Why So Intense?

As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die? [Ezekiel 33.11] 

Turn and live. Turn from what? Wicked ways - idolatry - any and everything trusted instead of God.

This is the heart of God. Redemption is, and has always been, God's plan for man (He knew man would sin from the beginning). Jesus was always God's plan for man's redemption.

There is no distinction between Old and New Testaments in light of God's redemption. Both covenants point to Jesus. The Ten Commandments and Jesus demand the exact same thing: singular allegiance to God (Old Testament) - Jesus, God With Us (New Testament), including specific priorities in the treatment of others. God has not, nor ever will change.

Idolatry, turning away from God to other sources - usually of man's own making, was the Old Testament problem. 

Idolatry, turning away from Jesus to other sources - usually of man's own making, IS the New Testament problem:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24, Mark 8.34, Luke 9.23]

Jesus' demand here, just like the Ten Commandments, leaves no room for selfishness. It was selfishness that set sin in motion in the Garden of Eden, and selfishness keeps it going today. Undivided faith evidenced in selfless obedience was the determinate intended outcome of the Ten Commandments. Undivided faith evidenced in selfless obedience is the determinate intended outcome of following (obeying) Jesus. Jesus, however, put a little "icing on the cake" to add a cross to our own outcome in case there was any doubt as to the level of commitment (faith) He required.

Why so intense? Because God takes no pleasure in the death of wicked people.

The only solution (that spans across Old Testament and New Testament alike) is repentance. Repentance is turning away from wicked ways. Faith goes right along with repentance because to turn away from trusting idols - our own ways, because of their offense against God, is to turn, in faith, to God. Repentance then, is faith in God, and faith in God is repentance.

It is wicked to trust anything but God. 

Jesus eliminated the animal sacrifices from the process of repentance, thus making Himself (again, God With Us) the singular focus of our obedience and faith (eliminating the possibility of idolizing the processes (sacrifices) intended to point to Jesus).

It is wicked to trust anything but God.

In our world of debt, insurance, medicine and technology, how are we doing at trusting nothing but God? How are we doing at giving up our own way - giving up our idols of finance, protection, health and convenience, taking up our cross, and following Jesus?

Because God takes no pleasure in the death of wicked people who have turned away from Him to idols, He is calling each of us today to repent - to turn from our idolatry - that wickedness, and turn to Him ALONE. Our model and example is Jesus. As counterintuitive as it may seem, we can only truly live in Christ. The "life" promised by our idols is the same life Satan deceptively promised in the Garden of Eden, "You will not die..."

Father, forgive me for the idols in my life that make perfect sense humanly speaking, but are an affront and offense to Biblical faith - exclusively trusting in You alone. I know it's one thing to say "I repent" and another altogether to actually "turn away" from the wickedness of idolatry. May my repentance not be just in word, but in deed. So be it.