Problem? What Problem?

Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD, for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. (Jeremiah 2:11-13 ESV). Can it be both? Hindus consider India's 1,568-mile-long Ganges River to be holy, but the government says it's polluted. According to the Hindu faithful, the Ganges can never be contaminated, no matter how much garbage is dumped into it. In an article for The Washington Post, John Ward Anderson quoted a Hindu priest as saying, "A dip [in the Ganges] gets rid of illness and infection, and all sins are washed away." This same person acknowledged that raw sewage and partially cremated corpses are dumped into the river. "But," he said, "the purity and sacredness of the river can never be destroyed or even diminished." Is it just me, or does he need to catch a quick flight back to reality? How can a grossly polluted river that contributes to epidemics that kill thousands of people each year be considered a source of purity? It is ludicrous and unbelievable to imagine anyone so out of touch with reality. But, the truth is there for any logical person to see. Those who believe the pollution of the Ganges is not real have only deceived themselves. The people living in ancient Israel had a similar problem of self-deception. They didn't want to admit that they were polluted by idolatry. This is what Jeremiah referenced in our verses today. I wonder, what would the prophet Jeremiah say to our churches today? What would he say about our commitment to Christ? Is it pure or polluted? Would he accuse us of worshipping academic success, a career, money, sex, beauty, power, legalism, ourselves? And if he pointed out a problem, would we hit the denial button and play the recording, "I'm really not such a bad person"? Or would we admit our sin, confess it, and seek a pure-hearted devotion to the Lord? Jeremiah won't visit your home, work, or church today, but the Lord Jesus will through His Spirit. Are you willing to admit it when you are wrong? Are you quick to make corrections when He points out sin in your life? We can't afford to keep fooling ourselves. The only way to find pure spiritual refreshment is to have an open and honest relationship with Christ. Make a commitment to honesty in your life today. Be honest as you look within your beliefs, character, and habits. Those things that are polluted remove them through confession and repentance. Jesus has already provided forgiveness and restoration for all our sins! Trust in Him!