Choose Your Altar
Elijah
is about to humiliate the false prophets of Baal. He has challenged them to a
duel to prove that his God (Yahweh) is the one and only true and living God.
Just before the contest begins, Elijah shouts out a dare to the people – challenging
them to stop “sitting on the fence” and make the choice of which God they will
serve. “If Yahweh is the real God, then go after Him; if it’s Baal, then go
after him.” But whatever you do, MAKE UP YOUR MINDS! Don’t just stand there hesitating between two
opinions. The people were stuck between two altars. So, Elijah draws a line in
the sand and tells them (in no uncertain terms) that they must choose which
side of the line they’re going to be on. Choose your altar.
Here
we see the problem of indecision that faces so many people in our world today.
They say they want to follow Jesus, but they still have attachments to the
world. They are sitting on the fence. They can’t decide which altar to worship
at – the altar of the one true and living God; or the altar of the culture
around them. Sadly, these people have “too much of Jesus to be happy in the
world, and too much of the world to be happy in Jesus.” They are
hesitating. They are limping between two different opinions. Fear of God or
fear of man? Devotion to God or devotion to this world’s ways? Choose your
altar.
As
the day progressed, the people were witnesses of a spectacular show of God’s power
as He brought down fire upon the altar set up by Elijah. The false prophets
were utterly humiliated when their so-called “god” did nothing for them. Their
altar was fire-less. This is always the case when someone chooses the wrong
altar. Those today who choose any form of modern idolatry – the gods of self,
materialism, sensual pleasure, possessions, naturalism, pride, intellect, or self-indulgence, will always end up with
a fire-less altar. In the end, there is no power in any of those idols. Choose your altar.
Which
altar do you choose? Are you hesitating to give your life wholeheartedly to
Jesus? Are you, like the people of Elijah’s day, limping between two different
opinions? Are you holding back, sitting on the fence? Not sure who to follow? The
choice for all of us is pretty clear – follow Jesus wholeheartedly or don’t
follow Him at all. There really is no middle ground. Don’t think you can float
along without making a decision. Your failure to fully choose Jesus is your
choice to reject Him. “If Yahweh is the real God, then go after Him; if it’s
anyone (or anything) else, then go after him.” Choose your altar.
No comments:
Post a Comment