Some Jesus Things: Middle of the Road

Middle of the Road

This article will denounce all of the ambiguity and confusion surrounding a bible verse that speaks to all Christians who are intent on living a lie, full of compromise and hidden sins.

But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out. (Numbers 32:23)

This verse, in its context, is speaking about following the Lord completely. To wholly follow the Lord entirely to the End.

There were two and a half Israel tribes – Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh that wished to park themselves in the Middle of the Road. They approached Moses and begged him to let them have the territory east of the Jordon River as a ‘self imposed’ border for them and their great multitude of livestock. (Numbers 32:1,5)

They wanted the lands of Gilead and Jazer to be their inheritance in lieu of Canaan on the west side of the Jordan. They were in essence saying; God is wrong, and the East side is their promised land.

Smack dab in the Middle of the Road.

They had already crossed the waters of the Red Sea, which is a metaphor for leaving the worldly lusts and idols of Egypt behind. Entrusting in the deliverance of the Lord as the Road closed down upon the Pharaoh’s army that pursued behind them. (Exodus 14:28)

All they had left to do, was to cross the waters of the Jordan River and enter into the fulfillment blessing of the Promised Land. This is a kind of metaphor which speaks to dying to oneself. Then living on into a spiritual wholeness found in Jesus Christ. The word Jordan comes from the Hebrew word ‘yarden’ meaning descender. Jesus and countless others have descended into these waters to be baptized. (Matthew 3:13)

The lands of Gilead and Jazer lies between these two water crossings on God’s road to the promised land. This is the land of compromise surrounded by enemies. This is where many Christians fall short of God’s preeminent place and purpose for their lives.

Smack dab in the Middle of the Road is the most dangerous place to live. Yet! A lot of Believers fall short of God’s blessings saying, “This is as far as I go! This lifestyle suits me just fine. I will hold on to my secret sins because no one will ever know.”

Satan’s Perversion

Smack dab in the Middle of the Road is the exact irrational and dangerous place Satan would have all Christians camp. Boxed in and never able to merge onto the road alongside of God.

Lukewarm, weakened by lust, ruled by their own selfish desires. Negligent in the Word of God, recklessly lackadaisical to the Commandments of God. Lethargic in seeking God’s will, apathetic in Godly choices, and unwilling to die to worldliness only to be ‘thrown into reverse’ and seduced back, Smack dab in the Middle of the Road.

Christians who happily live on the median, become stubborn and self-willed. This is exactly how Satan stunts the growth of Believers.

Satan convinces Christians to think that God is tolerant of those who put Him second. “God expects me to take care of my family and friends first, then I’ll follow the Lord. I’ve got bills to pay. As soon as I see some light at the end of the tunnel, I’ll give to the Lord. I’m to busy right now taking care of everything else to pray, seek the Lord an wait on Him.”

Satan successfully derails Christians, off of the road built with a burning desire to please God, and mature into their own lands of promise. Detoured and wrecked down another dead end road of misfortune and hardship, built on self-will.

Have you ever wondered why you are not prospering? Why has another business venture failed? Why isn’t that MLM or Sales Program just not working out?

He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy. (Proverbs 28:13)

Fatal Accident in the Middle of the Road

The two and a half tribes of Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh failed to follow God’s road all the way to the end. The end of the rainbow where the real pot of gold resides. This is where the Golden Covenant Ark of God dwelt, which honored the presence of the Lord. (Joshua 4:11) (1 Samuel 3:3) This is where they should have eaten the grapes, pomegranates and figs from the Valley of Eschol. (Numbers 13:23)

This is where they should have entered the land of milk and honey, no longer needing the manna that came down from heaven.

Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year. (Joshua 5:12)

Instead they put their livestock and self-will ahead of the will of God. This is where their sins found them out. This is where they did not wholly follow the Lord.

But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out. (Numbers 32:23)

They underestimated the dangers of settling down, Smack dab in the Middle of the Road!

