Held Responsible for Sin

Scripture: Listen to this, Israel. God is calling you to account—and I mean all of you, everyone connected with the family that he delivered out of Egypt. Listen!
"Out of all the families on earth,
I picked you.
Therefore, because of your special calling,
I’m holding you responsible for all your sins."
Amos 3:1-2

Observation: After condemning the nations around Israel, Amos turns his attention Israel itself with a specific statement ... that because they are the chosen people of the Lord, called out and delivered from Egypt, set aside as a kingdom of priests, he will hold them responsible in a very specific way for their sins.

Also in today's reading, Paul says something similar as it relates to Jews ... "Our involvement with God’s revelation doesn’t put us right with God. What it does is force us to face our complicity in everyone else’s sin." (Romans 3:20)

In both of these, there is a common lesson. When the Lord has given the people knowledge, understanding, and special treatment, and when that is all reenforced by messages from the Holy Spirit, and THEN the people rebel against the Lord, explicitly reject his teaching - not accidentally or simply through the weakness of humans to avoid sin, but making a conscious effort to adopt a life that is counter to the Lord's will - there will be a special kind of reconning to come.

Application: I pray over and over and over again for our nation, and for all people in this time, who have actively pursued lifestyles that actively reject the Lord. That said, I am very aware that there is a difference between those who do so in ignorance, and those who do so in full knowledge of the precepts and ordinances and pronouncements of the Lord, endorsed by Jesus, while they declare themselves followers of Jesus. There can really be no doubt that there is a special kind of reconning to come.

I don't believe that reconning is heavenly or eternal, as faith in Jesus is sufficient for salvation. However, there are earthly troubles ahead for many Christians. I would do well to ensure I am not one of them, and in that regard ... I must consider if there are elements of the Lord's clear teaching that I have actively and intentionally rejected.

I have been very clear that I am a sinful human who makes mistakes in behavior and judgment and thought alike. However, I believe I have not adopted a "lifestyle" practice that explicitly denies the Lord's instructions. If I have, I would like knowledge of it, and correction to fix it.

Furthermore, I pray for denominations and churches that have in fact declared themselves opposed to the Lord's teaching. They often do so as a way to 'comply' with another of the Lord's precepts, but are clearly misguided in such methods. I would like them to have the truth revealed to them. However, I fear that instead some special kind of reconning will come down, and the non-believers will rejoice at the pain of Christians.

Prayer: Lord, let me begin with this. Please, Lord, if I have adopted as practice in my life something that offends you and rejects you, please tell me and correct me. I ask the same for my brothers and sisters in Christ, that we all receive your word of correction. Amen.