How can we avoid the sins described in Psalm 106:38 in today's society? The Heart of the Sin Psalm 106:38 paints a sober picture: “They poured out innocent blood— the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood.” The crimes are clear: shedding innocent blood, sacrificing children, bowing to idols, and defiling the land. Because Scripture is accurate and literal, these same evils still threaten us, even if the forms look different. Modern Parallels • Abortion and selective embryo destruction—children offered on the altar of convenience or autonomy • Child trafficking, abuse, and exploitation—lives treated as commodities • Cultural messages that push parents to neglect or abort children for career, wealth, or image • Entertainment and technology that normalize violence against the innocent • Laws or policies that cheapen life and silence the voiceless Guarding Our Hearts Against Idolatry • Identify the idols of our age: self-gratification, success, technology, sexual freedom, political power (1 John 5:21; Ephesians 5:5) • Reject the lie that anything other than the Lord can satisfy (Jeremiah 2:13) • Practice daily worship and thanksgiving, shifting focus from created things to the Creator (Romans 12:1-2) Valuing Every Life From Conception to Old Age • Remember that “children are a heritage from the LORD” (Psalm 127:3) • Recognize God’s hatred of “hands that shed innocent blood” (Proverbs 6:16-17) • Treat the unborn, disabled, elderly, and marginalized as image-bearers (Genesis 1:27; Matthew 25:40) • Protect purity so children are conceived within God-honoring marriage (1 Corinthians 6:18) Practical Steps for Families • Celebrate pregnancies; support crisis-pregnancy centers and foster or adopt when possible • Teach children early that life is sacred from the womb (Deuteronomy 6:6-7) • Filter media; avoid shows or games that trivialize violence or sexualize kids • Schedule family worship; pray for the unborn, persecuted children, and government leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-2) • Model generous giving to ministries that rescue and restore children Engaging the Wider Culture • Vote for leaders and policies that uphold life and protect the innocent (Proverbs 31:8-9) • Speak graciously yet boldly about the sanctity of life in conversations and online (Colossians 4:5-6) • Volunteer at pregnancy resource centers, safe-home ministries, or mentoring programs • Partner with local schools and churches to meet practical needs—meals, tutoring, clothing • Support scientific and medical alternatives that honor life, avoiding research that destroys embryos Walking in Holiness Daily • Confess any past involvement in shedding innocent blood; receive Christ’s full cleansing (1 John 1:9) • Keep short accounts with God; sin left unchecked hardens the heart (Hebrews 3:12-13) • Cultivate accountability with mature believers; isolation breeds compromise (Hebrews 10:24-25) • Meditate on passages that champion life—Psalm 139:13-16; John 10:10; James 1:27 • Depend on the Holy Spirit for courage and compassion (Galatians 5:16-23) Key Scriptures to Memorize • Psalm 139:13-14—We are fearfully and wonderfully made • Proverbs 24:11—Rescue those being led away to death • Jeremiah 1:5—Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you • Matthew 18:10—See that you do not despise one of these little ones • Micah 6:8—Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with your God |
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