t love us. God will always love us. God’s love is reaches far beyond our rejection of Him. God’s love doesn’t fade just because we parade our pride in His face.

In fact, His love for us is exactly why He will leave us behind. Just as He did in the Garden, and for generations before us, God always honors our free will. If we use our free will to reject His love, He allows us to walk away.

Brethren, the scripture says, “No one who believes in God will be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and bestows his riches upon all who call upon him. For, “every one who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” But how are men to call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? And how can men preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have; for “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” Again I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, “I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry.” Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, “I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.” But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.” I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.

Romans 10:11-21;11:1-2

Let me be clear. It is we who reject God. It is never the other way around. If our life is out of synch with God’s way of life, it is we who choose to walk away. That might be the greatest harm of an entire month dedicated to ‘pride’ in our society.

We are teaching our children that we should be proud of our defiance. We are teaching our children that we should reject God’s teachings that make us uncomfortable. We are reinforcing the lie told by the serpent so many generations ago.

I don’t like to finish today’s blog without offering some sort of hope. There is always hope. Saint Paul’s words today are calling us to share the hope of Christ with our children and friends. We can accept the pain of sin in others without promoting defiance. We can, and should, show compassion for those suffering various temptations without endorsing their behavior.

Love is love, but love heals. Love does not defy. Love never rejects.