Is IT Really A Little Thing?!?

Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger. – Psalm 8:2 NKJV

Since yesterday evening, I have struggled with how to address this issue of compromise that has so vexed my spirit (and vexed me every year this time of year).

All I kept finding myself saying is,

Is it really a little thing?!?

How can I emphasize this matter? How can I make it clear that this is no little matter at all?

I really needed help explaining this; and help came to me in the form of a children’s cartoon.

It was the comment of the villian, Hopper – the grasshopper who tormented the nearby nation of ants, that drove home the very matter; although because he was the enemy his application was for ill intent.

(It is just like the enemy of our Heavenly Father to present a spiritual truth in a negative fashion so that subconsciously we will acknowledge that this is a truth, but we would reject it because of who is speaking it.)

Did you watch the cartoon clip? Did you understand what Hopper was saying about the single grain?

Now let’s look at this same lesson which the Lord told Haggai to speak to the priests:

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Now, ask the priests concerning the law, saying,“If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?”’

” Then the priests answered and said, “No.”

And Haggai said, “If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?”

So the priests answered and said, “It shall be unclean.”

Then Haggai answered and said, “ ‘So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,’ says the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean. – Haggai 2:11-14 NKJV

A lot went into cleansing and sterilizing the church building in preparation for the return of the people to the “place” of worship.

The place of worship, now cleansed, is called and considered Holy Ground.

But…

How many have come in and left out the same – unchanged in attitude, unchanged in spirit?

And at the same token, how many times have you seen those, defiled in spirit, spoiling that which they have touched? Spoiling it in that their behaviors have caused others to look down on and reject that which is supposed to be Holy and thus held in high regard.

For example, whether it is a priest or a Levite (those who assist the priest by working within the church in any area, from the music ministry, intercession, or administration), if their behavior is in any way exposed to be immoral, that exposure spoils how others view them, or the church as a whole.

Therefore, just like we shouldn’t really call the wounds received by anyone within the church “church hurt” because that hurt is then attributed to the body of Christ as a whole; so too, those in the body need to understand that their defiled behaviors affect everyone.

So instead of putting a whole lot of attention on the brick and mortar building, what we need to be cleansing is our hearts before the Lord.

We need to come before the Lord ourselves humbly praying to our Lord to wash us, cleanse our hearts, make us white as snow in accordance with Isaiah 1:18.

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. – Isaiah 1:18 NKJV

We need to come before the Lord with willing hearts; and we need to encourage and help others to do the same.

This is no small matter.

You see one person’s defilement can spoil it for many.

This should not be hard to understand considering the fact that, in today’s world, one person with covid symptoms can shut down an entire school, business, church.

Just one.

Let’s look at some whose one act impacted many…

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. – Romans 5:12,15,17-19 NKJV

Then the Lord saw that 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. 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.” But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. – Genesis 6:5-8 NKJV

One man’s faith impacted the lives of every human that has ever lived on the earth.

Because of the gross wickedness that existed in the days of Noah, our Heavenly Father was going to destroy both man and beast, creeping things and birds.

But because one man, Noah, found favor (grace) in the eyes of the Lord, he was spared – him and his small immediate family of 8, as well as beasts, creeping things, and birds. One man.

But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the Lord burned against the children of Israel. – Joshua 7:1 NKJV

One man caused all this problem for everyone. Several died because of the actions of one.

In the eyes of the Lord, they all sinned.

This is just a few examples. I’m sure you can think of and recite more, not just from bible times, but from our times today where the behavior of one affects many.

One person affects everyone in the house. One house affects a neighborhood.

One neighborhood affects a community. One community affects a city. One city affects a state. On, and on…

So is it really just a little thing?