Tues., 4/14/20 Devotion (Lev. 18:3a-b)

Today's encouragement comes from Leviticus 18:3a & b, which says this:

"You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you." (ESV)

Whoa. The faithful covenant community of Christ’s church cannot follow the example of the Egyptians, where (figuratively) we used to live; and we cannot imitate the Canaanites, whose “land" we are currently conquering. If this is the case, then whose pattern *are* we to obey and follow? Answer: God’s—as it is found in His Word (Jesus Christ), and in His Book (the Bible). And after what human society are we to model ourselves? Our own, as we are the redeemed church of God.

A great deal of the reason for the failure of professing Christians today is to be traced to this fatal error of looking to the world for the answers. The more we resemble the world, the less we look like Christ. Let us find all our para-digms for life in Jesus; and behave as His faithful church. In so doing, we will bless God’s entire creation.

[Puritan quote of the day: "A sinner does not only dishonor and strike at God, but sin is against his own soul, against his own life, against his own peace and comfort, against his own happiness.” —Jeremiah Burroughs, in, "The Evil of Evils"]