Judges 21:25 “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”
Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
In these Last Days, the reason our society thinks it can “do what is right in their own eyes” is because Almighty God has been methodically kicked out of every arena, and His Word has been systematically shunned throughout every facet of our way of life! Those whose minds are blinded to the Truth of the Gospel woefully tout that ‘there are no moral absolutes.’ No more black or white… only gray; no more right or wrong… only what is ‘right for you’; no more truth vs lies… only what is dubbed as ‘your truth,’ and the list goes on.
When a society rejects God’s moral absolutes which are clearly outlined in His Word and Moral Laws, then it is no wonder why people would ‘grievously take it upon themselves to do what they think is right’! (Side note: none of us have the right or the authority to usurp God’s Word and decide what is right or wrong for ourselves; only He as our Divine Creator has that moral and legal authority!) Just like in the time of Samson, the people ‘did what was right in their own eyes.’ Sadly, the days of Samson did not turn out very well. So is the case as we read in Revelation that our days are not going to turn out very well in the end either!
As the Last Days unfold, we see more and more among Christendom that the ‘church’ is doing this very thing of ‘doing what is right in their own eyes’ instead of doing what is right according to God’s Holy Word! This trend is more than appalling; it is downright evil in the sight of Almighty God!
From personal experience, I am seeing churches infiltrating hipster pastors who care more about being ‘culturally relevant,’ so much so that they are becoming ‘spiritually irrelevant’! I am also seeing churches that are more like ‘charismatic cults’ that push and endorse books authored by heretics and ‘supposed modern-day prophets and prophetesses.’ Not only do they adamantly promote the reading of these books, without having to say so out loud, it is to the point that they view these ‘extra-biblical writings’ as equal or on par to the Holy Bible!
From Deceptioninthechurch.com: “Every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”
The state of Christianity today has returned to the same condition that Israel was in during the time of the judges. This statement in Judges 17:6 and 21:25 is not a positive statement about Israel, but a negative one. This sin of “doing that which was right in (their) own eyes” was what accounted for the sin of Micah in continuing in idol worship. There were no judges in the land to point out this sin or restrain the people from it. The law of God had been forsaken and replaced with subjectivism.
This is exactly what we are seeing today in our postmodern, relativist culture. It is to be expected that the world will act like this, but this attitude has also entered and almost overwhelmed Christendom as we know it. Christianity is being remade in the image of imaginations of men (Rom. 1:21). The rules are being set by false teachers, and the [so-called] Christian masses are quick to follow. Only those who listen to the judges of today, those with Holy Spirit and biblical discernment, will be saved in this age of apostasy.
REMAKE – WHO IS TEACHING IT
(1) Postmodernism is good and even in the nature of God. (2) Christians can mix New Age Eastern Mysticism with Christianity. – Emerging Church: Leonard Sweet, Brian McLaren, Dan Kimball, Richard Foster and many others.
(1) Cultures were created by God and are being redeemed by Him. (2) Pagans can go back to worship of their former gods because they were really worshipping the true God all along. – Indigenous People’s Movement/New Apostolic Reformation (NAR): YWAM, John Dawson, Don Richardson, Richard Twiss, Terry LeBlanc and many others.
(1) Anything to get more people into churches (2) Compromise of the Gospel and truth because the end justifies the means – Church Growth Movement: Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, Robert Schuller, C. Peter Wagner, Paul Yongii Cho and many others.
(1) Our mandate is to take over the world, the governments, the businesses for Christ, thereby ushering in the return of Christ. (2) Whole cities and nations can be saved and transformed. – Dominionism: NAR, Transformations movement, C. Peter Wagner, Ed Silvoso, George Otis, Jr., YWAM, Bill Hamon, Paul Cain, Francis Frangipane, and the majority of Christians and Christian teachers.
(1) Promises of “healing in the atonement” are made in order to fleece the flock. (2) Wild claims and stories are told with no proof in order to build a following and secure fame and fortune for those who teach these things. (3) We are all little gods who can create reality by what we confess with our mouths. – Word-Faith: Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, and almost every teacher on TBN, Daystar, and other TV networks
(1) Psychology mixed with Christianity (2) I’m ok, you’re ok (3) Positive thinking, positive confession (4) Suppression of the hard facts of the Gospel (5) Talkstory with Scripture twisting – Positive Thinking/Schullerism: Robert Schuller, Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, Joel Osteen and a host of others.
