Isaiah 63:8-10
"For He said, 'Surely they are My people, children who will not lie.' So He became their Savior. In all their affliction, He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bore them and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; so He turned Himself against them as an enemy, and He fought against them."
This is somber word from our God, applying both to the church of old and the church of today. While our Savior lovingly became afflicted for our sakes, redeeming us from our sins, he will not stand still when we rebel against his lordship. When the church pushes away the Holy Spirit in rebellion to go its own way, the Spirit turns to fight against us.
Talk about a no-win situation. We find ourselves without hope when God fights against us. When the Spirit's touch is no longer the abiding presence of our Savior but the infiltrating presence of an enemy, we will be overcome.
Israel experienced God fighting against them first hand. After sending prophets over the centuries to warn against idolatry, the Lord turned against his own. He allowed unholy enemies, the Assyrians and the Babylonians, to invade Israel and destroy the nation. God became the enemy of his people. The Spirit no longer came as a Savior, but fought against God's people.
While a sobering account, we still find mercy. Even after pushing God to fight against them, the Lord relented when Israel began to forsake their false Gods and returned to worship him with all their hearts.
Likewise, we as the church today need the Lord to warn us when we've adopted false gods. While few openly worship other gods, by our actions, we've been pursuing other loves. Our eyes are blinded to sin, and we need to turn to God's holiness to reveal it to us so we can confess and turn back to the Lord.
If we refuse to repent, the Lord's Spirit will fight against us.
LORD JESUS
Lord, I don't want to be your enemy, either in word or practice. I ask you to open my heart to your thoughts, showing me the idols I need to forsake in my life. Amen.
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