During the month of April (at the height of the “safer-at-home” order here in Wisconsin), I read through the entire Bible. It was incredibly intense but absolutely amazing. One book that was especially riveting was the book of Jeremiah. If you have the time, go and read the first twelve chapters. Or the whole book. It’s long, I know, but you get a better feel for what’s actually happening.
Imagine for a second what Jeremiah’s life must have been like. As a young preacher, he saw and was undoubtedly part of the revival in Josiah’s day (Jer. 1:2; 2 Kings 22:3). But, when pretty much all the prophets, priests, and people around him were proclaiming that there was now “peace” in the land, Jeremiah was called to declare the exact opposite: “there is no peace” (Jer. 6:13-14). Though God had promised Josiah that he would die “in peace” (in other words, he would not see God’s judgment), judgment was coming nevertheless (2 Chron. 34:24-28).
Jeremiah was specifically called to preach about the coming destruction spoken of in 2 Kings 23:26-27. In the middle of years of spiritual reform, when idolatry was being disposed of in the right way, and when peace was upon Josiah’s kingdom, Jeremiah went after the inward disposition. God knew what the people were like, and whether or not they were truly following Him or not.
Jeremiah preached to hardened, stubborn, and rebellious people who thought they were okay because they were following the letter of the law. They cleaned out the temple, they restored proper worship, they even kept the Passover in a celebration that equaled none other (2 Kings 23:22). But deep down, they weren’t following God. Once Josiah died, they went right back to where their hearts always were — blatant rebellion against God. They had kept His commandments out of obligation, not love. And Jeremiah preached against this heart of rebellion, accusing them (and rightly so) of playing the innocent (Jer. 2:35).
Aren’t we a lot like Judah? We follow the rules of our family, school, and/or church and end up creating a portrayal of spirituality. We convince ourselves that we’re okay because we’re doing all the right things. We hear preaching and excuse the conviction that comes, protesting our “innocence” and pointing to the “good things” we do. But God isn’t interested in excuses, much less creative substitutes for genuine Christianity.
Our generation needs to stop making excuses for sin. We need to deal with our pride and acknowledge when we’re wrong. We have got to stop thinking our walk with God is established by what we do! Spiritual life and vitality comes from those secret moments we spent with God, those precious, unexplainable times when glory comes down and we experience heaven on earth. There’s nothing like spending time with the Almighty God who created you, and loves you, and wants the best for you.
But you won’t ever get to know Him if you don’t quit playing the innocent, convincing yourself that you’re fine. Sometime this week, right now if you can, take the time and the effort to deal with the actual problems in your life, the ones you don’t like to think about. The ones that hurt the most, the ones that you really can’t fix without God’s help. Deal with what’s down deep, not just what’s on the surface. If you need help, reach out to your parents or to a godly mentor.
Our generation is pure in our own eyes, and we’re not washed from our filthiness (Prov. 30:12). But we can be. You are near to God (Eph. 2:13), and God is near to you, ready to forgive and ready to heal, but it’s up to you. You can continue to escape, lying to yourself about your sin, or you can face reality and experience the love and power of God.
Victoria White is a graduate of Baptist College of Ministry and a member of Falls Baptist Church in Menomonee Falls, WI. She has a burden for young people to understand the Bible and to live for God in this world. She has 6 siblings and lives in Germantown, WI.