(1) Heavy shepherding control of churches and all Christendom (2) Agenda based on false prophecy and implemented by false apostles (3) False Latter Rain/Dominionist teachings – New Apostolic Reformation (NAR): C. Peter Wagner, Cindy Jacobs, Dutch Sheets, Bill Hamon, Mike Bickle, YWAM and many others.
(1) Legalism, adding works to salvation – Hyper-Fundamentalists, Hyper-Pentecostals: Many denominations on both sides of this extreme.
(1) *Antinomianism (link doesn’t work) holding that it is not necessary to exhibit moral behavior as a Christian as we are saved by faith alone (2) a denial of the importance of sanctification because once saved, always saved (3) *Easy believism – Hyper-Calvinists: Many denominations.
[*Note: see Gotquestions.org for an explanation of antinomianism here, and easy believism here.]
(1) Holding that there is good in all men and the Holy Spirit is just looking for that good (2) The fall of man was not complete and he is able to choose to be saved because he ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. – Hyper-Arminianism/Pelegianism: Rick Joyner, Francis Frangipane, many denominations.
These are just a few examples of the redefinition of Christianity in the image and imaginations of men. But the Bible clearly teaches against these concepts. Yet, in an age where everyone does what is right in their own eyes, it is not surprising to see the Bible redefined or simply ignored. But there are consequences to doing what is right in our own eyes. It is “the way of death” (Prov. 14:12). Those who teach these things are bringing strange fire before the Lord Jesus Christ and will be judged for it. They will not simply lose their rewards in heaven. They will suffer eternal death. You cannot just make up Christianity.
As Larry Norman once sang, “The rules were set down long ago when the spikes went in the wood.” The truth of this world is not that it is subjective, but that the objective God set down His objective rules and agenda and we either accept it, commit to it, and follow it or we die. We can claim we are “born again” all day long, but if we choose to live by “Minnesota make-em-as-you-go rules” instead of the “law of Christ,” we prove we do not love the Lord, and He in turn will not love us (John 15:10). This article is a warning to all those who think they can rewrite Christianity in their own image. Think again! –Source
It is bad enough that our prodigals, society, culture, media, and world at large ‘does what is right in their own eyes’ at the expense of their souls; but it is even worse that the ‘church’ who are supposed to be the ‘called out ones’ (the Ekklesia) are doing this too?! We are supposed to be (in) the world but not (of) the world! We are not supposed to be ‘conformed’ to the ways of the world but we are to be ‘transformed’ by the Word of God! We are to be like fish going upstream; essentially like ‘going against the grain of society’! We are to be the salt and light of the world to slow the decay! We are called to be different!
From Gotquestions.org: “What is the definition of ekklesia?”
It is important that the church today understand the definition of ekklesia. The church needs to see itself as being “called out” by God. If the church wants to make a difference in the world, it must be different from the world. Salt is different from the food it flavors. God has called the church to be separate from sin (1 Peter 1:16), to embrace fellowship with other believers (Acts 2:42), and to be a light to the world (Matthew 5:14). God has graciously called us unto Himself: “‘Come out from them and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you’” (2 Corinthians 6:17). –Source
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God! It is dangerous to do whatever you want to do; it is evil to do what is right in your own eyes! To do so is to practice Satanism! The law of Satanism is to ‘Do as thou wilt’! Basically, do whatever you want, do as you see fit, do what you like; as if you are your ‘own god’! We are not God and we never will be! That was the first lie from Satan in the Garden of Eden, that if we eat of the forbidden fruit, we shall be as God, knowing good and evil!
Ever since then, mankind has been on a ‘quest’ to be as God, to usurp God, to become God, but we never can become Him and we never will! There is only one Holy and Righteous God and His name is Jesus; and He is the only one that has the keys to death and Hell; He is the only one who is worthy to open the scroll; He is the only one who gives Eternal Life to all those who truly believe in Him!
Bottom line is, you either believe in Jesus or you do not! If you truly believe in Christ, you will submit to Him and obey His Word and not do what is right in your own eyes, but do what is right according to God’s Holy Word! Yes, it is that plain and simple!
Hebrews 10:28-34 “He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
“For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.”
Until next time… Maranatha!
(JESUS = WAY, TRUTH, LIFE)