The eight aspect of corruption that is undeniable, is that God hates it. Yes, God hates! He hates corruption, He hates the effect it has on His children, He hates proud looks, and lying tongues, and hands that shed innocent blood, as well as hearts that devise wicked plans and feet that are swift in running to evil.
Proverbs 6:16-19, “These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.”
The ninth aspect of corruption that is evident throughout the word of God is that He punishes it. Even though God is patient, even though God is merciful, even though His grace extends beyond human comprehension, the day comes when He punishes corruption, and justifiably so.
Seeing as corruption is present in the world, more so than ever before, seeing as it exists, one wonders what its effects are. Why has corruption become so pervasive even within the church? Does it offer us something positive? Does it make us better people? Does it make us healthier, wiser, more useful or more fulfilled? What does the experience of past generations tell us concerning corruption?
Genesis 6:5-6, “Then the Lord saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.”
Noah was born about twenty years after Adam’s death, and it is during Noah’s time that the Lord saw the wickedness of man becoming great in the earth. Wickedness, corruption, sin, rebellion, disobedience, all these things grieve God’s heart. God’s heart is no less grieved today, than it was upon seeing the wickedness of Noah’s generation, for He is the same God, with the same tender heart.
When God is grieved, when God is angered, we must always remember that His grief and His anger are well motivated, and justified. God doesn’t get angry like men get angry. He doesn’t have good days and bad days, reacting accordingly. When He is angry, God’s anger is well founded.
So what becomes of a people that have stirred the wrath of God? What becomes of a nation, or even a world that refuses to repent, that refuses to seek after righteousness, and the intent of the thoughts of their hearts is only evil continually?
Genesis 6:7, “So the Lord said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.’”
When God punishes corruption, when God punishes sin, when God punishes evil, He does so in a frightfully complete and thorough manner. Nothing could save those of Noah’s generation or the citizenry of Sodom and Gomorrah, rich and poor alike paying the price for their corruption.
Throughout the history of man, corruption has brought nothing positive or uplifting. Without fail, corruption destroys lives, it destroys families, and it destroys nations.
No man in his right mind can desire the effects of corruption, but due to the masks that it wears, and the falsehoods it promises, millions upon millions have given their hearts over to it nevertheless.
As God continues to warn and we ignore His warnings, as God continues to call out and we pretend as though we have not heard His voice, as God continues to reach out and no one regards Him, eventually all that is left for Him to do is to give men over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.
Proverbs 1:24-31, “Because I have called you and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, because you disdained all my counsel, and would have none of my reproof, I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, when your terror comes like a storm, and your destruction comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, they would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled to the full with their own fancies.”
As the days grow darker, and the future grimmer, we refuse and disregard and disdain God at our own peril. It’s not as if He hasn’t tried, it’s not as if He hasn’t reached out, it’s not as if He hasn’t counseled. It is we who have ignored Him, it is we who have disregarded Him, it is we who took it upon ourselves to remove ourselves from under His authority and protection.
If today we do not repent and seek God’s face, if today we do not humble ourselves and pray, the day will come when we will call upon Him and He will not answer, when we will seek Him diligently, and not be able to find Him.
We either follow the way of God, or eat the fruit of our own way. We either serve Him, and worship Him, and obey Him, or one day soon we will be filled to the full with our own fancies.
Perhaps we’ve grown accustomed to the stench of corruption that is permeating the world today. Perhaps we’ve grown used to the smell of hypocrisy and sin within the house of God, but it is still a stench in His nostrils.
The world may be changing at a rapid pace, but God has not changed, and that which He judged in times past, He will judge once more, in righteousness and holiness.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
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