This is a ‘lesson learned’, the hard way. Soon, they fell back into the depravities of their hearts. They fell back into idol worship and harlotry. They were spiritually, morally and physically devastated. Their secret sins of self and worldliness became a roadblock to all of God’s covenant blessing and protection.

In those days the Lord began to cut off parts of Israel; and Hazael conquered them in all the territory of Israel from the Jordan eastward: all the land of Gilead—Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh—from Aroer, which is by the River Arnon, including Gilead and Bashan. (2 Kings 10:32-33)

And they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers, and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, that is, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. He carried the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into captivity. He took them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan to this day. (1 Chronicles 5:25-26)

Paved with Good intentions

Just like the two and a half tribes; many Believers start out with pure hearts full of good intentions. Often saying, “I am ‘sold out’ and ‘in it to win it’ for Jesus. Only to succumb to their own selfish desires. Becoming lukewarm, lethargic, and lackadaisical to God’s commandments and God’s will.

Christians who hold on to worldliness and secret sins are those who have settled down and made a home, Smack dab in the Middle of the Road. This lifestyle is inherently dangerous because you are sinning against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out. (Numbers 32:23)

This at its core, is a life of hypocrisy, which entails the concealing of sin. Hypocrisy defined is a pretense of having a virtuous character, moral or religious beliefs or principles, etc., that one does not really possess.

This added shame and guilt becomes a wedge delivering a debilitating guilt that can sever your relationship with the Lord. This is why Jesus referred to hypocrisy as “the leaven of the Pharisees” (Luke 12:1).

The Apostle Paul spoke to this hypocrisy and secret kind of sin and said, “In the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.” (Romans 2:16)

The Greek word in this verse for secrets is κρυπτός pronounced kryptos, translated from Strong’s #G2927 means: hidden, concealed, secret.

Granted; some Christians may disagree that they are living Smack dab in the Middle of the Road. Believing that they are not hypocritical in their behaviors. Convincing themselves that their secret sins are safely hidden. Forever concealed and remaining camouflaged before men.

Such a pious pretense may be hidden for years in the form of compromise, adultery, fornication, theft, and even wicked thoughts and desires; Just to name a few on a possible list of sins. These actions are in direct opposition of God’s Word. The prophet Isaiah addresses this issue, telling us that God knows. So be sure to know, your sin will find you out.

Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the Lord,
And their works are in the dark; They say, “Who sees us?” and, “Who knows us?” (Isaiah 29:15)

For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:14)

Secret Seeds

Ever since the dawn of creation one principle remains constant. Everything Jesus created has a seed from which it propagates itself after its own “kind.”

Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. (Genesis 1:11)

So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:21)

And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:25)

This simply stated: Means you can not sow seeds of secret sins and not expect to reap a harvest full of consequences, whether in this life or the next.

These consequences have a way of pollinating the fruits of others around us. Each and every person we come into contact with will be affected is some way or another. We can either pollinate the fruits of Gods will or the fruits of Satan’s nefarious purposes.

You can either be a blessing, or a stumbling block to others through the fertilizer of your choices and the actions you propagate, both privately and publicly.

But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. (1 Corinthians 8:9)

Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way. (Romans 14:13)

Do it Caleb’s Way

God Himself tells us in His own words, the benefits of wholly following His road to the end. God is very pleased with His servant Caleb because of the pure spirit within Caleb.

But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it. (Numbers 14:24)

Caleb held no secrets from God or Man and was rewarded with Health and Vigor as Caleb testifies at the age of 85. He never wavered and wholly followed God’s Road to the very End and Made his home in the Promised Land.

Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the Lord my God. So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’ And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. (Joshua 14:8-11)

If you are still not convinced as to whether or not, you should quit following Satan and get out of the Middle of the Road. If you still feel that you can hide out on the median of life, wallowing in your secret sins. If you still feel you can live a life of compromising God Word. You can not say you were not told the truth!

I will Let God speak for Himself!

“Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord,
“And not a God afar off?
Can anyone hide himself in secret places,
So I shall not see him?” says the Lord;
“Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord.
(Jeremiah 23:23-24)

Selah