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Walking in the ancient paths

Subhead
Built on a Rock
By
Pastor Praveen Muthsuamy, Hills United Reformed Church

You may have come across the idiom, “All roads lead to Rome.” It means that there are many ways to achieve the same goal or result. It suggests that no matter which path you choose, you will eventually reach your desired outcome.

This saying may be true for some areas of life. For example, if someone wants to lose weight, they can try the vegan diet, Keto diet, Paleo diet, carnivore diet, and the Lion diet. People have lost weight in all of these diets. In this regard, all roads lead to Rome.

But when it comes to the spiritual areas of life, the eternal state of our souls, all roads do not lead to Rome. There are not multiple ways to achieve the same goal or result. It does matter which path we choose and which way we walk. There are only two paths: the ancient path that leads to life and then there is the worldly path that leads to death.

God’s people, the people of Judah during the time of prophet Jeremiah, were walking in the worldly path. God tells them the multiple ways that they were heading toward judgment and destruction. He names their sins one by one beginning from Chapter 5:

•They were unfaithful to their wives. (Jeremiah 5:8-9)

•They were unfaithful to God. (Jeremiah 5:19)

•There was no justice in the land. (Jeremiah 5:28-29)

•The religious leaders were unfaithful to God’s word and people loved it. (Jeremiah 5:30-31)

God’s people were living a wicked lifestyle. Judgment was coming. In this context, God calls his people, “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. (Jeremiah 6:16a). He pleads with them to walk in the good way, the ancient path of listening to his word and obeying it. “But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’” (Jeremiah 6:16b)

We all have a choice to make when it comes to sexual purity, worshiping the one true God, practicing justice, and following true servants of God.

For the sake of space let us consider the issue of sexual purity. We live in a time where pornographic material is ubiquitous. Our world seems to be okay with it. But we must remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:27-30.

Today, we all have a choice to make. Option 1: We can refuse to heed the call of God, shut our hearts to the word of God and resist the Spirit of God. By doing so we will face the just judgment of God and run headlong to hell fire. Option 2: We can by the grace of God and by the work of the Spirit of God obey God’s word, keep ourselves pure and holy in thought, word and deed.

By doing so we will find rest for our souls and enjoy the Lord’s blessing. 

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