Luke 16:13-15
13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. 14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. 15 And he said to them, You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
The direct focus of this passage is our view of money. But it can also apply to sexual immorality. Jesus starts by saying, "No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other" (verse 13). Too often we try to live dual lives. Part of the time we say we love and serve God, while in other moments our behavior shows that we love and serve self and pleasure. This is a contradiction that cannot sustain itself. Eventually we have to choose who we will serve, God or self. God must be first in our life, above our desire for money, and also above our sexual desires. Jesus goes on to say that "what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God" (verse 15). In our media culture there is high value placed on being "sexy". We tend to glorify those who are sexually promiscuous, for that is an image that is "cool" or "hot" or whatever slang is currently popular. But that is not God's perspective. In fact it is a direct attack on God's view of holiness and purity. Here again, we must choose which side we will be on, whether we will align with God's perspective or our culture's perspective.
Lord, help me to serve You above all else, and to value what You value.
13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. 14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. 15 And he said to them, You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
The direct focus of this passage is our view of money. But it can also apply to sexual immorality. Jesus starts by saying, "No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other" (verse 13). Too often we try to live dual lives. Part of the time we say we love and serve God, while in other moments our behavior shows that we love and serve self and pleasure. This is a contradiction that cannot sustain itself. Eventually we have to choose who we will serve, God or self. God must be first in our life, above our desire for money, and also above our sexual desires. Jesus goes on to say that "what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God" (verse 15). In our media culture there is high value placed on being "sexy". We tend to glorify those who are sexually promiscuous, for that is an image that is "cool" or "hot" or whatever slang is currently popular. But that is not God's perspective. In fact it is a direct attack on God's view of holiness and purity. Here again, we must choose which side we will be on, whether we will align with God's perspective or our culture's perspective.
Lord, help me to serve You above all else, and to value what You value.