Mike’s Musings ….
Oh, May It Never Be … But It Is
The phrase, “God forbid” appears no less than fifteen times in the New Testament. It means “may it never be.” Yet, what God forbids does exist! Unfortunately, it is an offense to God and is called SIN. Those who engage in sin, (regardless of its form, be it verbal, physical, or mental) are those who delight in sin (Hebrews 11:25) and therefore ignore the directives of God without remorse. While God’s word, given by inspiration to its writers, declares, “God forbid!” man shouts, “We don’t care!”
Sin is the transgression of God’s law (1 John 3:4). It is much worse than seeing a posted speed limit of fifty-five miles per hour but ignoring it to drive seventy to one hundred miles an hour, fearing neither the law nor its consequences! If God were standing next to you, would you engage in sin? I doubt it! We’d be ashamed to sin if He were standing by our side. Yet, because He's “out of sight” He is also “out of mind” and souls sin willfully (see Hebrews 10:26). Oh, may it never by … but it is!
There is a story about a young boy who attended worship services, while his dad thought doing so was foolish and therefore stayed home. When the young boy returned home, Dad asked, “What did the preacher preach about today?” He obviously didn’t care, and the son knowing this answered, “He preached about sin.” Still, with obstinance, the dad asked, “Was he for it, or against it?” The son looked at his sarcastic dad and said, “He is against it, just like God is against it, and you aren’t going to be happy when God asks you why you are still doing it.”
That’s how many folks feel about God’s commandments. Though God has given to us all things pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3) many ignore it, won’t read it at all, and even IF they attend bible studies and worship services, they consider themselves “immune” to God’s commandments. When they hear, “God forbid,” they think it applies to someone else. They mock God and His word. Doing so will only result in eternal damnation of their soul!
I muse on the reality that God has forbidden man to live in sin, wallow in sin, and crave sin, yet man does it anyway as though they are “exempt” from God’s commandments. Frankly, it is disgusting to accept this reality! Who in his right mind would defy the God of heaven with such conduct? Frankly, they are NOT in THE right mind, for they have not the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5). They retain a mind of their own; a mind that embraces the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life, and fails to hear God say, “I forbid it!” How thankful I am to muse on the righteous minds that are diligent in proving God is right in all He says and does, and thus are right in all they say and do when they comply with His word! (Colossians 3:17)