RTW 2022

But the old prophet answered, “I am a prophet, too, just as you are. And an angel gave me this command from the Lord: Bring him home with you so he can have something to eat and drink.” But the old man was lying to him.
1 Kings 13:18

Rehoboam, once established and strong:

• grew independent of God, rather more dependent on Him
• increased, rather than decreased, in his own eyes.
• exalted himself, rather than exalting God.

When we allow independence from God, self-increasing, and self-exaltation to occur, we are on the fast track to abandoning God and His ways.

Even the firmly established, can fall away.

Fall away is a largely debated among theological experts:

• They weren’t really saved.
• You can lose your salvation.

I’m not expert enough to jump in the weeds of that discussion, nor am I an expert on the condition of another person’s heart. For the purpose of our discussion, I brought in some trustworthy experts.

Peter gives this strong warning: It’s better to have never know righteousness than to reject the command of living a holy life. In other words, it is difficult to make the return back to God, not impossible, but difficult… lots of hard work and facing the consequences of our sin.

And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command, they were given to live a holy life. They prove the truth of this proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.” And another says, “A washed pig returns to the mud.”
2 Peter 2:20-22

Paul says:

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Colossians 2:6-7 (ESV)

Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
Colossians 2:7

Therefore:

Let the roots of your faith be firmly established and keep your roots wet.

But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
Psalm 1:2-3

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And he went out and found the body lying in the road. The donkey and lion were still standing there beside it, for the lion had not eaten the body nor attacked the donkey.
1 Kings 13:28-29

Two things stand out in these verses a:

• donkey and a lion standing beside on another
• lion not consuming the donkey, or the dead body

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Do what it takes to firmly plant my roots and to keep them healthy