Baptist City Blog

Making God Your Opponent

Isaiah 5:24

"Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel."

One of the sins that caused God to judge Israel was their ill treatment of His Word. According to the verse above, Israel "cast away" God's Word. In other words, they set God's Word aside even though they knew It to be right. Most likely God's Word did not fit their lifestyle or agenda, so they set It aside as if It wasn't important. Furthermore, they also "despised" God's Word. God was saying that His Word became something that they hated being around. God's Word became something that they loathed. In other words, God's Word became like the phone call that you don't want to answer because you know who is calling. God's Word became to these people just like preparing and paying your taxes is to you. What a tragedy that these people perceived God's Word this way.

The repercussions of their attitude towards God's Word led to God becoming their opponent. Verse 25 says, "Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them:..." Because they mistreated God's Word, they pitted God against them. Their treatment of God's Word brought heartache to Israel, for He considers His Word of extreme value.

Your treatment of God's Word will determine whether God becomes your opponent or ally. When we attack the validity of God's Word, we make God our opponent. When God speaks to us through the preaching of His Word and we don't respond to what He says, then we make God our opponent. When God speaks to our heart through the voice of the Holy Spirit of God and we quench that voice, we then make God our opponent. It is very important that we don't treat God's Word in an adverse manner if we want God to be on our side.

Christian, don't be guilty of making God your opponent by not making His Word important to you. Don't set God's Word aside because you don't like what It says. Don't be guilty of giving the world's education a greater value than you do God's Word. When the world's philosophies and ideas differ from God's Word, always stand on the side of God's Word.

Every preacher needs to be careful about attacking the Word of God. Preacher, if you don't want God to be against your ministry, then don't ever stand against His Word. Don't ever defend those who attack the inspiration and inerrancy of God's Word. They may be a friend, but your friend cannot defend you when God is your opponent. I have watched many good men of God stand on the wrong side of God's Word only to see God make their ministry of no importance. Whatever you do as a preacher, always stand on the side of defending God's Word. This will guarantee that God will be your ally in the ministry.

Finally, any nation that wants God's blessings upon it needs to stand in defense of His Word. The nation that kicks the Word of God out of their school rooms, court houses, government buildings and society is a nation that will find God fighting against it. Every political leader needs to do what they can to keep God's Word in society.

Your treatment of God's Word will determine whether He becomes your opponent or ally. If you want God to fight for you, then you need to fight for His Word. Life is hard enough without making God your opponent. Make big of God's Word and God will be on your side.