Your House Is On Fire!

Make sure you do not associate with the other people still remaining in the land. Do not even mention the names of their gods, much less swear by them or serve them or worship them. [Joshua 23.7]

This is certainly an interesting verse. How is one to remain pure from idolatry (by separating himself from people who not know or serve God) and still fulfil God's will and love for the world?

As with every other question we might have about the Bible, the first place to look for our answer is in Jesus. For all the 'love talk' going around in the world today and the 'right actions' that supposedly accompany it, we should know what love looked like in Jesus the Messiah if we intend to reflect what God wants to see in us.

Frankly, Jesus was aloof from outsiders. His words and conversations with godless people were far from pandering (like we see today). Perhaps the best example of this was the woman at the well in John chapter 4. Jesus' conversation with this Samaritan woman would not pass today's standards of socially-correct pandering, but would instead be seen as intolerant, prejudiced and insensitive. Why was Jesus that way? And, what bearing should Jesus' candor with the Samaritan woman have on our conversations today? The answers to these questions and many more might be understood in the combination of Joshua 23.7 above and John 3.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. [John 3.16-17]

There is a fine line we must understand and walk between fellowshipping with the world and saving the world. In fact, the prayer Jesus taught His followers to pray contains three very important ingredients that tell us how to navigate this fine line:

Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. [Matthew 6.9-10]

We can simplify Matthew 6.9-10 with these three bullet points:

• May Your name be kept holy.
• May Your Kingdom come soon.
• May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

If we keep these three bullet points at front and center of our consciousness in all we do, we will better understand how and why Jesus did everything He did. God's holiness is the standard, period. God's Kingdom is the goal. And, God's will (in everything said and done) is to save the world (from the curse of sin and death in time as we know it, and for all eternity).

The analogy of "your house is on fire" is the best explanation I know of. The love of God restrains us to rescue those who are perishing in their own sin and unbelief. When smoke is obviously billowing and flames are coming out the windows is not the time to pander to emotional or social sensitivities! No, the situation described here can only be addressed with love that is bold and daring - love that will smash a door down and grab a person by their very hair if necessary to drag them to safety. Contrary to modern popular propaganda, it's not "time to have a discussion about differences."

It is incumbent upon a Christ-follower to walk in the Spirit of God to tell those who have been led astray, "your house is on fire!" That is the model Jesus left us in the four Gospels.

Father, help us to have Jesus' kind of love for the world. Help us to have understanding and exercise all propriety to tell the world, "your house is on fire!"