DO YOU TAKE PLEASURE IN THEM?

[Pastor Bayo Afolaranmi]

Dearly Beloved,

DO YOU TAKE PLEASURE IN THEM?

"Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them" (Romans 1:32 NIV).

There is a Yoruba proverb that goes thus: "He who does not eat rat should not use his teeth to divide it for the children." The proverb amused me. However as I pondered on it further, I realized that many Christians are like that proverbial man. They would not want to do something, especially bad thing, but they take pleasure in such things when other people are doing them.

King Solomon took pleasure in foreign women when God forbade the people of Israel not to do so (Deuteronomy 7:3-4). The Bible says, "King Solomon loved many foreign women. They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, `You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.' Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love" (1 Kings 11:1-2 NIV). These foreign women gradually led him away from God. Some good kings of Judah had a flaw - "the high places, however, were not removed" (1 Kings 22:43; 2 Kings 12:3; 14:4; 15:4, 35 NIV). This flaw was recorded against Jehoshaphat, Joash, Amasiah, Azariah, and Jotham. Their problem for not removing these high places was probably that they took pleasure in them.

It is ludicrous that some people in the Christian faith are taking pleasure in things that are contrary to the word of God. A good example of this is the controversial ordination of homosexuals in some Christian denominations. I wonder what messages such denominations want to pass across to the unbelievers.

What are those bad and wrong things that you also take pleasure in? In what way do you approve of those that are doing such bad and wrong things? Beware that you do not take pleasure in bad and wrong things.

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).