Are You Settled in Complacency?
A guest post by Chad Ramsey.
The Problem of Complacency.
The people of Zephaniah’s day had a serious problem: They had become indifferent about God! Revealing how God would deal with this attitude, Zephaniah wrote:
“And it shall come to pass at that time that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and punish the men who are settled in complacency, who say in their heart, ‘The LORD will not do good, nor will He do evil’” (Zephaniah 1:12).
Although those living during Zephaniah’s day should have recognized God is in control, they had grown complacent. And it was this attitude of complacency that led them to conclude God no longer concerned Himself with the affairs of man.
But God, as the prophet affirmed, was still concerned with mankind. And just as He was concerned in Zephaniah’s day, He is concerned today.
So instead of becoming settled in complacency, we must continually remind ourselves that God remains the giver of every good thing and that He remains opposed to all that is wicked and vile.
For this reason, we must make every effort to avoid indifference.
The Warning Against Complacency.
In particular, we must not become indifferent toward sin. This warning is significant because we live in a world where ungodly behavior is accepted as the norm.
Thus, we must constantly guard against becoming desensitized to actions that ought to cause us to blush. We must make every effort to remind ourselves that sinful behavior separates man from God (Isaiah 59:1-2) and that those who engage in the practice of sinful actions will not, as Paul said, “inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9).
No matter how loud our society preaches toleration, God will not tolerate wicked behavior. Thankfully, He “desires all men to be saved” (1 Timothy 2:4). That’s why Jesus had to die!
Christianity leaves no room for complacency. Wake up!
Chad Ramsey preaches for the Gloster Street Church of Christ in Tupelo, Mississippi. You can access their Bible classes and Chad’s sermons on Gloster Street’s YouTube page.
Chad was - and still is - “my preacher” from when I spent my high school and early college years at Gloster Street. I’m thankful to be able to share some of his writings with you.
