You Can’t Bring That With You!

1 Samuel 7:3 – So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, THEN RID YOURSELVES OF THE FOREIGN gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”(NIV)

1 Samuel 7:3 – Then Samuel addressed the house of Israel: “If you are truly serious about coming back to God, clean house. GET RID OF THE FOREIGN gods and fertility goddesses, ground yourselves firmly in God, worship him and him alone, and he’ll save you from Philistine oppression.”(Message Bible)

If you are genuinely returning to the LORD then you must get rid of other gods. If you are coming to God, there are things you can’t bring along. If you are committed to God with all your heart, it will be seen and known by what you abandon in order to serve God and God alone!

Israel had suffered significantly under the oppression of the Philistines. Israel were tired of this life. They wanted a change and a break from oppression. They sought advice from their religious leader known as Samuel. Our text today has the words of Samuel to Israelites.

Samuel informs them that they are suffering under Philistine, not because God can’t save, but because their sins have separated them from the saving God. Samuel tells them to address the sin problem in their lives if they hope to have a good life.

While Samuel is talking to them, he remembers that this same people had been returning to God and backsliding back to sin. Sometimes it seemed like their return to God was not genuine. In our text today, Samuel tells them that if they are genuine in their returning to God this time, then they should get rid of that which displeases God.

You can’t return to God while carrying along with you the things that offend the God whose favour you are seeking. In your journey to a new and better life with God, there are things you can’t bring with you. Your sins and sinful way of life must be abandoned if you are genuinely seeking God’s favour.

You can’t bring that attitude of feeling and believing you are better than others. You can’t bring with you an unteachable spirit that refuses to learn and insists on its own way. You can’t bring intolerance of others. You can’t bring racism and tribalism. You can’t bring any basis of divisiveness, because in Christ we are united and not divided!

You can’t bring philosophies that are opposed to biblical principles. You can’t bring a lifestyle that resonates more with the secular world than with faith in God. You can’t bring styles that will remind people of the sinful world they left. You can’t bring worship styles used by those who have made religion a commercial exercise or a promotion of traditions.

You can’t bring hatred. You can’t bring abusive language even against those you hate. You can’t bring disrespect and disobedience when your faith hasn’t been jeopardised. There are things you can’t bring if you are coming for a new and better life in your walk with God.

Even in matters outside faith, you have to abandon certain things if you are to start a new and better walk. You can’t bring laziness to school and hope to succeed. You can’t bring impatience when making investments. You can’t bring self-centredness to a relationship because you are required to be considerate of your partner. For you to succeed in any sector of life, there are things you can’t bring to the new life.

As we seek a new and better life everyday, we must know what should be done so that we can do it. We must also know what we cant bring along, and we get rid of it. As we seek assurance of eternal life, we need to know what we ought to do, and we also need to know what we can’t bring along. May God make these things clear to us, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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