[219 words]
A popular Brazilian saying is that one does not dispute preferences. That’s mostly true, I guess, except when it comes to the will of God.
The prophets prophesy lies. The priests exercise power by their own authority. And my people love to have it this way. But they will not be able to help you when the time of judgment comes! (Jeremiah 5.31 NET)
Jeremiah asks what the people of Israel will do when God’s judgment comes. The great application of this is that, in the end, people will be responsible for believing in lies and submitting themselves to the religious authority of men. Because they want to do so.
For every maker of an idol, for every human religious authority, there is a people that cries, “Make us gods that will go before us” (Exodus 32.1).
So it is today as well. Nobody can say to God on that final day that they had been hoodwinked or that they were just following the orders of priests or pastors. We are all responsible for what we do.
Those who guide us today cannot defend us in the final judgment. Each of us must give an account of himself to God for what we do in this life (Romans 14.12; Hebrews 4.13; Revelation 20.13). So what do I really like?