Small Changes to Great Sins
A pilot flying from New York to Los Angeles has to be exact in his navigation. A 5 degree error might not
appear to be that big of a deal the first 100 miles, but after 2,400 miles he’s somewhere in Mexico. Small changes
don’t seem that significant at first, but given enough time they lead us to places we never intended. This is definitely
true in religion.
Jeroboam, because of his lack of faith in God, and fearing that the people would abandon him as king,
changed God’s pattern of worship for Jews living in the newly-formed Kingdom of Israel. He persuaded the people to
adopt a pattern that replaced the emphasis, date, priesthood, and location of sacrifices (2 Kings 12:28-32). His selling
point? Convenience. He made it easier on the people to accept his changes than to travel to Jerusalem as the Law
required (v. 28).
Jeroboam’s influence took Israel to places they never intended. The first generation only wanted to change a
few aspects of worshipping God. The following generations added to these changes until they were given to idolatry
and human sacrifice, which brought about God’s judgment (2 Kings 17:16-18). The departing generation wanted a
few, small changes; the following generations continued in that spirit of compromise and eventually practiced sins
never imagined by Jeroboam’s generation.
This pattern has repeated itself all throughout time. It continues to exist in churches that are supposed to be
of Christ. The men who argued years ago for church-supported orphanages and colleges created an environment
that their descendants (within those churches) are now using to sponsor the latest trend in entertainment. Some of
those churches now have instrumental music and women preachers. Others are not quite there yet, but are well on
their way with their casual, “anything goes” mentality. They are way past the stages of church-sponsored social
activities, which Paul specifically said to avoid (1 Cor. 11:22, 34). Those were baby steps for these churches that now
have a ministry for every “good deed” conceivable, which, again, is a departure from God’s original pattern for the
church (Eph. 4:11; Phil. 1:1). Given enough time, these churches will no longer see the need to carry the name of
Christ on their building because of the controversy and preconceived ideas associated with it. Community Church or
something less conspicuous will be preferred. And when the name on the building has been changed to match the
casual environment that exists within, you will have found a group of people who have gone full circle back into the
error their ancestors worked so hard to come out of. “Come out and be separate” will be replaced with “let all men
speak well of you.”
“Buy the truth, and sell it not” is more than just a proverb (Pro. 23:23). It’s our navigation map to heaven.
And if a disregard for directions will not get us to our destination in flying a plane, how can it possibly get us to
heaven? What else can come from small departures, but further departure?
Mike Thomas
Standing Firm,
June 2010