Worldly Acceptable Ungodliness
An all-creatures Bible Message

Worldly Acceptable Ungodliness
 
A Sermon Delivered to
The Compassion Internet Church
 
15 September 2013
 
Frank L. Hoffman, Pastor

Scripture References

Psalm 14:1-7
Jeremiah 4:11-28
1Timothy 1:12-17

Worldly acceptable ungodliness is when people live by the "standards" of this corrupt world.

As we look at the world around us, or at what we see from the media, we can easily see that our whole society seems to operate on the premise of worldly acceptable ungodliness.
 
The major problem is that the vast majority of the people fail to even recognize this worldly acceptable ungodliness for the evil it is, because they like living the way they are and don’t want to change.
 
Let’s look at an example:

• Almost all people would recognize the evilness of killing another human being during a robbery or even as the result of a random shooting, and want the perpetrators punished.
  
• Fewer people would recognize the evilness of the death and suffering caused by acts of terrorism, because some people believe it is justifiable.
  
• Even fewer people would recognize the evil of retaliation and war, and the suffering and death that they cause, because they also believe it is justifiable.
  
• And only a relatively small percentage of society would recognize the evil and ungodliness in the atrocities committed against billions of animals every year. Why? Because the killing, eating, wearing, and testing on animals have become an acceptable part of our culture.

Every one of these examples is premeditated, which makes them all acts of murder.
 
This is an example of the worldly acceptable ungodliness and evil in our society.
 
And just because most people, including our lawmakers, accept this ungodliness as being part of our way of life doesn’t make it any less evil; in fact, it makes it even more evil, because the people have hardened their hearts and souls so that they no longer have empathy for the suffering animals.
 
However, we strongly believe that God sees all this worldly acceptable ungodliness and evil, and responds very much in the way that David wrote about in Psalm 14:1-7.

1. The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God."
They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds;
There is no one who does good.
 
2. The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men,
To see if there are any who understand,
Who seek after God.
 
3. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
There is no one who does good, not even one.

Even though this verse says that God doesn’t see a single person who seeks the Lord and strives to live by His heavenly will, elsewhere in the Bible we see God selecting people to help lead society back to repentance and live in God’s heavenly will, and help free creation from its present corruption.

4. Do all the workers of wickedness not know,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And do not call upon the LORD?

In the context of our discussion, we believe that all the other animals are also God’s people, for He lovingly created them with souls and spirits as He created us, and it is these animal people who are being eaten as they eat bread.
 
And these people do this when they are eating a burger or a hot dog, which in reality is an animal on a bun.

5. There they are in great dread,
For God is with the righteous generation.

See, God does recognize those who are striving to be righteous.

6. You would put to shame the counsel of the afflicted,
But the LORD is his refuge.
 
7. Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When the LORD restores His captive people,
Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad.
NASB

And we believe that the animals will rejoice along with the angels in heaven, when they are freed from their suffering and captivity.
 
These kinds of worldly acceptable ungodliness and evil also existed in the days of Jeremiah, and it resulted in the people going into captivity in Babylon.
 
Note what we are told in Jeremiah 4:11-28.

11. In that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, "A scorching wind from the bare heights in the wilderness in the direction of the daughter of My people — not to winnow, and not to cleanse,
 
12. a wind too strong for this — will come at My command; now I will also pronounce judgments against them.

As we have mentioned before, we see this same kind of judgment coming upon us today for our collective failure to compassionately care for the animals and for our continued corruption of creation.

13. "Behold, he goes up like clouds,
And his chariots like the whirlwind;
His horses are swifter than eagles.
Woe to us, for we are ruined!"

However, there is a remnant today that does see the truth in Jesus, and the evils being committed, and they see the pending doom; but very few are listening to them, just as happened in the days of Jeremiah.

14. Wash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem,
That you may be saved.
How long will your wicked thoughts
Lodge within you?

And still God calls us to repentance, but we see very few who are listening and responding.

15. For a voice declares from Dan,
And proclaims wickedness from Mount Ephraim.
 
16. "Report it to the nations, now!
Proclaim over Jerusalem,'
Besiegers come from a far country,
And lift their voices against the cities of Judah.
 
17. 'Like watchmen of a field they are against her round about,
Because she has rebelled against Me,' declares the LORD.

Every single compassionate child of God who sees all the warring madness, the horrible way animals are treated and killed, and the continual destruction of our environment, and sounds the alarm that these things are against God’s creation and heavenly intent is one of these watchmen of the Lord.
 
It seems as though almost everyone around us considers this worldly acceptable ungodliness and evil as being a normal part of society, and that there is nothing wrong with living this way, when in fact, nothing is further from the truth.
 
And, this is the reason that God spoke this way to Israel in the days of Jeremiah, and why we believe that this message is also meant for the people of the world in the here and now.

18. "Your ways and your deeds
Have brought these things to you.
This is your evil. How bitter!
How it has touched your heart!"

The watchmen and the people that do hear the cry of God’s watchmen and respond are filled with great sorrow, as is God, because of all the evil they see and the pending disaster coming upon the world.

19. My soul, my soul! I am in anguish! Oh, my heart!
My heart is pounding in me;
I cannot be silent,
Because you have heard, O my soul,
The sound of the trumpet,
The alarm of war.
 
20. Disaster on disaster is proclaimed,
For the whole land is devastated;
Suddenly my tents are devastated,
My curtains in an instant.
 
21. How long must I see the standard,
And hear the sound of the trumpet?
 
22. "For My people are foolish,
They know Me not;
They are stupid children,
And they have no understanding.
They are shrewd to do evil,
But to do good they do not know."

God thinks back to the time of creation and what has become of His beautiful creation.

23. I looked on the earth, and behold, it was formless and void;
And to the heavens, and they had no light.
 
24. I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking,
And all the hills moved to and fro.
 
25. I looked, and behold, there was no man,
And all the birds of the heavens had fled.
 
26. I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a wilderness,
And all its cities were pulled down
Before the LORD, before His fierce anger.
 
27. For thus says the LORD,
"The whole land shall be a desolation,
Yet I will not execute a complete destruction.
 
28. "For this the earth shall mourn,
And the heavens above be dark,
Because I have spoken, I have purposed,
And I will not change My mind, nor will I turn from it."
NASB

This is the disaster that the worldly human way of life is bringing upon this earth.
 
Look at the problems that global warming is causing, and then realize that we humans could prevent most of it if we really wanted to.
 
Look at what our out of control rising health care costs is doing to our economy, because of human greed and insistence upon raising and eating animals, with total indifference to the horrible suffering inflicted upon them.
 
And while we are looking at the economy, look at the unbelievable amount of money being wasted through terrorism and war, and how that same amount of money could solve most of our problems if we returned to the Lord our God with a whole heart.
 
We must end our worldly acceptable ungodliness.
 
These are the things we can do, just as Paul wrote about in 1Timothy 1:12-17.

12. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service;

We should all want this for ourselves, too.

13. even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. And yet I was shown mercy, because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;
 
14. and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.

Most of us who are ethical vegans for reasons of compassion can look back upon our former lifestyle and see the horrible suffering and death of the animals that we contributed to; but the grace of God saved us from that way of life.

15. It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.
 
16. And yet for this reason I found mercy, in order that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience, as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.
 
17. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
NASB

This is our calling, too.
 
We have the ability to help end all the worldly acceptable ungodliness and evil that continually corrupts the earth.
 
We can help free creation from its present corruption into the glory of the children of God.
 
We can help bring peace to this earth.
 
Amen.

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