When I was growing up, during my teen years, I remember multiple times asking my mother if I could do something that all of the other kids were doing, like stay out all night with a group of boys and girls. The answer was always “no” because my mom said it wasn’t “proper.” My argument would be that everyone else was doing it. And my mom’s reply was always, “If everyone else goes ahead and jumps off a bridge into a rocky water, are you going to be foolish and do the same thing?” I didn’t think at the time that made much sense, but with many years and raising my own three children behind me, I finally understood what she was saying.

God basically tells us the same thing in His Word. He took us out of Egypt, which represents sin, so why do we keep wanting to go back there? The answer is the same as what I gave my mom: everyone else is doing it. It seems that the whole world minus the practicing Christians have decided that wrong is right and right is wrong. You can be any gender you want, you can have sexual relationships with anyone you want at anytime whether you are married or not, and you can generally do anything that makes you feel good. That is what the world teaches. But it isn’t what God says.

“You must not do” is a strong admonition to not choose to sin. The land of sin that we left behind when we chose to follow God didn’t disappear. It is still there, enticing us to join in and enjoy all of the pleasures of sexual immorality and idolatry that the world has to offer. But God says “no.”

This scripture verse is spoken to the Israelites, but God also calls His chosen people to be holy. We are to be set apart, to be different rather than joining in on the destruction of our own souls.

God repeats His admonition to be holy in the New Testament, just in case we are deceived into thinking that the Old Testament regulations don’t apply to us. God didn’t say to “try” to be holy. He said to BE HOLY. This is a daily choice we make to walk away from sin, even if everyone else seems to be doing it.

How are we able to walk away in the face of constantly being bombarded with temptation? It takes a daily renewal of our mind through God’s Word and spending time with Him. How much time do we spend filling our mind with garbage from the internet and from our televisions and radios? Turning them off and focusing on God is what will help to renew our mind. Remember the adage: GIGO (garbage in, garbage out). The temptation to sin is everywhere so we have to turn away and focus on what God says, not what the world says is acceptable.

So, what is the reward for turning away from sin and walking with God? We are blessed. If we walk with the sinners, we will sin. If we keep company with those who mock God and our faith, we will be more and more tempted not to stand firm because the natural human tendency is to want to fit in. It’s a hard word, but we are to be separated from the world and its enticement to sin, not align ourselves with it. But, you say, we need to witness, to be ambassadors for Christ. That is absolutely correct! But do you recall one instance in which Jesus sinned? Of course not! He never chose to sin; He admonished others to “go and sin no more” but not once did He ever join in with their debauchery or sinful behavior. He made the same choice we have to make. We are in the world, sharing His Word with others, but we don’t join the world in making sinful choices.

God is our Lord and we have to choose to act like He is our Sovereign King in every choice that we make. The customs of today’s world are detestable and despicable, an affront to our Creator. We cannot in good conscience join in on the sinful revelry and not expect to suffer consequences and a distance from God. God doesn’t move away from us, so we should never choose to move away from Him.