There is No Ambivalence

Scripture: I will search with lanterns in Jerusalem’s darkest corners to find and punish those who sit contented in their sins, indifferent to God, thinking he will leave them alone. They are the very ones whose property will be plundered by the enemy, whose homes will be ransacked; they will never have a chance to live in the new homes they have built. They will never drink wine from the vineyards they have planted. Zephaniah 1:12-13

Observation: As the Lord pronounces his future punishment on Jerusalem, he has pronounced how he will destroy those who have actively rejected him, and who have worshipped other gods, and who have engaged in the worship of the sun and moon, and who have created idols to other deities. However, he calls out another group here ... those who are simply ambivalent.

There are people who just ignore not only the Lord, but all religion. They disregard it all, indifferent to God, and just living an earthly life. Theirs is not a death sentence, but rather a life sentence. Everything they have will be taken, and they will lose all the simple, earthly things they have like their homes, wealth, and material goods. Entirely ignoring God and rejecting the concept of any kind of worship and honor to a greater power may make them less detestable than those who worship false gods, but it does not make them less sinful.

Application: Which is worse today ... those who actively pursue some kind of false worship, or those who simply reject everything? Interestingly, when you think about it, is is obvious that there is no "continuum" of more or less worse in the eyes of Jesus Christ.

Jesus creates a binary clarity. He is the way, the truth, and the life. Those who believe in him as Messiah and the son of the Lord God almighty, creator of heaven and earth, receive eternal life. Those who don't ... don't. It doesn't really matter if they have a different god, or if they reject all belief systems, or if they believe God exists but don't see value to worshipping and believing in him.

So many today are actually ambivalent. They proceed in life without any thought that the existence of God could matter in their lives, so they don't care either way and decide to never give it a second thought. This certainly creates the other emotions we see in society around us. In the hearts of those indifferent to God, joy and praise and comfort are supplanted by anxiety and fear and discontent. Peace is supplanted by anger. Worship is supplanted by rioting.

In the end, ambivalence in the Lord then creates a destructive energy, and the Lord will soon deal with it.

Prayer: Please, come, Lord Jesus. Amen.