2 Kings 17:24-41
One final point to be made about the Samaritans religion, is that it was a religion of “compromise”. In the case of the Samaritans they had God and they had “gods”; they liked the latter best - 2 Kin 17:41a “So these nations feared the LORD and also served their carved images.” They gave God lip service, but they gave the “gods” their true service.
Such can happen to Christians today. When they seek to serve God, while also trying to serve the world. But this is impossible according to Jesus - Mt 6:24 ‘"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” When people try to serve both, the world always wins.... It shows up in how their jobs, their recreation, etc., takes precedence over their service to God. It shows up in how they seek to rationalize their conduct. But God cannot tolerate “compromise”. He requires total commitment to Him, no matter the price. As taught in the Old Testament - De 6:5 “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”, 14-15 “You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you, for the LORD your God in your midst is a jealous God, lest the anger of the LORD your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.” As taught by Jesus Himself - Lk 14:26,33 ‘"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” – “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” To compromise with the world is to commit “spiritual adultery”! - Ja 4:4 “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” Thus we need to heed Jesus’ admonition: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness...” - Mt 6:33
I believe it is easy to see the error of the Samaritans’ religion.... They had a religion of “fear, form, and compromise”. But unless we are careful, our religion can easily become like theirs! If with honest introspection we must confess that our religion is closer to the Samaritans’ than it should be then let Elijah challenge us to give up “a religion of compromise” - 1 Kin 18:21 “And Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." And the people did not answer him a word.” Let Paul challenge us to give up “a religion of form” - Ro 2:28-29 “For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.” Let John challenge us to give up “a religion of fear” - 1 Jn 3:18-19 “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.”
Have you accepted the Savior’s tender invitation (Mt 11:28-30 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."’), which is received today by obedience to His gospel? - Mk 16:15-16 “And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”; Ac 2:36-39 “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself."’
